On a global scale, there are massive shifts taking place in the world, that not only involve the rise of the sheroes, but also the rise of feminine values in men. This is exciting news, and no this is not fake news.
Collectively, we are mending the contrast of past and reshaping our future.
I am grateful to say that I have the pleasure of being surrounded by many modern day Sheros that I admire and who shape my life greatly.
A Shero is an empowered badass type of woman who embodies kindness, gentle power, intuition, and connection to source. (What people may call god, spirit, baby Jesus, or any other reference).
This woman embraces both her masculine and feminine in one divinely and perfectly balanced package. In the words of Danielle LaPorte, “The divine feminine is the warrior and the healer, in a womanly package.”
You know when you are around a Shero because you look at her go and think, “Damn, I want to be like her, with her, and for her, all at once.” Have you felt this before?
So you may be asking me, “Nadav, who the heck are you to be getting all enlightened about this? I used to see you at the club throwing confetti, wildin’ out on the regular and being a playboy.”
Yes I was a man who was scared of being in touch with my own femininity.
Yes I had past self-created challenges with woman in the workplace.
Yes I wasn’t present to the experience women were having in the workplace and in life.
Yes I wasn’t being fully supportive of the feminine rising.
Yes, and with the the support of certain women and personal development courses, I became aware of the opportunity I had to shift my own views and actions to elevate.
My feminine and masculine awareness started one year ago. I attended Return, a retreat that my dear friend and legend Zach Bell puts on at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. (If you have never been I recommend applying). The topic was Relationships, Sex and Community – areas I’ve been really interested in learning more about.
And that is where I got all enlightened about the masculine and feminine. I met my friend and coach, Rachel Rossitto there, and asked her to coach me so that I could understand more, and support women in embodying their feminine.
She is a shining example of a shero, a health and wellness coach who, through living her purpose, inspires women to strengthen their intuitions, and nourish and empower their feminine souls. And apparently she’s great at inspiring men like me to do the same.
Women like Rachel are giving women the tools to to thrive in their true powers and live in alignment with their highest selves, while breaking past patriarchal societal structures.
I believe that this is something that the world needs immensely at the moment, and I’m excited about the progress that is being made, with regards to balancing the feminine and masculine.
Let’s take a look at some statistics which shed light on where there are opportunities for change:
- Women in leadership make up only 14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top earners, and 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.
- Black, Hispanic and Asian women hold just 3% of board director roles at Fortune 500 companies.
- Of the 50 current governors in the U.S., only 6 are women and 2 are women of color.
- Women make 81 cents on the dollar compared to men
- 84% of spousal abuse victims are female, and 86% of dating abuse victims are female.
There is no doubt that these are clear opportunities for men and women to elevate. The good news is that women’s equality has come to the forefront, and is proving that it’s here to stay.
The beauty of diversity of any kind is that it provides us with an opportunity to transform challenges into opportunities for growth, and that is exactly what women are doing!
In his book, ‘A Setback Is a Setup for a Comeback”, Willie Jolley says that, “Adversity creates challenge, and challenge creates change, and change is absolutely necessary for growth. If there is no change and challenge, there can be no growth and development.”
Now let’s look at the bright spots and what we want, shall we?
- In 2013, women earned 60 percent of all master’s degrees and 51 percent of all doctorates.
- As of 2016, it is estimated that there are now 11.3 million (11,313,900) women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 9 million people (8,976,100) and generating over $1.6 trillion ($1,622,763,800,000) in revenues.
- Goldman Sachs calculates that increasing women’s participation in the labor market to male levels will boost GDP by 21% in Italy; 19% in Spain; 16% in Japan; 9% in America, France and Germany; and 8% in the U.K.
- As of 2010, women made up about 50% of the workforce on average across all industries.
- Before Title IX, young women made up just 7% of the students participating in high school sports. By 2001, that number had risen to 41.5%. That’s an increase of more than 800%, bringing the number of female student athletes to well over 2 million today.
These numbers are HUGE. Empowering women is smart economics and great for the world. It’s a win-win. And quite frankly, limiting the potential of half the world’s population is EXHAUSTING.
In the world of leadership we are seeing more inclusivity, and a balancing of the feminine and masculine.
Research released from the Norwegian School of Management found that many individuals who reach top levels in the corporate world are androgynous, exhibiting both feminine and masculine gender role identities.
This leadership style is one that, not only promotes a climate of growth and innovation, but one that also unifies the sexes, and slaps gender disparity in the face.
More and more organizations are making strides towards a leadership that is defined by inclusivity, rather than gender. As a result, the balancing of the masculine and feminine is unfolding. Isn’t this beautiful?
Each of Us, Men and Women Alike, Have Feminine and Masculine Traits.
It’s not about power or separateness; it’s about alignment. When we nurture the intertwining of masculine and feminine energy in each of us, we are better able to discover our unique balance of human expression.
Studies show that success, adaptation, and evolution in today’s fast changing world relies on our ability to utilize both our right feminine brain and left masculine brain, as well as our head and heart.
As men, we have been conditioned to think first and feel second. The truth is that we do get emotional, but have been programmed to not show it, for fear of appearing weak. Men, can you relate to this?
Vulnerability is courage and creates great leadership.
I see this new wave of men emerging whose feminine energy is balanced with their masculine energy, a blending of positive feminine and masculine qualities, so to speak.
Why can’t a man express his feminine side, be nurturing, wear bright colors, wear nail art, show vulnerability, and have an undying appreciation for beautiful things in life?
With pride, I unapologetically ascribe to this way of life. I routinely express a combination of traits that fall in both the masculine and feminine categories. Does this mean that I identify more with women, or that I’m bisexual, gay, or just plain old confused? I will let you decide that on your own, I’ll be here enjoying being fabulous and awesome.
Does it mean that I have an undying respect and love for all things feminine? Yes.
It’s not about giving it a name or a title. Rather, it’s about living authenticity and in alignment with who you are at your core.
In order for men and women to become more balanced, we need to re-write our own stories. This starts with organizations committing to valuing and cultivating feminine energies within their corporate cultures, on the part of both men and women.
Author and educator, Judy Sorum Brown notes that “leadership is….holding both sides and valuing both.”
Let’s Celebrate the Sheroes in Our Lives.
This is why the mission of my friend and Lifestyle Perfected Founder Lifestyling client, Gayle Jennings O’Byrne, the Founder of the Harriet Fund, is so important to the world and inspiring.
Gayle left JPMorgan, where she held an executive role for nearly two decades, to launch the investment management firm, Harriet Capital, and its venture arm, the Harriet Fund, dedicated to mentoring, coaching and investing in Black and Latina women entrepreneurs.
Research shows that the number of businesses owned by African American women grew 322% since 1997, making black females the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.
There is no ignoring that diversity is a profitable business opportunity. Gayle and the team at the Harriet Fund are spearheading this movement.
I couldn’t be prouder of her for doing so. Go Shero! I am honored to be on this journey with her, supporting her continuous alignment in each area of life: Time Creation, Financial, Business, Mental and Spiritual health, Relationships and Purpose.
It’s time to join forces with Gayle and other Shero’s like her, to create gender equality. It’s a collective effort that we can all be a part of.
The rise of the feminine is an investment strategy that is working. Companies that embrace diversity experience a wealth of creativity and innovation that is not only solving the world’s problems, but also transforming the way we think and work.
Separate, there is no doubt that each of us is a unique expression, but together, we are one colorful creation.
In the words of Shakti Gawain, “Individually and collectively, we are shifting from a position of fear into surrender and trust of the intuitive. The power of the feminine energy is on the rise in our world.”
There is a “shero” in all of us. As a collective, let’s continue to elevate and inspire one another to rise up and create the world we want, one that’s balanced, beautiful, and lovely.
Let’s celebrate the Shero’s in our lives. Tag a Shero or send this blog to your favorite Shero!
Much love.
Are you ready to find the Shero inside of you, and make the shift towards empowering yourself to embody your masculine and feminine energy?
So, let’s break it down. I’ll give you 3 Steps we can take to address changes we want to make.
Step 1: Get clear on how you feel and what you believe about your current situation
Step 2: Decide how you want to feel and what you want to believe
Step 3: Write down the actions you can take to have this
Step 1: Get clear on what our undesired feelings and limiting beliefs are about our current feminine masculine relationship
Take the time to really assess and identify my feelings, and the limiting beliefs we encounter.
Undesired Feelings:
- Injustice
- Insecurity
- Shame
- Guilt
- Sadness
- Jealousy
- Inequality
- Fear
Limited Beliefs:
- Men and women will never understand one another.
- I feel threatened by the opposite sex.
- Gender inequality is the norm.
- I don’t feel comfortable expressing my masculine or feminine energy.
- I don’t know how to embody my masculine or feminine energy.
- Organizations aren’t supporting women in leadership and maybe they never will.
Step 2: Decide how you want to feel, what you want to believe and choose more empowering beliefs.
Each day I focused on generating these feelings and integrating the beliefs that I want to have.
Desired Feelings:
- Equality
- Happiness
- Love
- Gratitude
- Compassion
- Hope
Empowering Beliefs:
- Collectively, we are powerful beyond measure.
- I have undying love and respect for all things feminine.
- There is a shero in all of us.
- I support the rise of women in leadership.
- I embrace the masculine and feminine energy inside of me.
Step 3: Write down the Aligned and Bold actions you can take to have this.
Once we are aligned, we see what actions there are to take:
- Practice affirmations every day, reminding myself how amazing men and women are together
- Use social media as a platform to start empowering conversations about gender equality.
- Engage in personal development courses, workshops or seminars that promote individual and collective empowerment of men and women.
- Learn about how I can contribute to venture funds, like the Harriet Fund, that invest in women of color.
- Live in alignment with my authentic self by embracing my masculine and feminine energies.
AFFIRMATIONS
- I live in alignment with my true self.
- I support the rise of the feminine in the world.
- I embrace my masculine and feminine traits.
- I am an empowered badass shero.
- I have an undying respect and love for all things feminine.
- I honor the unique balance of masculine and feminine energy in all of us.
For more affirmations, check out Instagram @nadavyluv or Facebook #LifestylePerfected
Are you ready to elevate yourself to new heights?
Let’s create your Lifestyle Perfected together. You have 2 options:
- I lead a Lifestyling program called Lifestyle Perfected Mastermind. The program is for high vibration unicorns and curated by application, if you’d like to be considered please apply here.
- Are you a company founder and interested in one on one Lifestyling? I partner with 5 clients at a time. Please read about the program and if it feels right for you, apply here.
