It’s been so interesting getting to meet each of you. When you walk into a room full of moms, there really is no anxiety… because you’re not walking in to a room full of strangers. You’re walking into a room full of women who instantly “get you.”
A few weeks ago I was thinking about what I would say on the topic of “keep on believing, never give up.” And while I was running through a dozen different directions I could go, my mind started to wander (as it always does).
What should I say? What makes me qualified to say anything? Because you’re a mother of the year. But do I deserve to be?
And as I continued down this path I somehow ended up doing a time assessment, where I realized that I spend about 85% of every day doubting myself, and the other 15% wondering if my skirt is tucked into the back of my panty hose.
85% might be a bit of an exaggeration. I think I might have been having a rough day.
But in general, I question myself way too much. And I worry that we, as women, are much harder on ourselves than we should be.
Little known fact about horses: many people think that the stallion is the leader of any herd. This strong, protective stallion keeps all of the other horses safe. But in reality, stallions only step up in times of crisis. Helicopter flying over, or a predator is close.
The true leader of the herd is the mare with the greatest capacity to care. That’s how biology determines who is going to be in charge. The horse that has the greatest capacity to care.
And if you’ve ever spent any amount of time around horses, you know that that mare isn’t questioning her ability to lead. She’s just acting on instinct.
So, back to us.
We are hardwired to be humble. And when you search #motheroftheyear it’s filled with photos of moms who doubt themselves, and doubt their parenting abilities. Funny photos, but photos that lend themselves to greater doubt.
We should ALL feel like mother of the year, every year, all 85 million of us, because to the people that matter… we are. Nobody else can do what we do.
We should ALL feel like mother of the year… and boss of the year… wife of the year… and troop leader of the year… and small group leader of the year… and coach of the year.
We have to be confident in our roles as leaders – in our states, our communities, our homes. If we ourselves don’t believe that we can change the world, then we won’t.
So as we’re all here today, celebrating one another and our collective accomplishments, lets commit to one another. Not only to stop doubting ourselves and our own unique abilities, but to instill in all moms that they can step bravely into every single decision they make.
Just like “it takes a village to raise a child,” “it takes a village to raise up a mom.”
It starts with us. Believing in one another, supporting one another, and never giving up the idea that we are smart, compassionate, and exactly where we are supposed to be.
I commit to never stop believing in you, if you commit to never stop believing in me.
