In the beginning of the pandemic, more than 30 million Americans were told to stay home from work, that they didn't matter. How are you supposed to get out of bed in the morning if you don't matter?
In this unguarded, deeply affective, and witty memoir, I share the relatable story of being raised in an image-driven world into which I did not easily fit. Specifically being told that I resembled my personality-disordered aunt -whose life didn't matter- I deeply feared that mine wouldn't either.
In this memoir (also categorized as self-leadership), I write to the core of this struggle to recover my beaten spirit and rebuild the large life that matters to me. I explore the question of what mattering means, through the prism of how the question personally played out for me in my relationships with my family, my Orthodox Jewish religion, and the American culture focused on appearance, food and money. Through the storyline and an expanded section in the back of the book that includes 200 objective lessons about mattering, I demonstrate that we cannot buy or borrow our mattering, but we can create it.
Dare to Matter gives readers the will and courage to rebuild their collapsed inner space into the large life that makes getting out of bed every morning, and staying out of it, irresistible. It is a call to satisfACTION and a challenge to beat back the messages we get from family and society that shut us down. When we are renewed to opt into our lives, we dare to matter in meaningful and often miraculous ways.
Shifra is fascinated with the inner spaces humans inhabit.
Radio
As the producer and host of a weekly radio program on social and educational issues that aired live in the Mid-Atlantic region, Shifra was known for eliciting hard, honest responses from her interviewees when posing the questions that others were too hesitant to ask.
Underlying these conversations was one pressing question Shifra always wanted to answer: what makes our lives matter? Daring to step right into the heart of life’s complexities, her search for answers to this question is refreshingly approachable and impactful. Her style: "Press the issue without stressing the person."
Writing and Communications Consultant, Director of Leadership That Matters
Shifra currently serves as the vice-president of project development for a web-based writing and communications company that assists corporate and non-profit enterprises with shaping their verbal and written communications. Among diverse professional credits, she has crafted messages for an online greeting card company and has written and recorded radio commercials, corporate phone scripts, and organizational videos.
Shifra founded Leadership That Matters, based on the teachings in her memoir, DARE TO MATTER. She offers mentoring and consulting support to people who are intent on expanding their visions of what is possible for themselves and their teams, while nurturing their capacity to achieve it.
A diverse clientele calls upon her to serve as their catalyst for change, while also facilitating the transformation. Ranging from the aspiring author to the frustrated mid-lifer to the organization whose potential is waiting to happen, Shifra leads with her foundational FIVE PRINCIPLES OF MATTERING™ .
FIVE PRINCIPLES OF MATTERING™ form the basis of a singular work designed to evoke the best and brightest in each person she serves. She helps people to “connect their dots” so they emerge as the leaders their world needs.
She has been invited to present on topics of spiritual, personal, and creative growth and development in a variety of academic and corporate settings, ranging from university students to women entrepreneurs.
WomanSpeak™ International Circle Leader
Shifra is certified to teach the Speak Your Truth, Change the World curriculum.
She believes that “your voice is who you are at your core,” and if you don’t speak your truth, who will?
In her Circles, she supports women in learning the heart and soul of effective speaking. In a spirit of celebration, collaboration, and connection, women have the space to blossom into their most authentic selves. And as they do, they powerfully affect and influence the people who are waiting for their leadership.
Community Activism
Her lengthy list of community activism includes past service for the Association for Women in Communications, Washington D.C. and current service on the board of a non-profit organization dedicated to helping singles meet and marry.
Shifra resides in Maryland, where she occasionally puts her pen down so that she can roam around in pursuit of her next writing desk. And if you ever wish to give her a gift, opt for distinctive stationery and not a cookbook.
