Tyora Moody - When Women Connect

If youre not familiar with the Stepping into Victory Compilations, this nonfiction series is considered a spin-off to a fiction series. I know that sounds weird! When I was editing the third and final book in the Victory Gospel Series, this idea formed to reach out to real women.

Each one of the main characters in the books, Candace When Rain Falls, Angel When Memories Fade and Lenora When Perfection Fails were female entrepreneurs. Not only were they entrepreneurs, but they all attended the fictional Victory Gospel Church, even attending the same bible study. There is sometimes a hint of an authors life within their stories. Ive always enjoyed connecting with other women who have similar interests and personalities which is exactly what happens to these three women over the course of three books.

The world wide web is full of opportunities to meet people. As an introvert, its probably been my main source of meeting new people in the past decade. The various platforms can be overwhelming, so its important to proceed with caution but to keep an open mind.

On the flip side, I also like to connect people to each other. Im a listener and like to provide solutions, when requested. Its a regular occurrence to find inquiries in my inbox, voicemails, texts and the various social media messengers. Depending on the goal of the person making the request, I carefully consider if I can help them or if I know of another person who would make a better connection. There is a sense of joy when both parties return back to me with the success of connection.

A few years ago, while working on the compilation, When Women Become Business Owner, it occurred to me after reading the co-authors stories, how many of these women I had personally connected with over the years. Many of them I encountered early on when my business was new and I was still trying to figure out what I was doing. I, in turn, also watched them grow with their own businesses. We talked on the phone for hours, sharing and brainstorming ideas, and over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet a few in person. Theres nothing quite like connecting the avatar on social media with the person.

Still with all the connections Ive made over the years, there remains a handful of women who have my deepest trust. Who know the real me behind the smile. I think this is normal with most women, that they keep a few close friends or even one main BFF.

Our lives are shaped by the women we come in contact with throughout our lives. These women can be our mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, friends or co-workers. Many women are wounded by the ugly, shallow conflicts that burst forth from other women whove let their own insecurities rule their behavior. Unfortunately, once pain is inflicted, grudges, mistrust and unforgiveness can reign too long, not allowing for the chance for deeper connections.

If a person is sucked into the world of reality television, whether the Housewives series, Basketball Wives, Love & Hip-Hop, the viewer may forget the desire for ratings overrides the common decency of how women should treat each other. I say ignore that superficial world.