“All you need is the compassion of the heart. Women know this because peace is implicit in women…You put women together and they make peace. Women are the leaders of the future.”[1]
-The Dalai Lama
As we leave a tumultuous 2021 behind and enter a new year, I feel hopeful for a shift to the light. Could we be entering the future of women working together and effecting compassionate change as intuited by the Dalai Lama, resurrecting the Divine Feminine to her rightful place of equality? Our history began, after all, with Goddess reigning supreme. Matriarchal cultures were based on peace and living in alignment. It is time to remember our origin. As the Goddess of Love, the Sumerian Goddess Inanna demonstrates to us that feminine leadership is strong, determined, powerful, and also all about love. We could begin 2022 by celebrating the young women of the world and the ways they are raising universal vibration.
Commit to nurturing and supporting leadership opportunities for young women. Think back through your own life to the female mentors you may have had, who had your back and gave you courage. Think about how you might help a young woman develop her confidence in herself so she feels emboldened to speak the words of peace and love that will help unite and heal our world. This does not have to be a huge endeavor. There are countless ways to guide, uplift, support, and bring healing to young women so they may speak unapologetically and bring about positive change.
Even a brief examination of the cultural landscape offers multiple role models for these future leaders. Is it eighteen-year-old Swedish environmental activist Great Thunberg, or Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate? What about Venus and Serena Williams, who exemplify power, strength and focus and have entirely re-written their sport. Think about the USA Gymnastics women’s team, who exhibited remarkable courage in telling their story of abuse at the hands of their team doctor on a global level and not stopping until justice was served. What about pro and Big Wave surfer Bethany Hamilton, who survived a shark attack as a teen and got right back in the water and whose sheer dominance on every type of wave shows us that faith in the self can guide us to achieve whatever we want. There is no shortage of examples in the art world either. Consider musicians like Miley Cyrus, who embodies the unapologetic nature of Inanna and who uses her platform to support youth homelessness, the LGBTQ + community and other vulnerable populations, with a voice that is not just loud and proud, but which follows its own rules. Canadian Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq is celebrated for her role as an Indigenous land rights activist, anti-racism efforts, and her work on missing and murdered Indigenous women. There are inspiring examples everywhere.
See if you can find ways to support young women in finding their voice, owning their gifts, accessing an unapologetic self-acceptance and confidence that motivates them to take on leadership roles. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment on your part. Make it doable. Consider the following ideas. Engaging in these activities will also allow you to heal your own inner child and help her find her voice, confidence, and faith in herself too.
Steps You Can Take to Support Our Future Leaders
- Become a Big Sister. (www.bbbs.org)
- Donate money to causes that support missions being done by female activists.
- Support female artists by buying their music, books, and artwork.
- Listen to the young women in your life with a discerning ear. Hear what they have to say!
- Encourage and mentor a young woman at work.
- Join a Goddess circle—align with your sisterhood!
- Promote awareness of inspiring women and gift their stories to your daughter(s), whether she is a biological, adopted, spiritual or soul daughter.
Each small step will multiply, and the ripple effect will spread. Help the leaders of our future emulate Inanna and lead through the power of love!
[1] https://www.lionsroar.com/women-are-the-leaders-of-the-future/
*Inspired by the wisdom of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, this blog is an invitation to live as she does, like an Unapologetic Heroine.
Seana Zelazo, LICSW is a psychotherapist, spiritual coach and intuitive channel committed to helping us live unapologetically, by restoring balance within and without through the wisdom of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna. Look for her upcoming book The Return of Inanna: The Unapologetic Heroine in 2022. seanazelazo.com
