How Women’s Circle Relit My Fire
TW: sexism, misogyny, racism, sexual assault
Two powerful things are happening in my life currently. I’m again facing another traumatic and toxic work environment AND I’m in the most empowering community I’ve ever been in — a spiritual women’s circle of executive women.
The duality of both is powerful because while unfortunately the toxic work environment is not new, what is new is the unwavering support, wisdom, empathy and strength I’m receiving from a group of empowering & healing women. It is truly magical.
My loving intention I hope you receive from this article is this — you are not alone in experiencing the harm that corporate culture creates AND there are spaces that are safe for you to shine and heal. When we talk about women’s empowerment month, we must center the conversation around community care. Because in order for us to disrupt the status quo or trailblaze new paths, we need to have communities of care that can resource us, nourish us and give us the strength to continue. They offer spaces for us to play, to create, to imagine the world we want to create when our reality might not be that new world just yet.
As we know, Corporate culture is poisoned with homophobia, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism….the list could go on. I’ve seen corporate culture be so brutal to so many folks in so many ways. To the point that it forces them to leave in order to protect their mental, physical and spiritual health. Everything from former bosses throwing chairs at employees to sexual assaults on work trips. I’ve seen it at every level too. A CEO being blatantly racist by negatively noting that they were against venues becoming “all black”, to a CMO yelling at their BIPOC employee that they didn’t have time to worry about DEI, to a Director of Operations getting drunk at a VIP party and assaulting a Marketing Manager.
I know I’m not alone in witnessing and hearing these horror stories in all my years in both private and public corporate life. It can feel so scary and isolating. And in all these instances, if something was said, it was swept under the rug quickly. No one was held accountable which only added to everyone’s fear of speaking out. I know I experienced my frozen state, my fear state, my “I can’t believe this is F*CKING happening” state. A state unfortunately familiar to me being the “only” in the room most of my life — the only woman and the only woman of color. The pure trauma of these experiences created a mix of sadness and rage. My heart was both breaking and on fire.
If you can relate, I want you to know there’s a place where your sadness does not need to live in silence. Somewhere you can alchemize your rage into empowered action. A space where women are dismantling these oppressive systems and offering healing from them as well — a women’s circle. And like a circle, it’s limitless. A circle where you can harness limitless power when you are feeling powerless. Because power is created when women become their community care. Power is created when women share their healing modalities and ancient practices as mind, body and soul medicine. Power is created when women share their stories because we are not alone. Power is created when women share their wisdom when we feel uncertain. Power is created when women share their fire when you only have an ember left.
There’s a quote from Jean Shinoda Bolen that beautifully sums up this experience:
These words echo so true to me. Women’s circle is transformative. It alchemizes experiences into gold, into wisdom, into strength, into change. The limitless power created from these women has helped me heal my corporate trauma and grow my mental, physical and spiritual health. It has empowered me to continue to take empowered action to be the changemaker, disruptor and trailblazer I am. It inspires me to create women’s circles wherever I go.
There is certain magic that happens when women support women, when we lean into each other and empower each other’s growth. You receive a depth of empathy, a profound knowing of your experiences that lets you know you truly are not alone. We need more of these communities of care for women that offer holistic wellness, that center your physical, mental and spiritual health & healing.
From these powerful communities of women, I truly see them transforming the world. I see them filling up every space they walk into with the power of their intuition, compassion, authenticity, strength, grace and love. These powerful communities of women have lifted me in a way I never thought possible. They have helped me find my strength, my compassion and my grace when I felt so lost. It has lit the fire in me to continue to take empowered action, not only against these injustices in corporate America, but also against these oppressive systems we all live under.
I leave you with this. Don’t ever let them dim your shine or snuff out your fire. There are communities of care ready to receive you and share their fire with you. It’s us, the people, that keep these businesses, organizations, nonprofits, corporations, governments, and societies all running and thriving. We need to look out for each other. We need to take care of one another, and I’ve never found a community that has provided such intense care and support like I found in women’s circle.
I hope you find your circle soon, and if you need help, please reach out! My coaching and consulting business is here to help changemakers break the rules, but not their spirits! I have tons of resources on other communities of care and will be offering some more women’s circles if you’d like to join!
Sending you strength and solidarity.
Jessie Anne Zayas
This article is a part of the collaboration between HLWF ™ Alliance and Women’s Circle. Women’s Circle is a collective of executive leaders who believe that wellness is foundational to corporate success.
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