Girl, Stand in Your Power

Today is International Women’s Day. It’s 2020. And we still don’t feel we’ve come a long way. 

Don’t get me wrong. I see the progress that has been made. Companies are making efforts toward salary parity, and are fulfilling promises to even out their leadership teams and, in some cases, boards. Hey, women actually are considered somewhat viable candidates for President now!

And we still hear things like “she’s not likable” when referring to the most viable of the field of female presidential candidates. We still open up magazines and see ads for products consumed only by women that objectify women. We still are subject to a culture where we earn less but still drop wads of cash on products that men don’t even consider (from cosmetics to pharmaceuticals to personal hygiene products) - often so we can keep up with the societal demands to “look good.” We still have powerful men making decisions about our bodies.

Hey, I’m not trying to bring you down. In fact, I have a (possibly controversial) point of view on this. I look around and see all of us women fighting against a system of bias and inequality, but I can’t help but wonder...

Why aren’t we standing in our power?

Oh wait. You think we don’t have the power? 

Women make up slightly more than 50% of the U.S. population. Why aren’t we ALL incessantly calling our elected representatives to make our collective voices known on issues that matter to us? Why aren’t we storming the polls en masse to put our sisters in high political offices?

Women account for more than half of the college-educated workforce. Why aren’t we organizing a walkout like our brave sisters did in Iceland back in 1975? I mean, really, what would it look like if women just decided together they weren’t going to take it anymore?

Women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing. Why aren’t we spending our hard-earned dollars on women-owned brands? Why aren’t we boycotting products with tone-deaf marketing practices? Why aren’t we investing exclusively in women-owned businesses?

I think I know why. It’s because of fear. 

We can’t really look into the future and see how it would all turn out if we stood in our power. We could lose our livelihoods. We could turn loved ones against us. We might have to settle for inferior products and services. And so much more.

I get it. I’ve felt all of those things too. But there’s very little of the amazing in life that came to anyone who shrank back in fear. In fact, all those risk takers would tell you that listening to their gut and following it through fear resulted in richer rewards than you can imagine.

Everything we have ever wanted is on the other side of fear. And everything we despise around us is not going to change until we stand up and claim our power.

As long as we continue to accept whatever is thrown our way, how can we expect things to change? 

As long as we continue to show up at jobs where our compensation proves we’re undervalued, how can we expect things to change?

As long as we back the male candidates because we think a woman can’t win, how can we expect things to change?

I’m calling on all my sisters to make those hard decisions. It will be scary. It could bring hardship and heartache. But really, is life truly that good shrinking back and allowing the system to own us?

I don’t think it is. I think it’s time for real change. And we have to be that change that we want to see in the world. 

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Laura Honeycutt is a 25-year advertising veteran turned personal power accelerator. She partners with clients to reduce stress, increase productivity, elevate confidence, and overcome exhausting politics, bias, and toxic work cultures so they can soar in their careers and lives. See more at coachhoneycutt.com.