I watched a trailer for a documentary coming out and it just completely drove home something I was thinking about — just yesterday. Hannah – My amazing, smart, beautiful, funny, quirky, inquisitive, bold, artistic, confident, caring daughter. She is so sure of herself, so confident. I love that she sees the world as hers for the taking — no obstacles in her way.
She decided a few weeks ago she wanted to run for Vice President of her elementary school. No discussion with us about what we thought, no signs of doubt –she was nominated as a candidate, got to work on her speech and poster — all without any real involvement on our end.
They are filming the candidate speeches today – she practiced, figured out how she wanted to deliver it, picked out a nice outfit, brushed her hair extra this morning, told me she was a bit nervous, and then waved and kissed me goodbye as she headed off to school. I wished her luck and told her I was so proud of her and that i thought she was made to do this!
She showed no signs of doubt, no worries if she is good enough or if she is worthy of running. She just knows she is — and I am so beyond words proud of her.
But sadly, I know there will come a time, if she is like most young girls, where those feelings will be challenged, if not lost. She will begin to doubt her abilities, her accomplishments, and even more – her looks. She will begin to think her looks matter more than her actions and intelligence. She will begin to focus on her imperfections, which are exactly the things that make her HER and so special. What causes that moment when it changes? I wish i could capture the HER right now — and release it as she grows up and needs it. I want her to grow up and be an enhanced version of HER, but keep the part of HER– that knows she CAN DO IT – in tact.
There is no science to bringing up an mentally healthy human being, and I am definitely not able to be with her everywhere, all the time — like media. What can I do, as her biggest fan and her Mom, to help HER escape unharmed? My friend Jenny suggested to not let her forget…“Film her. Record her. Blog about her. Get her a journal. Lead by example”.
I think she’s right — we, as Mothers, Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Care Takers, Sisters, Friends, Aunts, Decision Makers, Politicians, Professionals… – need to lead by example. That truly is the something we can all do that is within our own power to control. Every day, make a conscious decision to “Be The Change You Want To See In The World…”
The video below is a trailer for MISS REPRESENTATION, a movie highlighting the misrepresentation of women in positions of power by the media:
“MISS REPRESENTATION uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film explores how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in influential positions in America and challenges the media’s limiting and often disparaging portrayals of women, which make it difficult for the average girl to see herself as powerful.
In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality–and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States still ranks 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, depression rates have doubled among teenage girls, and cosmetic surgery on minors has more than tripled in the last ten years.
Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, academics, and activists like Condoleeza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as MISS REPRESENTATION accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.”
Watch this Video. It’s Important!