Did you lose yourself?
Was it in the position or the promotion?
We must be careful not to affix our identity into roles that aren’t finite firmly. They are not our being. I find this to be something that many women struggle with when they become wives, mothers, managers, etc. We can get so caught up in the business of doing that we lose the brilliance of being.
Ladies, what you do isn’t who you are; it’s an extension of yourself but not your core. To the moms out there. As a mother to a newborn, who you are isn’t the same as who you are as a mother to an adolescent. And if you are married today, you may become widowed or divorced tomorrow. Promoted today and laid off the next.
We’ve adopted society’s message that roles are what define us. We often ask our children, “what do you want to do when you grow up,” as if our vocation and identity are synonymous.
So if you find yourself a bit lost. Less grounded. Perhaps you might have forgotten yourself along the way as you donned on these different titles and roles.
Remember, 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
This was one of the three insights I shared during Wintrust Financial Corporation’s “She’s on Fire!” event.
Do you agree that we can get so caught up in our responsibilities and titles that we can lose sight of ourselves?
And let me know if you’d like to know the other two insights about how women can stay well during challenging times.