What does sacrifice mean to you?
For me, sacrifice means that we have to give up one thing for another.
It implies that we simply can’t have it all – because in order to achieve one thing, we have to forego our achievement of something else.
I see this manifest so much more acutely in women’s lives than I do our men.
Which is why I feel obliged to write this blog and blow up the BS, and the myth that is sacrifice, and explain exactly why I don’t believe in it – and I’m totally not available for it.
Societal BS
An article written in The NY Times in March 2020 carried this sensational headline:
“If American women earned minimum wage for the unpaid work they do around the house, and caring for relatives, they would have made $1.5 TRILLION last year”
Like me, this probably elicited a “What the actual F**K” gasping from deep inside of your soul.
American women are not alone, and we know that this is the case for most women globally, especially those who are balancing a career with raising a family.
Even more so for indigenous women and those living in emerging economies.
Equality is a must. A non-negotiable. The absolute minimum standard.
Our ancestors have fought long and hard for it, and we are absolutely worthy and deserving of equality when it comes to how we are treated and remunerated for our time and efforts.
Whilst we’ve made significant inroads in the western world towards gender equality, societal and economic constructs, and attitudes and beliefs are slow to catch up.
How this manifest’s into in our current reality, looks something like this:
- Women do two jobs, but only get paid for the one
- Women end up sacrificing their own freedom and career success for that of their children and spouses
- Women are socially expected to do household chores, and take care of the majority of child rearing
- Women have less time to spend on themselves, and their wellbeing because they’re busy doing all of the above!
- Women end up with less wealth than their male counterparts, in-part because of the above
And don’t even get me started on the fact that in MOST cases, men are still paid more than women in the workplace for doing the same job (oftentimes not as well)… just because!
This is the challenge we’re up against. No amount of lobbying, political point scoring, and surface level tick boxing by corporates is going to change this.
Because the conditioning runs DEEP.
And it’s been running this way for THOUSANDS of long, patriarchal, religious dogmatic, years.
The Feminine must rise, but will you lead them?
The most insidious beliefs and conditioning that run deep in our society are that women are the weaker sex, the subordinates, human-making-factories, and the servants of men.
I’m going to caveat this somewhat brash statement with the following:
“Not all men” believe this, which is completely true.
And
I absolutely believe in Masculine and Feminine balance, roles and sexual polarity.
We cannot and must not become the same as men – that is not the aim here, and quite frankly it would probably result in utter disaster for us as a species.
What we appear to have forgotten is the beautifully creative power of the feminine. It’s no longer revered as it was in ancient times. It’s been suppressed – and the world is arguably not in a better place for it.
The conditioning has to be addressed at the root. Our limiting belief systems identified and replaced.
It starts in the home, and how we influence and educate our men, our children and our children’s children.
To enable this, women must recognise, tap into and begin leveraging their own personal power… The power of creativity.
The creative power to manifest and bring forth the life that we truly want to live.
One whereby we can absolutely have it all, and not have to sacrifice one part our wholeness for another.
Cost is not the same thing as sacrifice
The woman you are becoming, your deepest dreams and desires, and the life you’ve always wanted, is going to cost you!
Sometimes it’ll cost you… big time
But the prize on the other side, of absolutely having it all in the realms of love, career, wealth and health will be so worth the cost!!!
What exactly does this cost look like? It looks something like this:
- Up-level your network (even friendships)
- Deep inner work, and healing
- Leaving your comfort zone
- Removal of limiting beliefs
- Dedication to the vision
- Creation of new beliefs
- Investment in yourself
- Radical responsibility
- Owning your results
- Aligned action
- Decisiveness
- Consistency
We, as women, not only have an opportunity but an OBLIGATION to step into our own innate power. It is our birth right to be, do and have anything our heart desires.
We were put on this earth to enjoy life, and its infinite possibilities.
Not to be subordinated into modern day slavery.
Nor to give up and sacrifice parts of ourselves for something else.
Do you agree?
Will you rise with me?
