Feed Your Ambition Without Losing Yourself: A Sustainable Approach to Leadership
Wanting to feed your ambition comes with a complicated emotional landscape, especially if you’re a woman. I believe what Anthony Trollope said, “It is a grand thing to rise in the world. The ambition to do so is the very salt of the earth.” Yet that ambition can feel surprisingly conflicted.
You may feel a deep pull to grow, lead, create something meaningful, or expand your influence. At the same time, you notice hesitation and doubts creeping in. Will people think I’m too much? Am I ready for this level of responsibility? What if I fail?
She burst into tears in the grocery store parking lot. Nothing dramatic had happened. No bad phone call. Just one more headline. One more unexpected expense. One more decision. “It feels like everything’s working against me. Even my body!” Ellen said. “I feel flat and completely exhausted.” If that sounds familiar, please hear this first: there is nothing wrong with you. What you may be experiencing is collective stress, the accumulated strain of living in uncertain times where the pressure is not just personal, but cultural, economic, and relational. Yes, your nervous system is activated, but you can learn to work WITH your body, to not only cope, but thrive.
