Let’s Celebrate Each Other!
“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
It’s time to tap into my serious side and talk about a topic that weighs on me ALL THE TIME (my husband can attest to how frequently I bring it up at the dinner table). The thing that I like seeing most is women encouraging, supporting and empowering each other. The problem is, I don’t always see it. Occasionally I see jealousy, hostility and mom-shaming. It can be so incredibly toxic and it’s just not okay in my book.
Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. Being a working professional is exhausting. Being a mom is the most terrifying thing in the world (in my opinion). So, if we’re all sharing these same experiences, why are we so competitive with each other? Why do we jump to conclusions that someone isn’t hustling enough? Or that someone works too many hours? Or that someone is a bad mom because they took a night off to go on a date with their significant other? And when did it become OK to slam a mom for her career or non-career choices? Whether you stay-at-home, work a 9-5 job or work for yourself, you're doing the best you can do and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Unless, the hospital forgot to give me some sort of golden-mom-handbook when my son James was born…
Other women, our peers, our friends, our coworkers should not be the competition. You've seen the quote everywhere, “when other women support other women, incredible things happen.” This couldn't be more true. By supporting one another, we can all move up in our respective fields. Just as important as it is to have women friends in your life, it is important to have a network of professional women around you. We should collaborate and promote one another. Did one of your friends or coworkers just get a promotion or sign on a new client? Congratulate them and share it with the world! If you know about a woman looking for more clients or a better position at work, get their information so you can refer them if an opportunity arises.
And about that mom-shaming…I think we can all admit that it's really hard to raise children in the world today. Let's not make it harder on ourselves. Instead, we should help and support one another. Do your best to ignore the haters. Those who mom-shame are no better or worse of a mom than you are. You might think that all the other moms (via Instagram) are rocking motherhood with their perfectly-plated home cooked meals, Pinterest-perfect crafts, and newborn that never seems to cry. But, nobody is that perfect. Nobody. Especially not me. I always knew that this parenting thing would be pretty tough, but you do not realize how difficult it really is until you are in it. We have enough to worry about to last us a lifetime. The last thing we need is to worry about what other moms think about our parenting choices. So, find supportive people in your life and take a step back and pat yourself on the back for being an incredible parent. You deserve it, it’s a tough, but unbelievably amazing job.
Let’s celebrate each other. Let’s raise each other up. Let’s help one another be successful. Bottom line, we should inspire one another. Today is a great day to reach out to a friend or a stranger and tell them they are doing a great job. We are all in this together, now let’s go out and slay our goals!