When You Don't Feel Like You Fit in as a Female

Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in? My hand is raised high right along with yours! Much of my life, I’ve felt like I haven’t fit in! I took gymnastics when I was younger and because I was much taller than any other girl in my class, I needed a special leotard that wasn’t quite like everyone else’s. In fact, I was the tallest girl in my class until middle school. There was no blending in for me. Let’s not even go into the puberty stage…does anyone feel like they belong then?!

Even after we get out of adolescents there can be so many times when we still feel like we don’t belong. I still have the loudest laugh in the room. I almost always have the loudest voice in the room (unless Chad King is also present). And who feels like they fit in when you’re the “only”: the only woman, person of color, immigrant, Christian, you name it.

I’m guessing you can think of times when you haven’t felt like you belong. And if you’re a woman in leadership, that might be right now. But let me tell you, YOU BELONG! If no one has told you this today, YOU BELONG IN LEADERSHIP!

Your uniquenessis valuable. Your perspective is valuable. Your voice is valuable. You belong!

Even when you feel overwhelmed, ill-equipped, insecure, doubtful, discouraged, and frustrated, you still belong!

Like somany women around the world, you may not have grown up seeing female rolemodels in leadership roles, but that does NOT mean you can’t be the first orthat you aren’t cut out for it, or that you don’t belong. Because YOU BELONG!

You might not look like everyone around you, talk like everyone around you, dress like everyone around you, have the same background as everyone around you, but let me tell you the truth: YOU BELONG! You will find your voice, you will find your leadership style, you will find your way, and at the end of the day it might not look like anyone else’s around you, but that doesn’t take away from the reality that YOU BELONG.

I know it can feel like a long, hard, winding road that at times may even feel utterly uncertain. And you may question if you're up for it any more. But I promise you, YOU BELONG! Even when it does't feel like it!