The choices we make and the way we act are influenced by several different things. For example, we act differently based on the environment we’re in. Think about how you act at work versus how you act at a restaurant or at a child’s birthday party. Age also impacts how we act: I’m sure you would agree you act differently now than you did when you were a teenager!
The fact that we are women means that we have different choices to make than men do, and act differently than a man might. Our choices are also impacted by money: Clearly, we make different choices based on income and savings. Finally, we are also influenced by the social roles we play.
Social roles are the different relationships we have: For example, you could be mother, daughter, sister, friend, worker, volunteer, and so on. I’m sure you agree you act differently and make different choices based on who we are being at any moment. But think about this: Other people have different expectations of us when we are different roles. Your mother expects you to act differently at a family gathering than your employer or staff expect you to act at work. And this is where things can get dicey. Often, expectations can compete – and yet, you are expected to meet them all, perfectly, all at the same time.
No wonder you feel like you are going in ten different directions at once!
And of all the roles we play, the one that tends to get buried for women is the “me” or “I” or “self” role. Yet, “she” is the one who is expected to have the flexibility to meet all the demands placed on “her”!
Make sure you do something at least once a day just for her/you/I/me/self!