Fight To Be You, Honestly.

I believe that our world is experiencing the highest levels of noise ever seen on Earth. I mean flooded digital feeds, overpopulated existence, and the constant bombardment of hyper-targeted consumer messaging that leaves you feeling a whole lot lesser than. So, when your senses are maxed out and your brain is spinning from pushy content and people alike, how do you keep discovering YOU and allowing your inner self to shine through?

I don’t have an exact methodology, and I’m no certified expert, but I can tell you the experiences, lessons, and the moments I began to realize that you have to fight like hell to follow your truth in this bottom-line-driven world.

At the beginning of my career, I spent time as a contractor and freelancer, where I came into companies and helped them with one-off projects. This allowed me to be somewhat of a fly on the wall and be a sole proprietor reporting to just one person vs. the larger whole. I’ll never forget when a newly hired female higher up (someone whom I admired and looked up to because of her higher position) threw a bundle of bagged clothing on my desk and said I needed to return them. It wasn’t so much the task of returning the dresses that she wore to a company event the evening before, but the icy and undermining treatment I received. There was no face-to-face dialogue, but rather a demand. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and surly not appreciated through this interaction when in actuality I had done nothing wrong.

I realized right then and there, that we ladies, mamas, and females need to support each other no matter where we fall on the ladder, and most importantly, operate with grace and kindness. Otherwise, how can we support our own personal growth when we’re not even nice to each other?

I have always led with my heart. I was partially raised by a Grandmother who operated on a higher playing field, showing kindness to everyone no matter who you were. She reminds me of Saint Mother Theresa in her undying efforts to serve a high power based by spreading kindness. One of my challenges after college had been finding a voice in the world and learning to advocate loudly on the behalf of others and myself. I had been wired to please others and avoid making someone upset.  Before I gained these skills, I had two different higher-ups at some point tell me that I needed to “be more mean” or change the way I sounded when speaking because it sounded too cheery. Something felt off when I received this feedback. Now, I strongly believe in feedback and communication so that we can grow, but I thought to myself if I have to change the way I speak will I still be the same me? Probably not. Part of being Cassidy is channeling that same little girl who believed in the good in people and lending a helping hand. 

No matter your own personal feedback in the workforce or life in general, listen to your inner voice and believe her. Follow what feels right so you can lean into who you really are despite what others may think or say.

Being you, honestly, is a battle that’s going to last a lifetime. But the most we can do at this moment is turn off our feeds, look to one another, and set an example of support, love, and kindness. After all, that was the original goal of our creator and can be for you too :)