Today I want to share with you a beautiful post from one of our Playing Big course participants – it’s powerful and has something to teach all of us.
Here’s what Rachel Gildiner posted on social media:
I wrote an article that was published today in EJP. I’m so proud of it and if I have any Torah (teachings) to share in this world, it’s what I share in this article.
And YET, I want to share with this group all the reasons why I almost didn’t write this, in case any of them might resonate.
- Why does anyone care what I have to say right now? There are so many more important issues and so many smarter people.
- It’s tasteless right now to claim that anyone might know what the “right” thing is right now – don’t be that person who’s adding to the self-promoting noise.
- I can’t prioritize this right now, I have so many other more important tasks and things I need to do so I don’t let other people down.
- What if everything I believe in and practice isn’t as great as I think it is and I’m exposed as a fraud?
- Should I co-author with a male expert to give my voice some gravitas and authority?
- What if no one reads it and it’s a failure and I’ve spent time on it?
I’m embarrassed by a lot of these thoughts. And honestly a lot of these are still unanswered. But I know a few things for sure. A lot of men are writing a lot of stuff right now. And I want to see more women’s voices, women’s Torah (teachings), women’s wisdom.
The ninety plus women who commented on this post from Rachel all said some form of, “I can so relate. I have these thoughts all the time.” Or, “I’ve been having them just today about something I was considering doing, saying or writing about.”
Even after all these years doing this work, I still have thoughts like these sometimes. It’s so helpful to see them in print, fleshed out, so we can all look at them clearly.
These are just thoughts, not the truth. They have a lot to do with how we’ve been conditioned since girlhood, and the past painful experiences we’ve had when we’ve shared our work, our ideas, our creations.
And yet the world needs our work, and there’s also a lot of joy and fulfillment waiting for us in the sharing of it.
So let’s keep sharing our voices, and amplify, promote and share the voices of other women – especially those who are most overlooked or silenced.
Sending love to you today,
Tara
Image by Aaron Burden
