3 Ways to #ChooseToChallenge this International Women's Day
What are you choosing to challenge? That's the theme for this year's International Women's Day to call-to-action advocacy for gender equity and equality. I know that many of you have been doing the work to show up as your fully-realized self for years while also working to be the change you want to see. So, International Women's Day may be just another day to you. I totally get it. I see awareness days as a chance to pause, reflect and possibly add a fresh perspective to your repertoire of knowledge and information. I also see them as a way to come together, in community, with people all over the world to honor the work being done to advance the conversation about the issues that plague our society.
Like everything else that has gone down in the past year, this Women's History Month is hitting a little different for me. At the beginning of last year's WHM, I attended a luncheon celebrating women in business. I felt all the feels, seeing so many women-owned businesses and emerging entrepreneurs doing their thaaaang. I did not know that a few days later, I would be preparing to shelter-in-place for the unforeseeable future. This past year has been hard. It's been sad. The loss has been devastating. Yet, so many of you are resilient and have been able to turn this time into an opportunity where inspiring new ideas emerged. It's hard to honor space in our minds, bodies and souls for both sets of experiences, but I have seen so many of you do it and thrive.
So as you continue to journey throughout this world doing dope and amazing things, I'd like to share this roadmap of three things that you can #ChoosetoChallenge:
(1) #ChoosetoChallenge to show up for yourself, first.
As women, we have been conditioned to put the needs of others before ourselves. We put our needs for good health, meaningful relationships and rest on hold in pursuit of our careers or desire to change the world. We tell ourselves "whatever it takes" even if it means being around toxic people or environments. It leads to burnout, we compromise our values, sell our souls, or suck it up because we think that’s what we have to do to get ahead. We all do it and we are long overdue to change this narrative. Showing up for ourselves, first, is not an act of self-indulgence it is a basic human right. We live in a society that values what we produce above our humanity and it's past the time for us to push back. That’s why the #selflove and #selfcare movements are an important part of any discussion about how we advance in society.
Choose to challenge yourself to show up for yourself by:
Taking the time to reflect on your journey, where you are and where you want to go.
Making space to practice self-care.
Finding your passion by harnessing your interests, skills and talents to pursue meaningful work.
(2) #ChoosetoChallenge yourself to lead with impact.
I believe that we should lead to make an impact. It’s really not enough to be somebody’s boss, barking orders or telling people to fall in line. What are you doing to cultivate leaders, inspire action and make a meaningful impact? When I was in grad school, I remember learning about authentic leadership and how this growing framework for leadership ran counter to the traditional top-down, patriarchal approach that we see in most work environments. Top-down leadership doesn’t have a place in this modern world and it doesn’t inspire people to be great. In a Forbes article titled, What is Authentic Leadership, there are four characteristics outlined to define authentic leaders:
Self-awareness and genuineness.
Mission-driven and focused on results.
Leading from the heart.
Focused on the long-term.
How will you challenge yourself to show up fully and lead to make an impact?
(3) #ChoosetoChallenge yourself to create the change you want to see.
Everyone should contribute to the change you want to see in this world. No issue is more or less important and no effort is too large or small. I can give you statistics about poverty, gender pay gaps, climate change, etc., but it is not difficult to see how many issues we face as a society. Whether you want to eradicate poverty, plant a community garden or mentor a young person, there are no shortage of ways to contribute to creating meaningful change. The problems that we see in our society are complex and can feel overwhelming to try to tackle. But you don’t have to take them all on, if you don’t want to. Here are some things that you can do, large and small, to contribute to making the world a better place:
Share information about issues & causes that are important to you.
Volunteer your time.
Raise money for a cause.
Pursue a career in public service.
Start a social enterprise business or nonprofit.
Run for political office.
Let’s keep the conversation poppin’! I’d love to know about some of the different ways that you #ChoosetoChallenge. Share your thoughts in the comments below or connect with SassyChicGeek on social on Instagram and Facebook! Follow Social InnovateHER on Instagram. SassyChicGeek gets the conversation poppin to celebrate and advance women who dare to show up for ourselves, lead with impact and create social change. Check out the Journey to Sasstopia Toolkit to see some of the many ways that we can customize an experience for you or your community.