Week 101: Take Up Space – #AlphaFemaleFriday

Week 101: Take Up Space – #AlphaFemaleFriday

“ WEEK 101 / 133 – 133 WEEKS TO SUCCESS “

Have you ever seen a person make a presentation, flashcards in both hands, and their shoulders are hunched up as they stand in front of the podium? They look like a statue, lips are moving but are you really listening to what they’re saying? When giving a presentation, pace around the room. Make the eye contact. Use your hand gestures. Even when I’m on a conference call and the people on the other line can’t see me, I still like to walk around the room.

It sounds simple: take up space. If you’ve taken the NYC subway lately, you may have seen the train etiquette ads from the MTA urging people to be mindful of their space. The MTA ads have legitimately called out men to stop “manspreading”. Gender aside, if you find yourself cowering in corners and trying to take up less space, whether it’s in an elevator or in the boardroom, remind yourself that you have every right to take up space.

               There’s a difference between being simply being selfish disregarding the needs of others and being so selfless that we disregard our own needs. It’s a fine balance that we continue to learn and improve on as we learn to say to ourselves that we need to take care of ourselves first. When we learn what our needs our, we can begin to learn, understand, and listen to what others’ needs are. We will recognize when we are being fair, when others are being fair, and when unfairness happens, we can immediately make the choice to say or do something.

When we set good examples of ourselves, we pay it forward to others who may be seeking your guidance and input. In the same way that I have learned from the advice and wisdom of mentors far beyond my years, I hope to pay it forward with the lessons they have taught me and I have learned—all because we have learned to take up our own space in this world.

Cheers,

Kelly

@AlphaFemSociety tweets by @KellyRGonzales

About:

Each week, I take a tip from Lois P. Frankel’s book, Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office, and explore how each of these tips affect myself and other women in similar positions on the road to becoming the women we want to be. There are far and few between who are a few steps behind me, and many more who are far advanced. I found that Lois P. Frankel’s advice applied to novice, intermediates, and experts alike. It helped me see that I was already doing right, served as a reminder to keep on doing what I was doing and how to keep that momentum going. The book also showed me areas where I could improve, and gave realistic tips to jump on board. There are a total of 133 tips, and explore one tip per week in a program I call: 133 Weeks to Success.

Join the movement using the hashtag #133WeeksToSuccess with posts which are posted every #AlphaFemaleFriday.