Well behaved women seldom make history, said Eleanor Roosevelt. And there’s some truth to that.
Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I and the stepmother of Thutmose III. When her husband, Thutmose II, died, she became Queen reagent because his heir to the throne was too young to rule. Within a few years, she declared herself Pharaoh, the second confirmed female Pharaoh in recorded Egyptian history. Even though under her reign, Egypt flourished, not everyone was a fan. That didn’t stop her. She insisted on being portrayed with both masculine and feminine traits. Wearing the traditional Pharaoh headdress, she would often wear skirts and jewelry of a queen. And her statues or images depicted her as more muscular in stature.
What if she had stayed in her place?
Bessie Coleman literally took up space as the first black woman to hold a pilot’s license and the first black person to hold an international license.
Malala Yousafzai, at the age of 17, became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was shot for attending school.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The Notorious RBG needs no explanation or introduction.
Along with countless others, these women misbehaved by cultural standards and went on to cement their names in the halls of history. They didn’t just take up space. They created space. They didn’t wait for invitations to the table; they constructed buildings and rooms and brought their own table.
Women, often coached or expected to operate within the cultural structure’s confines, may feel restricted in their abilities to pursue careers or start businesses. It’s easy for me to type “take up space, women, you can do it”. The reality of taking up that space, however, can be daunting. Especially when one’s livelihood feels attached to and attacked by the “system.”
Women tend to have courage about taking up space where they think they belong. But we need to have more courage in believing we belong in all of the spaces.
How did these women break the traditions and go on to pave the way for others? They turned inward and reignited their warrior spirit. It wasn’t that they didn’t attempt to play by the rules. They did. Once they realized the rules were meant to benefit from them, they changed their strategy.
In this month of Women’s History, I am calling on women to unleash their warrior spirit and take up space.
Here’s how:
- To have courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s acting despite it.
- Learn the game and play it better.
- Use your voice. The system depends on your silence to operate.
- State what you want the same way men do.
- Lose some wait and bet on yourself.
I am an executive and life coach, business advisor, educator, and speaker working with businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to transform their passion and purpose into P.R.O.F.I.T. by helping you unleash your warrior spirit and make the J.U.M.P.
Ready to pivot in your career or level up your business? Apply for my Warrior Unleashed Coaching and Advisory programs.
