Recognizing our Common Humanity
“Women will only have true equality when men share
with them the responsibility of bringing
up the next generation.” – Ruth Bader Ginsberg
March is one of my favorite times of the year. Spring is just around the corner, bursting with life and hope and blooming with fresh perspectives. It is also Women’s History Month—a month to pause and remember all the amazing women who have spoken their truth, with compassion and grace, to improve rights not just for women, but for all of us. When I reflect on the courageous women who have inspired me, I think of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. To me, RBG epitomized the complete human—not only did she rise to great levels as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, but she also built a marriage that allowed personal growth for both partners and was an amazing role model and mother to her children.
When I was thinking about what to write about this month, it became clear to me that we all have a role in making the world a more inclusive and equitable place. The continuous work toward female empowerment has not been enough. While the progress made should be openly celebrated, there is still so much work to be done.
Women are not only outnumbered in leadership positions, they are also paid less than men for comparable jobs and promoted less often than their male counterparts. It is a pattern of statistical inequity that has often left me angry and frustrated. So as I lived this reality in my career as a corporate leader, I judiciously worked to have a voice myself while supporting the empowerment of the women I worked with in all their endeavors, both professional and personal. And now that I have stepped down from my corporate role and been able to shift my own perspective, it is clear to me that this is not about empowering women; it’s about empowering humans.
In order to progress, we must shift our focus away from what makes us different and focus instead on what makes us similar. We should be building up all humans rather than categorizing and competing based on physical characteristics. We must strive to find the common humanity we all share and by doing so, we can work towards building a world that is compassionate, accepting, non-judgmental, and kind for all humans.
As a mother to two amazing boys, it is clear to me that they struggle with the same insecurities and fears that I do. They are self-critical and self-deprecating, they want to feel secure in their path forward, and they wish to be happy and fulfilled. We all want to know the right path that’s going to allow us to feel happy and safe and to lead rewarding lives—this is human, and we all suffer when we are unable to meet such desires.
My practice with mindfulness and self-compassion has led me to this new perspective of empowerment and has fostered my human-centered approach of focusing on our similarities rather than our differences. To me, there is no better way to discuss empowerment than to speak your truth and to be honest about your journey. I invite all of you to consider this perspective and see what it elicits within you—your thoughts, your feelings, your physical response.
My favorite practice that brings awareness to the shared human experience is a compassion-based meditation called “Just Like Me”. This practice allows us to connect with the basic humanness in all of us. Compassion does not mean that you have to put up with or agree with behavior from others that you find distressing. Rather, this practice allows us to choose a kind response that respects boundaries while respecting humanity and one another. Check out a guided version of this practice below or try it on your own by brining a particular person to mind and using phrases like:
You have a body and a mind, just like me.
You have feelings, emotions, and thoughts, just like me.
You experience pain, fear, and suffering, just like me.
You are learning about life, just like me.
You wish to be safe, healthy, and loved, just like me.
I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Mindfully yours,
Stefanie
