Rules have reasons, as I often tell my kids. And just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you don’t have to follow them. They’re designed to keep us safe, to account for others that exist around us, and to maintain societal expectations. There are processes to challenge and possibly change them. But they are what they are.
We all know them: the people who spend a lot of time and energy trying to tell you how much they know. Self-declared experts with the typical communication style that leads with “I’m so awesome. Have I told you how awesome I am?” Translation: “I know everything and I’ve done it all.”
When I look at the village that has been built around Let Her Lead, I see a group of women that meet this exact definition. And I can say firsthand, being someone who didn’t have a village like this for the majority of her life, that to be in their presence fills a void I didn’t recognize was missing. Rather than just telling you about this group, I want to highlight every woman who is connected to this program…
As heart-filling as it is to hear women talking about their dreams and aspirations - I always sense an undertone of pressure to constantly be seeking out ways to make ourselves better. To be better employees, better managers, better businessowners, better mothers, better partners, and better friends.
The pandemic may be behind us, but the lessons learned during that almost unreal time should stay with us. Many people learned to work from home, prioritize mental and physical health, embrace the perks of a remote or hybrid workspace, and generally spend more time participating in their lives.
Many years ago, I was recruited away from a cushy “big company” job to my first dream job at my dream company. I was tired of talking about things, making powerpoints, using theory words, producing products that are really just paper and thoughts, and pitching projects to fund.
When you meet with as many women as I do on a daily basis, it’s inevitable that you’ll end up having a lot of the same conversations. What has been the most enlightening insight I’ve gotten from these conversations is just how much our own negative self-perceptions impact our ability to expand our power and influence.
The act of letting go is an act of self-care but more than that, it is one of survival. Conserving negative emotions like hatred, bitterness & resentment related to past trauma or unforgivable betrayals not only prevents you from thriving in the lifestyle you deserve, but it can actually manifest into life-threatening health issues.
I wrote 'Good Thoughts for Bad Times' for Mental Health Awareness Month. Even the smallest flicker of a good memory can bring a bit of hope to some of my darkest days. In my songs there are recurring themes of loving others, loving yourself, and mental health.
Since starting Let Her Speak a little over 5 years ago, one question I get asked over and over is what prompted me to start a movement. The background and explanation for my “why” is too complex to answer in a short sound bite. So a few years ago I started telling people that I founded the organization for six reasons and would then proceed to only provide one of those reasons in my answer.
