Oh my goodness! Through the lower part of the frosted conference room window, my eye caught sight of a parade of black heels and sharp black pants parading past towards the meeting room.
Oh yes! Towing the line, adopting the stance, fitting right in! Powerful, smart and sexy! That’s what we gotta be! Manicured nails, enhanced eyelashes, perfectly-made up… And hair? Of course, coloured, cut and styled according to the latest trends! God forbid that we just let it all hang out and be natural! But we wouldn’t be respected! We wouldn’t fit in! They’d kill us!
Oh really? Would they?
Cosmetics companies and the fashion industry are making millions – wait, billions – capitalizing on the lucrative market of insecure females in search of professional identity and esteem.
Yet really, does the label matter? Does the veneer cover the basic truth that you’re not sure of yourself, terrified in fact, that your colleagues would find out you are freaking out on the inside? A fake! An imposter! You’ve infiltrated the ranks without the credentials!
What if you were to sit together in the conference room and look each straight in the eye and breathe. A huge sigh of relief. Let it go – and be real.
If you’re here, it’s because you’re enough. Just as you are. You applied, was interviewed, was chosen for the position. Not because if your nails, or hair, or make-up, or recently-purchased outfit. Just because the piece of paper you submitted certified you had the qualifications for the job.
The company dress code says casual. The guys are in t-shirts and jeans some days, nice shirts and chinos in others. With sneakers.
So what’s the deal? Relax. You’re perfect as you are.
Maybe it’s not the others’ acceptance you’re worried about, but your own.
Can you look yourself in the eye and say, Hey, girl, lookin’ good today! Even with the pimple, the ten pounds over, the worn out heels. So what? You rock! Go get em’! You studied, you worked, you risked, you succeeded. And you’re enough – just as you are.
Try that one on for size. And hey, have a great day while you’re at it!
Oh wait, one more thing: smile! You look amazing when you do!