Everything that’s been created in this world has been through the lens of history — his-story. As we enter this unique moment in time — with 2020 marking 100 years since American women first secured the right to vote — it’s fair to ask ourselves: do we want to keep living out the narrative of history, or will we take up the mantle and create HER-story?
Unlike 100 years ago, when women fought so hard for the right to vote, we are fortunate to live in an era where many people value women and actually want us at the table. Even so, we still face the daily onslaught of the old narrative as it rears its ugly head and tells us women must overcome challenges, women are held down by “the system,” and women must endure inaccurate perceptions. This collective storyline is persistent and invasive — so much so that it has infiltrated our culture and most of us have spent a lifetime embracing these distorted perceptions as truth! But nothing could be further from the truth.
That old narrative is rooted in a one-sided view of the world — one written by and for men. They’ve written every rule, every law, every societal norm, every government, and on and on and on. It’s time to step outside of the rules, guidelines, and boxes that have been laid out for us.
What could the world look like if we paused long enough to see the world through a new lens of her-story? How would the world be different? Without the expectations that have been placed on our shoulders, without the judgment that has weighed us down, without the “shoulds” that we have been carrying for centuries, what would her-story look like? Is it even possible?
It absolutely is.
HER-story Always Evolves Into OUR-story
New leadership is required to create a future of respect and dignity for all. History has gotten us this far, but to move forward and create a story that works for everyone, we’ve got to make her-story. We need to take a healing look at what needs to be released and accept the compelling invitation to the new realities just waiting for us to create them.
We have the power to choose. We really do, although that power is often buried under a lot of shoulds, don’ts, and can’ts — all that the world has stuffed into our mental folders. It’s time to wipe away all that has blinded us from possibility. Remember that small actions have a big impact. Changes happen day by day, decision by decision. It’s not one huge shift; it’s hundreds of small shifts taking place each day to each of us that will eventually create a tsunami of change in the way we think and live.
Every time we pause, reflect, and consciously choose our direction, we create a new reality — individually and collectively. The answers we seek will never lie outside of us. Yes, we stand on each other’s shoulders as we build on our successes, but ultimately, the answer is within. When we change our inner dialogue — and what we see in the mirror each day — the collective power to create a world that truly values women will follow.