Behind every feminist is a beautiful woman.

Behind Every Feminist is a Beautiful Woman.

I am loving all the recent hype about women collaborating rather than competing. Mean girls really hurt! There’s a reason I stopped seeing clients, sunk into a deep depression and moved to the mountains of Montana: Mean Girl Recovery. I wish I could tell you the whole story, but my attorney insists that I only say, “the matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.” Despite my background in psychology and strong support system, this woman (who is now experiencing the wrath of karma) completely broke me. The word that continues to echoes in my ears is, “Why?”

There’s a short & sweet blog by Kelly Brickley that says:

[W]e are not built as human beings to be best friends with everyone, especially when it comes to women. But there’s a difference between knowing and accepting the differences among women and tearing one another down because of those differences. Did we learn nothing when the “Burn Book” was exposed and Tina Fey told us these immortal words: But you all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.

Nothing and no one is ever made better by tearing down another person. We women especially need to come to some sort of understanding that while we may not see eye to eye on possibly anything, we can’t just tear each other down and compete with each other to feel fulfilled.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be more impeccable with my words and strive to build up not only the status of women but of our entire society through advocacy and outreach. If a flash of envy passes through me as I meet another woman, I plan to take note and then intentionally turn that envy into admiration and celebration. We must rise up TOGETHER and weave our gifts, talents, and skills together. For 2018, imagine the power in a united front of people who all want the same thing in the end: equality.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t heard, Tarana Burke is pushing the crystal button this New Year’s Eve. I am so grateful for this woman. More on my mad love for her in another blog soon. Check out Time’s story on this!

“New Year’s is a time when we look at the most significant cultural and political moments of the last year, when we look for inspiration by honoring and giving a global platform to those who have made a difference,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, told amNewYork. “Tarana Burke’s courage and foresight have changed the world this year, and, we hope, forever.”