Change your energy. Change your life.

Belinda Davidson

Imagine a world where women get to structure their lives to their own needs and wants resulting in success and happiness in all areas of their lives. Fantasy? I don’t think so. I truly believe it is possible today more than ever. Why? I’ve been doing leadership and entrepreneurship training for many years, as in 13 years. I have seen so many women trying to emulate the traditional (male) leadership models. Hustling, leaning in, competing and commanding power to end up feeling empty and depleted. However, there used to be an apathy, acceptance or even reluctant embracing of the traditional leadership model. What I am noticing more and more though now is that women (across all generations) are saying that maybe it’s time to challenge and redefine traditional leadership models. Their sense of frustration and overwhelm has caused them to say: “How can I step out and step up?”

A Huffington Post article I wrote nearly 3 years called Influence: How Women Can Redefine Success was an effort to challenge the notion about having it all and instead asking yourself if you actually want it all. Here’s an excerpt:

“This then leads me to ask why we have defined the notion of success for women that they must be both striving toward moving up the corporate ladder, as well as highly committed to growing in their roles as mothers and wives. Does this definition of success still apply to women today? I believe that today’s definition of success for women is that they can choose to redefine success exactly according to their own aspirations and dreams. For some it may be a combo of career and motherhood. For others, such as me, the sole focus is on career. Then for some women, it might be that they just solely want to focus on motherhood. We get to structure our life and resulting success and happiness according to our own needs and wants. Yes, we can have and do it all, but we choose to only do what works for us and makes us feel good, happy and successful.”

So, while I’m really excited that we’re seeing the ladies taking on how to show up as a girl boss or lead like a woman, I’m concerned that we’re just putting lipstick on the traditional model of how to approach professional development, goal-setting, business plans, sales, marketing, and networking, etc. This has propelled me to come a bit out of the spiritual closet. While growing my corporate career, I always had a passion for personal development and spirituality fueling me. I’ve been a seeker and self-improvement junkie since I was a teenager.   I read book after book on self-help topics, leadership development, spirituality, and social activism. I also attended workshops on every imaginable topic from healthy eating, alternative medicine, to building a millionaire mindset and selling the women’s way. Oh, and let’s not forget that I also took classes in shiatsu, Reiki, tarot card reading, psychic development, flower essences and foot reflexology. All in my efforts to contribute to the “healing” of individuals and the business world.

Now how does this all tie into leadership development? I see women who still feel emotionally, spiritually and professionally unfulfilled while deploying the girl boss approach to their career and business. They are a living, breathing example of someone who is dealing with a demanding corporate career and constantly feeling stretched to her limits, stressed, overwhelmed, and still seeking answers for career and life success. I can so relate. This had been my journey, too.

What have I come to believe to really be the key? You have to get your inner world into harmony to create the success you’re desiring in the outer world. And it’s not just about changing your beliefs, mindset, emotions, thinking positively or being disciplined. It’s about creating an internal well-being by creating energetic balance. A bit woo woo, I know. However, have you noticed that when you’re feeling good and full of energy, things just work out and flow?

I’ll expand upon this energetic balance concept more in next week’s blog post. But for this week, I want you to ask yourself:

What works for me and makes me feel good?

Then just down these ideas and look for opportunities to integrate more of them into your daily life.

[box color=”red” title=””]For years women have been asking me “Can I pick your brain?” They’re feeling stuck or can’t figure out how to take action toward their career dreams, taking on a change leadership role or starting their own business with a social or sustainability mission. Since I love to mentor other women who are working toward making this world a better place, I have decided that it’s time for me to create a way to make it easy to help with solutions or provide support in making dreams happen. As a result, I’m so excited to be doing one-hour “Feminine Wisdom Chats”. Click here for more details.[/box]