I’m not bossy. I just have leadership skills. Don’t some words just make people sound a bit nicer, kinder even? Especially when the labels come from others. But I think it’s important to make the distinction for our girls as much as ourselves.
When someone calls a woman bossy, I usually cringe. That’s a slight, an insult. I tend to prickle up, get defensive, and fire back that her leadership skills have gotten her far in life. So it’s no wonder that I hesitate to use that word with myself, even when it contains real power.
But I should be bossy with some things in my life. I should be the one to listen to my own voice over others when it comes to my truths, my values. So I’m challenging myself to empower the bossiness in me. I will be the boss of my body, my health. I will be the boss of what feels like real, life giving relationships, and what feels like obligations. I will be the boss of how I raise my children and listen less to the noise that clouds my own judgement.
And I challenge myself to not sugarcoat the word for my own little females in my life. Bossiness is empowering. Teach them how to use it with the respect it deserves. And watch them grow into the little leaders this world needs now more than ever.
Happy Boss’s Day to all you bad ass bosses.
