The Professional and The Lake: It Tests Your Presence of Mind AND Body
Today, I’m doing something new and different. I’m not writing to teach or “showcase my expertise” as the marketing gurus claim we ought to always be doing. Today I’m writing for the pure joy of writing about something I love. (It’s only fair, since I’ve been encouraging you to do things just for the fun of it.) I’m being vulnerable and revealing a part of myself that few people ever get to see.
I love the warm days of spring. There’s a beguiling quality of afternoon light, the air carrying just enough softness to make you look up from whatever you’re doing and feel it. And immediately, almost involuntarily, I think of the lake.
Hardworking. Focused. Clawing your way to the top. Breaking ceilings. Fighting for your place in the sun. This is how success is often defined for women. Everything else? A distraction. There’s no time for anything but what matters. And certainly no time for something as frivolous as fun. But what if that’s exactly where we’ve misunderstood something essential? What if delight is not a distraction from your power, but a vital part of it?
If you’re prone to overthinking a thing so much that you can’t make a decision, then this is for you! Whether you call it decision fatigue, decision exhaustion, or analysis paralysis, overcoming it is not a problem of “being smart enough”. Rather, it’s a symptom of not “hearing” your 
Self esteem in women doesn’t always look like insecurity. In fact, it often hides behind impressive résumés, packed calendars, and relentless competence. Many high-achieving women have learned how to succeed in nearly every area of life, yet still carry an underlying feeling that we must constantly prove our value. The question isn’t whether we’re capable. The question is why our worth still feels conditional.
Too often, we find ourselves in a situation where our “go along to get along” part takes over before we’re even aware of it. For example, Leigh noticed this happening halfway through a meeting.