Does it ever happen to you that, long after listening to a podcast or an interview, one sentence sticks with you? I spent a few days filling up my ?inspiration tank? recently, and that’s exactly what happened to me. One of the speakers (forgive me for not remembering who!) described belonging as a fundamental human need. His message about our need to be hugged by others and to fully express ourselves clicked with me immediately. Women need to be able to be heard, seen and express ourselves.

It is clear to me that my mission on this earth is to hold a space for women to gather together, to feel loved, to heal, and to expand. I know that belonging is an important need not only for women but also for men. But there is something about women coming together that creates a fuller, bigger, and deeper?or maybe simply different?connection than we make when we assemble with men.

For the last few weeks, I have been meeting weekly with a group of women who bond over the same set of goals:

To resist being invisible.

To resist staying small.

To resist hiding in the back.

To turn challenges into opportunities, bring purpose to pain, and live outside their comfort zones.

We meet online through a video call. We can’t physically hug each other, but, in a way, we do. Every week, I’m amazed by how easy it is for these women to identify with each other. Many of them have never met in person, and yet they have developed relationships naturally with ease and acceptance.

One of the topics we recently discussed was the lone wolf syndrome. A lone wolf is a person who spends most of her time alone. This distance from others can feel lonely. What’s interesting, though, is that we can interact with many people in a day and still feel lonely and isolated.

As natural caregivers, women find the strength within ourselves to take care of the people around us and put our own needs on hold. We play the hero, all the while suppressing our frustration about our unmet needs. The result is that, in challenging times, we try to cope by ourselves and focus on giving rather than receiving. Despite socializing with family members, colleagues, and friends, we feel isolated. It is hard for us to be real and say, ?I need a hug. This day sucks!? or ?I need to be heard! Just listen!?

I believe that isolation is a collective problem for women.

When my husband and I decided to turn our empty nest challenge into an opportunity and move to New York, he was a happy camper right away. I wasn’t. I felt depressed and anxious. It took me months to realize that I was feeling disconnected from my new community. I knew that I was not the first person to feel isolated in New York, and, at the same time, I was a little surprised I could feel that way in a city of millions.

What I really missed was the sense of belonging that was central to my life before the move. My husband knows and understands that, though we have shared a healthy and loving relationship for many years, I still have a fundamental need to feel connected to other women.

One of the ideas that we hold dear to our hearts in the Beacons of Change community is that healing together outshines healing alone. Women ignite the light in one another. No wonder that when we gather in sisterhood, healing happens and courage emerges. There is no greater magic. There is no greater power.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you about this community of women that I have mentioned above.

It is called the Beacons of Change Inner Circle.

The Beacons of Change Inner Circle is a growing community for women who are ready to create turning points in their lives and live at full power.

I have not officially launched the Inner Circle yet because I don’t want it to grow too fast. I want to make sure I deliver the absolute best experience to each and every one of the women in our sisterhood.

Right now, the program is only open to women who have joined as founding members. These women are getting a lot of benefit from being part of this community. They feel loved, hugged and able to fully express themselves through the ongoing support provided by me and by one another.

As founding members, they are contributing to the creation of our Beacons of Change community, and they enjoy an affordable price that won’t change when the rate goes up for the official launch.

I am opening a limited number of spots for more founding members to join now.

You can choose to continue to go it on your own, yes. Or you can choose the magic of sisterhood, of a group of women who will support your journey, guide you through the trenches, and smooth out the trails ahead of you.

Read more about the Beacons of Change Inner Circle and join us.