Happy International Women’s Day
Today is the one day each year when we get to fully celebrate the women of this world and the impact we make on our families, our communities, and our workplaces. The challenge comes because the other 364 days are often filled with the need to prove ourselves as deserving of equitable treatment in all areas of our lives.
The challenge is exacerbated because many women make it even harder by believing that they’re:
➡️ Too much or not enough of some attribute
➡️ Too old or too young to chase their dream
➡️ Not experienced or too experienced for an opportunity
They continue to believe:
🤔 They need to be satisfied with the salary, raise, or opportunity they’re given and not ask for what they really want…or aren’t ready to believe they deserve it.
🤔 That their good work will be noticed without their own amplification. Rarely do we get the raise or promotion or opportunity without shining a light on what we’ve done.
🤔 That they need to have 100% of the qualifications on a job posting to put their name in the ring…they doubt their opportunity to step up or don’t yet realize that their male counterparts are raising their hands for these stretch roles.
Every time I do a workshop focused on the limiting beliefs that we carry with us, I’m reminded of these points. Most women I know struggle with their inner critic that pushes them to stay safe or doubt themselves. This doesn’t improve until they make a choice to work on that inner critic so that the volume of that voice is rarely there or is at least at the volume where you know it’s just checking in…should we do this, are we ready NOT you aren’t ready or you can’t do this.
The 2025 theme for International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action. This is our call to action to be the intentional leaders of ourselves and the people in our family, community, and organizations. As we recognize this day, I share these challenges with you:
To the women readers:
Believe in yourself. If you don’t, it will be hard for everyone else to get behind you.
Allow yourself to think and dream big. You don’t have to live in the small box.
Speak up for what you want.
Find support structures and communities that encourage your growth.
Encourage the other women around you. We need to be each other’s cheerleaders not competitors.
To the male readers:
Continue to support the women in your life to believe in their capabilities and to think boldly about their dreams and aspirations.
Challenge those that you see potential in to step up if you see the trepidation.
Amplify their voices when you see that they’re being minimized or ignored.
The world needs strong, confident men and women to lead us in a future that is full of uncertainty and volatility.
You are those people.
Let’s be the superheroes we need more of.
Have you checked out all of the free resources available recently? You can check them out here.