This and That Can Be True
I’ve read now a few times about how much less likely women are to apply for “stretch” jobs than men. As women, if our own education and experience don’t perfectly align, we tend to skip over that application – even for jobs we’d really love to do.
I share this here not to hate on men or their wild confidence. The truth is we live in a world that was created with their strengths in mind. I imagine if women ran the world, the systems we set up would look differently than they do now.
I thrive when I’m able to work in flow with my own energy. My energy cycles. My capacity shifts.
Today my energy was low, and my emotions ran high. Work-wise, it was a good day for me to lock in on my couch and finally finish an impassioned story. It was not a good day for me to complete a mandatory training. I barely passed.
It was, because of the energy I found myself in, a very bad day for me to look with an objective eye at a year’s worth of my work and determine which stories might be award-worthy. If I had to choose today, I would choose no stories, as today’s energy told me that they all ranged from Meh to Unimportant to Terrible.
I am self-aware enough to know that this objectively wasn’t true (otherwise, why would they hire me?).
And, I am a confident person. I know my value and worth. I just happen to be a woman who felt less-than-confident today, for the myriad reasons that society and hormones can make life as a woman challenging.
My male colleague didn’t hesitate with his list of award-worthy articles. And he shouldn’t – his work is deserving of recognition.
My work is also deserving. I just didn’t feel the energy of confidence today. So I will wait until I’m in a different energy. I have zero doubt, based on years of experience, that my wild confidence will return. It’s just not here in this now. When my confidence comes back, I will submit my list as well.
I share this anecdote with the hope that if you’re a woman reading this, and you come across an opportunity that intrigues you, you pay attention. You notice that you’re intrigued. And you notice what kind of energy you’re physically and emotionally in. Notice if you’re feeling exhausted, numbed out, sad, mad, scared, or like me today, unable to be objective. If you’re intrigued, flag it. Come back to it when you’re less busy and less run down by your hormones and the world. Then DO IT. Do the thing. Apply. Say yes.
Flow is hard to accomplish when we live in systems created in masculine-dominated energies. So I get how it’s not always possible. As a single mom, believe me – I know. I also know that the things that intrigue me are important to my path. I wonder if that’s true for you, too.
What if in 2026 we all agree to let our intrigue guide us to confidence? What if in 2026 we all agree to be gentle with ourselves by respecting our natural energetic ebbs and flows?
