As recently as 1986, only fourteen states recognized March as “Women’s History Month”. FOURTEEN! In fact, President Jimmy Carter was the first president to issue a formal Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week. Even after this, annually the lobbying efforts had to be re-
organized just to keep the momentum going! Consider the profound strength and courage it took to ignite and sustain the acknowledgement and recognition inherent to the very self-worth and positive image all human beings crave and deserve. From amazing success stories to seemingly insurmountable challenges, women have impacted history remarkably. So in honor of National Women’s History Month, The Inside Story, LLC has something to say about “GIRL POWER”.
The phrase “Girl Power” is often used as a term of female empowerment, independence, and self-assuredness. Historically the term was linked to feminism and was expressed as a cultural movement back in the 1990’s. In the age of Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angel’s, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, culturally and professionally society hasn’t always been kind to self-reliant, ambitious, and assertive women. Arguably, the concept of “Girl Power” and what it means today revolutionizes that “little girls can be anything they want to be when they grow up”. The Inside Story is an example of that…
At times in my personal life and career, I have felt the exact opposite of powerful. I have felt intimidated. I have been betrayed. I accepted less for doing more. Over and over again I questioned my reasoning for working so hard for so
little. I didn’t have my own truth from a mother or higher self-esteemed role models to recognize my own dignity and self-worth. As I navigated relocation, career planning, and motherhood, self-reliance was an afterthought and only materialized through trial, struggle, and error. One thing that remained constant was that I never quit. I never gave up, even if I wanted to throw in the towel, I kept going. There was always a little voice inside my head that said “You got this. Keep up the good work. You go girl!”
The women who I admire most for their strength did not get that way because everything was a bed of roses. They grew in grace and self-respect through adversity when things went wrong. When things went wrong, they handled it. Handled it in the best way, at the best time, and for the best outcome.
Whether starting a business like I did or asking for a helping hand, we handle it and accomplish amazing things with the dignity, fortitude, and courage. These traits we always had all along, even if we didn’t know they were there. The more I remind myself to recognize where I was and how far I have come, the greater the impact to my own “Girl Power”. That little voice reminds me often “Never, ever forget…. You got this! Good work! You go girl!”
-Susan Amsler
Feature writer of The Inside Story LLC