That “Go Along To Get Along” Part Of You Needn’t Be Erased
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.
A proposal had just been presented. Heads around the table nodded in agreement. The conversation moved quickly, and before she fully realized what was happening, she was nodding, too.
“Sounds good,” she heard herself say. The moment passed. The conversation moved on. But something in her body tightened. Because if she was honest, she wasn’t actually sure it did sound good. There was something about the plan that didn’t sit quite right with her. A detail that hadn’t been fully thought through. A question she hadn’t asked yet.
Later that afternoon, Leigh found herself replaying the moment. Why didn’t I say anything?
I’ve discovered during the past 20 years… something about brilliant, professional women. There’s a pattern that quietly follows these capable, thoughtful women through their lives. 
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.
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.