“ I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.” Audre Lorde, writer and civil rights activist.
I came across this quote and it made me think quite a bit about how many times women do not speak up when they have something really wonderful to contribute, and what holds us back – fear and exhaustion come to mind as perhaps the two biggest reasons.
This is not just about women speaking up or being too timid or shy. This is also about you, as a woman, being honest with yourself about your feelings, ideas, philosophy, and what you stand for. It is about taking the time to define what it really is that is important to you and having the courage to use your voice. Telling others about your beliefs, be it writing or speaking is really a gift when it is done with love, conviction and authenticity.
What do I mean by voice? It can be your outer voice - that which others hear, or your inner voice- those things you tell yourself which are either nourishing or harmful.
Defining Who You Are
Too many of us are afraid, or don’t care, or are too busy to define ourselves and our values. We simply have no time: 40% of women in the U S are the sole or primary breadwinners and single heads of the household -- a mind-boggling role which requires all of our mental and physical effort to just get thorough the day.
When you get into animated discussions at work or social situations, and there you have another, maybe unpopular, opinion, how often do you sit back and just listen, not wanting to take a risk, stick your neck out, or use what little energy you have left?
My challenge is for you to open up to yourself, take time to define what is important to you, find that courage within you, and join in the conversation. A well thought out opinion certainly has so much more interest than the hundreds of uninspired comments we are subject to everyday.
Need more Inspiration? Just go back to the Discovery Programs Page http://www.icwop.com/index.html
on this website for ideas, programs, and a free teleseminar coming up on June 27th.
I came across this quote and it made me think quite a bit about how many times women do not speak up when they have something really wonderful to contribute, and what holds us back – fear and exhaustion come to mind as perhaps the two biggest reasons.
This is not just about women speaking up or being too timid or shy. This is also about you, as a woman, being honest with yourself about your feelings, ideas, philosophy, and what you stand for. It is about taking the time to define what it really is that is important to you and having the courage to use your voice. Telling others about your beliefs, be it writing or speaking is really a gift when it is done with love, conviction and authenticity.
What do I mean by voice? It can be your outer voice - that which others hear, or your inner voice- those things you tell yourself which are either nourishing or harmful.
Defining Who You Are
Too many of us are afraid, or don’t care, or are too busy to define ourselves and our values. We simply have no time: 40% of women in the U S are the sole or primary breadwinners and single heads of the household -- a mind-boggling role which requires all of our mental and physical effort to just get thorough the day.
When you get into animated discussions at work or social situations, and there you have another, maybe unpopular, opinion, how often do you sit back and just listen, not wanting to take a risk, stick your neck out, or use what little energy you have left?
My challenge is for you to open up to yourself, take time to define what is important to you, find that courage within you, and join in the conversation. A well thought out opinion certainly has so much more interest than the hundreds of uninspired comments we are subject to everyday.
Need more Inspiration? Just go back to the Discovery Programs Page http://www.icwop.com/index.html
on this website for ideas, programs, and a free teleseminar coming up on June 27th.
RSS Feed
