Member/Community News

Author and humorist, Mary Fran Bontempo, offered 11 commandments to help women navigate the challenges of creating productive and fulfilling personal and professional lives. “Intentionally forget about anything that is not moving you forward so you can clear space in your head for more important things,” she told nearly 50 women at the monthly free meeting of the Women’s Business Forum in Doylestown earlier this month. “Mother Nature will help you increasingly as you age!” With directives such as "Thou Shalt Fuggheddaboudit," "Thou Shalt Scare Thyself" and "Thou Shalt Stop 'Shoulding' Thyself," attendees learned how to minimize life's distractions and overcome fear while focusing on their goals and personal fulfillment as priorities. “Ignore more,” too, especially as your kids grow. And let yourself lose control. “Being a control freak can be exhausting – you can’t do it all – and you’re not supposed to! Turn things over to people who should be doing them anyway,” she explained. Make a mistake – or many “Do the wrong thing on purpose,” said Bontempo, who recently got a tattoo (henna) on a dare. “Have more fun – it’s liberating. Say no. Stop being so nice. That will free space and time to do what you need.” Other advice: • Thou shalt scare thyself: She advocates singing karaoke to overcome your fear of looking foolish. • Thou shalt regress: “it’s essential for our creativity to play,” she said. • Thou shalt not wear elastic-waist pants: “Don’t give up on yourself.” • Thou shalt not “should” yourself: “Turn those should into ‘musts’ and ‘wants’ instead.” • Thou shalt be conspicuous: “We all conform to our group of assignment of choice, or we’d be let out of the group,” she explained. Her conspicuous act? Wearing red heels. ”Say I am here, world, and I have something to say!” Bontempo is an author, teacher and speaker, who writes with humor and insight about the lives of women, especially as they journey through life’s various phases. A former newspaper columnist, Mary Fran’s new book, Not Ready For Granny Panties--The 11 Commandments for Avoiding Granny Panties, was published in fall 2012. Her first book, Everyday Adventures or, As My Husband Says, “Lies, Lies and More Lies,” was published in 2007. Her work has won numerous awards, including notable mention by the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop and Humor Press. She writes for her blog, Not Ready For Granny Panties (www.notreadyforgrannypanties.com), and Technorati Media.