Staying sane and finding the balance between work and life is notoriously difficult, but we try anyway. And sometimes it’s just nice to sit back with a glass of wine and ‘let it all out’ in the company of other women who are rowing the same boat.
Well, that’s exactly what close on 100 women did on 27 August at Ascot Mews in New Market Park, when Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services hosted the first of what promises to become regular ‘Come Whine With Me’ evenings. There was wine tasting, delicious food, networking, exciting giveaways and an informative talk entitled ‘All in the Balance’ presented by Holistic Life Coach, Marisa Wollheim.
Marisa, who has over two decades of experience in hospice-related care, explored the difference between whining and debriefing and urged the ladies to be aware of dumping their stuff on others and, likewise, allowing others to dump their stuff on them. “Don’t be defined by your frustrations,” she said. “If you can take the time to whine, you can take the time to do something about it.”
Marisa believes that while we all have the need (and absolute right) to offload, we must be careful of the how, when, where, what and to whom we whine to: “Complaining gets us attention, but then we become victims of our circumstances instead of becoming more aware of what triggers us and taking action to free ourselves and give up the dysfunction.”
“Ultimately, we are all responsible for ourselves. If you’re too polite, learn to set boundaries. Get to know your limits and speak up when your bucket is full. It will only control you if you keep it all inside. It’s important to be real,” said Marisa, adding that “whatever we keep in the dark becomes a monster, so put a light on and then you can deal with it.”
She also touched briefly on her work with hospice, saying that her patients have been some of her greatest teachers. “Working with the dying has taught me to live.”
For Stepping Stone Hospice CEO, Tersia Burger, getting together as women to unwind and offload is “so important” with all that we have to juggle. She spoke about the realities of working at a hospice and thanked her team and volunteers for their invaluable contributions.
Stepping Stone Hospice would like to thank all the ladies that attended this fun and thought-provoking evening. See you all at the next one!
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