Let's Update Gendered Language

I may be out of step with many in the personal development world, but I believe it's time to retire the gendered language used to describe human qualities.

Strength, power, and confidence are not inherently masculine traits. Just as compassion, kindness, and empathy aren't inherently feminine. I could go on.

You won't hear me promote the idea that women should lean into their divine feminine and sit back and wait to receive or to tell men they need to balance their masculine and feminine. I don't think applying gendered language to qualities encourages anyone to embrace them.

You will hear me encourage people to own whatever gifts they have without the baggage of labeling those gifts as anything other than naturally found in all of us.

In my training as an Integral Coach, we learned to identify the essential positive qualities in our clients and to support them through coaching to have these qualities emerge even more fully. Seeing the incredible inherent gifts unleashed in my clients is one of my favorite parts of coaching.

Whether I'm supporting those who identify as women, men, or non-binary, I see a unique, complex mix of varied, beautiful qualities inside each of them. The world needs to see them, too!