This post is specifically for women, but you don’t have to be a woman to read it.
I recently listened to a speech by Showrunner, Scriptwriter and Founder of Digital Media Company, Shondaland, Shonda Rhimes.
In it she said something that made me stop and think. You might not believe it, but as a woman, I know how I have had to consciously work against my normal programming to do otherwise.
Women do not “brag”. Whenever we accomplish something, whether big or small, we tend to either keep silent about it or downplay it.
Imagine a whole Shonda Rhimes, legendary showrunner of massively successful franchises like Greys Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and even Brigderton, shrinking her income in the media after she signed a deal with Netflix, because she didn’t want to be seen as bragging.
It wasn’t even like she was lying. She literally became the highest paid showrunner in the world, yet here she was asking publicists to not report the true amount she was paid, reducing the pay so as to not “offend” people.
How many times as women have we done this? How many times have we done a successful event, had a profitable launch, become bestsellers, gotten amazing promotions, or signed multi-six and seven figure deals, but decided to downplay our achievements?
We have been told since birth that women are seen, not heard. We have been told that it is not “womanly” to toot our own horns or value personal achievements over traditional ones.
Yes, how many times have we lost out on opportunities, not because we were under qualified, but because we refused to show our achievements?
In today’s day and age, when people want to give opportunities, they look at your track record online, your pedigree. They look at what you have shown, as proof of what you can do.
They won’t find someone who appears “unqualified” and then start asking questions to see if there’s something else. Social proof has now become an important tool in evaluating people for bigger opportunities.
So learn to see “bragging” as simply you showing your working. Is it really bragging if it is true? Learn to show proof of what you have done, what you can do, and the value you represent.
P.S: Please do not even bring up the issue of “village people”. Why do village people seem to want to attack women more? By the way, if your faith is strong, why don’t you trust that that which you have faith in, can deal with so-called village people on your behalf?
So this is for the women here who are reading this. From one woman to another, take a moment to brag in my comments. Let the world know what you have done. No matter how tiny you think it is, share it here.
Never again try to diminish yourself to try to make others feel good about themselves. You deserve the accolades for the work you’ve done. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But you did, and you should be proud.
Share it here, and if you can, make a post about it on your own social media pages as well. I am rooting for you.
If you are a man reading this, celebrate the women in your life, tell us what they have done and encourage them to never dim their light.
