Finding My Blindspots, or the Painful Truth of Admitting My Own Biases
I’m human, fallible and imperfect, and therefore I have biases. But how I handle—not carry, not hide, but handle—these biases is up to me. As I mull this over, I come back to curiosity, to good questions, to starting with heart. I handle my biases by being genuinely curious about another person, to asking great questions that allow them to open up, and double-checking that my own heart is in a good place. Amy Cuddy calls this social bravery, and says that it “something we do first so that we can respect ourselves, not so that others can respect us.” When I handle my biases, forcing myself into social bravery, that is how I come to self-respect.
Power Up, or Stepping Into Who You Want to Be
I loved the idea of her “power poses,” and I began doing them. The Starfish. Superman. Bodybuilder. Wonder Woman. Pride. And while I am generally considered to have little to no shame, it was a bit awkward when I got busted in the elevator or the ladies’ restroom and had to explain just what it was that I was doing. Once they heard the explanation, people got the idea and even got a laugh, but it was then that I started to wish for a way to power pose without having to explain myself. I needed a power pose for the inside.