Guest Post: Bring Out the Goddess in You

Social graces have long been an element that has held a powerful influence in society to encourage qualities such as nurturing, respect, dignity and kindness. From becoming versed in social graces, people gain poise, confidence and a renewed ability to extend respect and kindness to others. Grace Lee strives to bring the knowledge of what social graces are and how they can benefit society and individuals to as many people as possible.

Why are social graces important enough to be taught to virtually everyone? Because they can influence for the better problems in our society such as child neglect, abuse, and social barriers. Simply put, basic social graces such as table manners, how to walk, how to enter a room, how to introduce yourself, etc., effect much more of how society interacts than we realize.

Years ago, social graces were taught by parents in the family setting. During the social changes of the 60’s and 70’s much of social graces education was discarded as “old-fashioned or out-dated” thinking. Women have increasingly been encouraged to be competitive with men, as men, rather than as women, and have gradually lost a sense of how the two genders are uniquely suited to provide different viewpoints to their work. Now, many people in the 90’s realize the value of these lessons and wish to give their children access to this knowledge or learn it for themselves. Interest in social graces has increased during this decade and is expected to experience continued growth as society searches for ways to bring back “a better way of life”.

Because women and children have the position of influence in maintaining or change a society’s culture, the programs designed by Grace Lee have been largely directed toward them. Examples of how this has been achieved in the past includes several years in working with the Phoenix Housing Department, teaching social graces to disadvantaged children, who are then encourage to share what they have learned at home; programs at the Sojourner’s Women Shelter for battered women to assist them in gaining confidence and poise for job interviews; and private lessons for children whose parents want them to have the manners and poise necessary to feel confident in any social situation.

Guest blogger Grace Lee is an author, speaker and trainer. You can learn more about her on her website Grace Lee International. Check out my interview with Grace below!