Lady and the Tribe

by Brenda Billings Ridgley

Overview

Wives, mothers, and career women-we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants, weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences, interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are has become what we do.

In the process, our friendships have become the casualty of a "busy life" and lack consistency and depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere?

The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors-always in our corner. They are the branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings attached.

Lady and the Tribe is a blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you'll be swept away on a journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those of other women. In the process, you'll discover how to find, nurture, and deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.

We can become whole again through the power of connection.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781737289715
Publisher:	Whole You Media
Publication date:	10/30/2021
Pages:	278
Sales rank:	1,045,077
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.63(d)

Editorial Reviews

In Lady and the Tribe, Brenda Billings Ridgley celebrates the power of female friendships, sharing insights into the ways they enrich women's lives and offering strategies for creating, strengthening, and enjoying these relationships to the fullest.

Ridgley explores the roots of loneliness in today's times and the impact of social media, while also sharing stories from her life and others to illustrate personal growth as friendships deepen. Her narrative addresses the distinct types and levels of women's relationships with one another, including toxic ones.

"The Friendship Target" is at the heart of her philosophy. Imagine a center circle titled "You" with five concentric circles around it. The closer the circle to "You," the deeper the relationship and the smaller the number of people included. From the center out, she labels the circles as: Tribe ("closest to heart-center relationships"); Soul Sisters (important friendships with women you can't see regularly); Kindred Klan (women you socialize with regularly, perhaps once a month); Friendlies (real friendships, but on a more superficial level); Community (casual friendships, similar to a network).

Ridgley does an impressive job merging personal experiences, her unique thoughts on friendship, and anecdotes from other women with research and experts' opinions. She offers a plethora of useful tips on how to develop, maintain, and enrich friendships, such as encouraging readers to "emphasize joy and kindness over charisma"; enthusiasm for a friendship, she posits, enhances the relationship, as does sharing inside jokes and connecting over the "silly things."

While she acknowledges that life events can prevent friends from getting together, she connects the value and depth of friendship with the amount of time, energy, and support each person provides the other. In other words, quantity equals quality, both in the number of people you connect with and how often you get together with those people.

Ultimately, Ridgley's philosophies will resonate with any woman seeking to analyze and expand friendships, who will find many helpful insights here.
Blue Ink Review

From the Publisher