To feel empowered as a woman is to be carried, lifted, supported, and encouraged by empowered women. It takes all of us working together to make a change. So remember as we climb to the top, it is the shoulders of the women before us whom are lifting us up. Remember as we vote, it is the from the fight of our grandmothers and great grandmothers. Remember as we learn to love our bodies, as is, the girls are watching. Remember as we apply for the job and/or seek higher education, the girls see they can too. Remember that when you are seen cheering on other women, the girls know they can cheer for each other too. Remember that however far we have come, we have a long way to go. It’s time to be the shoulders for those coming after us to stand on. We are ready, the girls are watching.
Happy International Women’s Day to all of the incredible women in our lives. While one day does not solve or come close to acknowledging the inequities women face on the daily, it is certainly a day for us to celebrate all women. And celebrate we will.
I am writing this from a place of privilege, and I need to position myself as an able bodied, white, Settler, cis gendered heterosexual woman and I need to acknowledge that my success has been at the inequities of other women. Full stop. I want so much more, for so many of us, but there is so much work to be done. This is where the role of the hype women comes in and ladies, we are going on tour. We are taking this tour into our homes, into our workplaces, into our schools, into the grocery stores, into rinks and gymnasiums, into change rooms and clothing stores, into salons, into auto body repair shops, into higher education, into C suites, and into every single place you encounter another woman. This tour marks the end of the Mean Girl Era and the beginning of change, empowerment, and everything we need to lift each other up and build brave communities. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it?
Well, this is where the hard work comes in. I need you to know that of all the work you do, the hardest tour is the one you take into your home and into your mind. We cannot stop the competition with others until we stop the war we have within ourselves. Hate is contagious, it is time to stop the spread. Today forward, we are committing to start the hype at home. “But Lisa, I don’t know how to hype myself up, hell, most days I hate on myself, especially when I look in the mirror?” Well friend, your body is the least interesting thing about you. So let’s start there. Instead, tell me all the interesting things about you. Things like where you grew up and what you wanted to become when you were seven. Tell me about a dream you have for yourself and the big win you experienced last week. Tell me about your biggest heart break and your loudest learning moment. Tell me about YOU. When we start getting curious about ourselves, we are better able to get curious about others. This curiousity quickly morphs into connection and with connection comes vulnerability and with vulnerability comes compassion and with compassion comes a much better world for us to live in. Want to know something else, all of those things I just listed that lead to a better world? These are all attributes that women have and bring forth in leadership. Women are absolutely the way forward, IF, and only IF, we come together.
Today I encourage you to find a way to gather with other women. Come together and celebrate yourselves and each other. Find commonalities in what you are striving for and silence the notion fed to us by society that we are to be in competition with one another. Last and certainly not least, I am always here and, in your corner, hyping the f*ck out of your goals, dreams, and everyday wins. Join me for the Hype Women Era, this tour is going world wide.
~Lisa
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