More than a century later, women and men all over the planet are acknowledging just how far we’ve come, and just how far we have yet to go, on this International Women’s Day. The image above is me striking the #breakthebias pose. For me, this is a symbol of courage and standing in our power in this time of great change and new beginnings.
Having the courage to be the real thing and show up authentically is not always something we were trained to do, or learned from the women of earlier generations, whether it’s a made-up face, a passive aggressive approach to getting things done or a blind eye to toxic masculinity, the subtleties have been insidious. So today I stand in optimism and gratitude for being here and for working with some incredibly courageous women leaders who are making a difference in the world through their courage and vulnerability.
Authenticity is not always easy when you’re on the payroll, it takes courage to know who you are and what is ok for you and what is not. Authenticity is a non-reactive state, in other words, in order to show up as the real deal you have to really know yourself. What are your triggers? Why do you react in a certain way to certain people and situations? Who is it that can really push your buttons and what is it that you are seeing in them that is a reflective pathway to your growth? This level of enquiry takes courage and I celebrate all of you out there on this path of courage and growth today.
My own journey of courage in 2022 includes taking time off to ‘sit on country’ in a personal vision quest. If you’d like to read more, my blog is here.
“Courage is contagious. A critical mass of brave leaders is the foundation of an intentionally courageous culture. Every time we are brave with our lives, we make the people around us a little braver and our organizations bolder and stronger.” – Brené Brown
