Archive for March, 2011
Late Night Visions: The Convivial Woman in Me
When I take the time to get out of my head and go deep into my heart’s memory of who the Convivial Woman is in me, these are the visuals for memories that come to the surface:
The caring granddaughter having a laugh on the phone with her 76-year-old badass, take-no-shit- grandfather who stands at 4’11”.
The girl dancing barefoot on the dancefloor to salsa and merengue with hands intertwined with fellow booty-shaking girlfriend or husband who knows how to make it “look like” he knows how to dance salsa and merengue
The cousin who tells the best scary campfire stories, cracks jokes and exudes pure love for her family and feels like a superstar when she’s around them
The wife who will stand her ground and tell her husband like it is when she needs to, then smack his ass ’cause she likes it and knows he does too (TMI? wink wink)
The same woman who will respect the hell out of her man when he stands his ground, puts her in her place, and later returns to reassure her of his love (Ahh…the love quarrel)
The girl who is uncertain about what to do or say to comfort dear friend crying before her; dear friend asks for a tissue and the girl accidentally lightens the mood by bringing the whole roll of toilet paper
The daughter who has the best laughs (shoulders shaking and e’erthang) while people watching with her Dad
The same daughter who can envision tag-teaming with her mother in a wrestling match any day because of their combined ball-busting spirit (NOTE: my feisty mama takes after her father and stands a 4’11” too)
The mother who stands with arms crossed and big smile as she watches over her young sons while they play wrestle or “fence” with the kitchen utensils that go along with the mechanical mixer
The sister who sticks peanuts up her nose on family road trips and freaks out when one gets lodged too far up
The SAME sister who freaks out when her hand gets stuck in pool tables in motels while on family vacation
The young woman who wore fitted black bodysuits and bright red pencil skirts with platform shoes on the sabbath…yeah, I was keeping it holy alright
The woman who brought both her sons into the world with determination and absolute courage and personal strength
The girl who’s a blossoming Spanish (as a second language) speaker and causes a small crowd at the dinner table to laugh when she’s asked her age and she replies, “Diez y Eight”
The woman who plans her exit from a corporate job to write, loses herself, then finds and recreates herself again and again with the help and vision of one word…convivial.
Ahhh…my heart’s memory is a turquoise jewel which has made “breaking night” so worth the lack of sleep. So much more to tap into, but I’ll save it for another day.
Stay tuned this week for the last part to my 3-part blog series titled “Up” Your Convivial Game!
Ciao Ciao Convivial World,
Farewell Violet Eyes: In Remembrance of Elizabeth Taylor
Wow. She’s gone. Like, today.
I was visiting some friends this morning and popped open the laptop to check on an event we were discussing and BAM, right there on the Yahoo homepage,
Elizabeth Taylor: 1932-2011.
GASP! My jaw dropped and I announced the shocking news to my friends.
Then…a cold chill ran through my body and I had to suddenly hold back a rush of tears to my eyes.
Of course, at her age, it was bound to happen, but it’s still heartbreaking.
Elizabeth Taylor. An American Icon. What a loss.
Farewell violet eyes,
Taking The Stage, Fear and All
In a Ted Talk given by Sarah Kay of Project V.O.I.C.E., she recites two poems and speaks candidly about the power of the written word spoken aloud. There was a moment during her talk when her nervousness was evident; she was even bold enough to call herself out on it while on stage. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person to connect with her in that moment when she showed us her humanity.
Her sense of playfulness, energy and spirit resonated on a deep level with me, and although she’s a seasoned spoken word artist, she still experiences nerves on stage, but no matter the fear, she does it anyway.
Performing ones words on a stage is risky business.
I do it here and occasionally exit this virtual stage for a real one at say a workshop, networker or a convivial gathering. Every time I think of getting up in front of people, I imagine all chairs screeching so audience members can get a better look at me, and the nerves come out to play, but…I do it anyway. I recognize that one aspect of my discomfort in having all eyes on me is the introvert in me, but thankfully, I’m affable and can balance it out. The bigger part is simply a matter of more practice. Just as babies don’t walk out of the womb, neither should we think our fear of the unknown or stepping out in front of people to do what it is we do (or want to do) can be overcome in an instant or banished altogether.
We never stop fearing. We only get better and bolder at facing it. (more…)
Tweet“Up” Your Convivial Game: Part II
Decision Two: Make time to dream, to work, to write (or whatever your genius is)
There were plenty of strategic decisions which led me to decide on and make the transition from Convivial Society to The Convivial Woman. In today’s blog post, I discuss part dieux in this three-part series…
I’ll say it time and time again…it all starts with a feeling. When it’s something that you need to do, must pay attention to, if you’re not consciously doing it on your own, life will take the initiative for you and send signs, people, and even unexpected circumstances to get your attention to call you to action.
If you aren’t privy to the fact that I’ve been raising little warriors since November 2007, well, there you have it- I’m a mom. For the first year of my son’s lives, I socialized them in playgroups, did storytime and enrolled them in sing along classes, and we all made new connections and went home tired and happy. However, each night, when the moon hung high in the sky and all members of my family were sound asleep, Cheryl- the girl, the writer, the woman, the individual- would come out to play. She was always the hardest one to put to bed. I was playing creator and toiling with this idea of a Convivial Society, writing incognito for just family and close friends and when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, I’d surrender to sleep.
“The real secret of creativity is to go back and remember…” -Twyla Tharp
Motivation is a very personal thing and no one had me doing what I was doing at 1 in the morning- benchmarking, reading for inspiration, writing, finding my voice, preparing to build an online presence,and simply exploring new online worlds to assist me in creating my own. I had this need to (more…)
TweetConvivial Cameo: Karie Hill, Financial Freedom Coach
“There are three crucial types of education: Academic education- reading, writing and basic math; Professional education- the skills to work for money; and Financial education- the skills to have money work for you. Which of the three were you taught?” -Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Today, my Convivial Interview series begins! I’m going to be featuring some amazing women who personally influence and inspire me. You can look forward to these women’s stories of how they’re making tough choices, taking risks, and pushing through the glass ceilings of self-limitation in their minds to create meaningful lives for themselves and others. Stop by each Monday for the next month for all new, inspiring interviews. Let’s get started!
In November 2010, I attended Rich Happy & Hot LIVE with Marie Forleo in New York City and met a beautiful woman from the Chicago area named, Karie Hill. On a break, we got to talk and I asked her about the work she was doing in the world and she said, “I practice Financial Well-being and teach others how to do the same.” As the Chavarria family CFO, an ex-banker-turned-entrepreneur, and Convivial Life Strategist, my eyes lit up as I envisioned the worlds Karie could rock for the better.
Meet the woman behind KDH Financial, Karie Hill 
and see why I believe her work can change so many people’s lives, including yours… (more…)
Tweet“Up” Your Convivial Game: 3 Part Series
Decision 1: Work with a coach and do some inner work
There were plenty of strategic decisions which led me to decide on and make the transition from Convivial Society to The Convivial Woman. Self-awareness, personal motivation, outrageous self-belief, intentional tribe building, conscious action and the beauty of synchronicity all played their part in this new creation.
The idea to possibly change the name of the site first came to me in the Fall of 2010 while working with my coach, Lisa Carmen of SacredSexyU. Lisa’s coaching is normally geared for women who want to reconnect with their sense of self, femininity or sexuality, and she even offers sensual dance and movement sessions, but I didn’t necessarily find myself lacking or needing to connect with myself in those ways.
Instead, I saw my connection with Lisa as divine intervention. When I first quit my job in banking and returned from being on sabbatical in central Mexico in 2005, I was searching for answers, signs to help me along my new path as a writer. I came across a flyer at the local bookstore of a group called Spark, for women wanting inspiration and connection. I signed up for the updates, received a couple of email newsletters and remember the group organizer’s name was Lisa Olson, but I never made it to any event and went on living my life.
Fast-forward to 2010, a girl named Lisa Carmen “friends” me on Facebook and begins showering me with praise and support for what I was doing with Convivial Society. I felt this sense of dejavu when I looked at her pictures and read her words, then…it hit me (more…)
TweetBehold The Unveiling: Convivial Society relaunches as The Convivial Woman
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It’s the most anticipated event we’ve all been waiting for…
Relaunch Day for TheConvivialWoman.com!
Before you make your way around the site for a peep at what’s new, I’d like to share a personal message on audio with you, but first, this quote…
“The work of art is another human mind incarnate; not in the flesh and blood, but in sounds, words, or colors.” -The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, Evolution
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MY WORDS & MORE
.
As The Convivial Woman, I am here to say…
Every woman is a masterpiece.
An extravagantly unique & inimitable creation. Her very existence is a great work of art.
And ask the question…
So, how do you treat a work of art?
It’s my personal commitment to live the answer…
With dignity. Reverence. A sense of majesty. And a sense of humor.
My desire is to inspire the same in you.
I’m all about Convivial Living…
joyful connecting, conscious action, and uncompromising self-care, and I plan to fill this space with a plethora of refined word gems to demonstrate that. When you make a conscious choice to see and treat yourself as a work of art, you inevitably create a life of artful intention for you and the world around you. That’s what we’re here to do.
“I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” -Jay-Z
The Convivial Woman is not only my artform, it’s also the work I’ve been called to do in the form of articles, lifestyle guides, 1 on 1 strategizing sessions (think: creative brainstorming/dream accountability partnerships), intimate workshops and travel retreats. To receive updates, news and special links and offers on events as they happen, sign up here.
To celebrate my shape-shifting nature along with this grandiose day, stay tuned for an extra special blog post tomorrow, then join me for a series of Convivial Interviews starting this Monday, March 14 where I’ll feature some amazing women (and men!) who inspire me. We’ll talk about life, love, entrepreneurship, spirituality and share tips on breaking free from self-limitation. They’ll also share how they are making the very personal choice to show up in the world and give you a sneak peek into their convivial lives, as well. It’s gonna be fun!
If you haven’t done so yet…
Become a member of The Convivial Society
– now known as my monthly newsletter- to receive important links, event news, and personal messages from me. Drop your name in the hat right here.
I’d love to interact and know more about you, so honor me with your presence and LIKE my Facebook fanpage or follow me on Twitter as well.
Join me for tomorrow’s very first blog post as www.TheConvivialWoman.com- I’m calling it Up Your Convivial Game because that’s what each new day calls us to do. You can come back on your own or have it delivered directly to your inbox.
Now go ahead and peek behind the imaginary turquoise curtain and take a stroll around the newly revamped site to get to know more about me and what I am offering. Convivial times await you and I…
With fierce admiration,
Cheryl Chavarria
P.S. I’d love for you to say hello with a comment on the blog (below), or on facebook and twitter so I know you honored me with your presence!
P.P.S. If you want to finish jamming to that song I shared in the relaunch memo, CLICK FOR SONG HERE. See you tomorrow!
TweetMaking The Convivial Switch
Convivial Society is about to shape-shift and take on a whole new name in less than 24 hours! Relaunch date: Wednesday 9 March 2011
The relaunch will go down in convivial history like this…
:: You’ll mark your calendar (umm…like right now) and set your alarm clock for 6am on 9 March 2011 ; then you’ll nearly pee your pants as you race, while laughing freakishly, to your nearest computer or smart phone to get your first peek at my newly relaunched website.
:: You’ll experience a euphoric feeling as you feast your eyes on the updated logo and devour my new tagline (think Mona Lisa + a call to action). With great power, comes a great need to change…I love recreating myself, don’t you?
:: You’ll poke around the site and check out the newly polished message I’m preachin’ and see what my Convivial business has to offer you. Hint: A One Stop Convivial Thought Shop (articles on da blog, baby), 1 on 1 strategizing sessions, and ooh…do I see globetrotting in our future? That’ll be up to you!
:: You’ll be so excited about what you’ve just seen and read and will feel compelled to share it with everyone in your world on Facebook and Twitter! That’s right!
:: Lastly, you’ll stay tuned into this convivial channel by signing up for my monthly newsletter here to see where life takes me. And you!
For the month of March, you can look forward to:
:: A series of interviews on the topic of “Breaking Free” from some inspiring women who influence and motivate me personally. Their stories are filled with courage and strength and guarantee plenty of convivial takeaways.
:: A fun video interview with my hubby, Martin on his first encounter with The Convivial Woman (psst…a woman who was always willing to put herself first–even when she was madly in love.)
:: Another video interview with Vin Diesel-looking, tattoo-loving, Dubai-partying, U.S. Air Force Veteran and dear friend of mine, Mr. John Charles Bernal (that’s his stripper name–he’s been knighted in another life by me!) We’ll cover dating bloopers and mishaps all the single ladies should avoid if they want him to put a ring on it. Well, not necessarily “him” specifically. He’s just representin’ and giving voice to the single man.
:: and of course, some EXTRA SPECIAL blog posts from The Convivial Woman herself…yours truly.
Now’s the time to get your front row seats to this show! I’m eager to share this experience with you, so be sure to get your name on my list right –>HERE.<–
Counting down the days…Wednesday 9 March 2011…See ya then!
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