Ambition And Changing the World
”What is it in life that you think you can't accomplish? Or what is it that people have said that you cannot do? Wouldn't it feel really good to prove them all wrong? Because I believe ambition is not a dirty word. It's just believing in yourself and your abilities. Imagine this: What would happen if we were all brave enough to be a little bit more ambitious? I think the world would change.”
Reese Witherspoon’s Glamour Women of the Year Speech
This speech is several years old, but it’s new to me, and it hit me on many levels today. I kind of crashed after constant on the go juggling of a bunch of projects I’m unexpectedly trying to get off the ground. The news has been inescapable and feeling like a five ton weight in my gut. I’ve been feeling helpless and overwhelmed, angry and sad, tired and scared, cautiously optimistic for certain things and broken hearted about a long list of others.
I know we’re all living in weird vacuums and bubbles thanks to COVID, politics, and the natural silo effect of what is happening around us. I know deep down that if we want the world to change we’ll have to endeavor to take on more. I was 30 before I learned that ambition could extend beyond career aspirations. I know I’m on a personal mission to show that women can be/are happy and fulfilled without a husband and kids, AND that career girls can learn to recalibrate and make room for more. That turning away from half of who I am was not a permanent choice and can be reversed and embraced. I’m aware that empathy is rooted in shared experience and that accepting and acknowledging other people’s pain does not negate your own. I also know that as Mrs. Betty Witherspoon taught Reese- “If you want something done, honey, do it yourself."
I don’t think Spoiled Spinster is going to change the world, I don’t think it’s going to make waves. I think it’s going to be a a one stop place where I can share this overwhelming collection of things I’m trying to tackle to make my little spot in this world a better place. I think there is value in shared experiences. Speaking up about the things that keep us up at night AND the things that make us bounce out of bed ready to tackle another day. This video is one of the things. One that shows you can buckle down, believe in yourself, do something that moves you, and make a difference for the people that come behind you. That we’re aware there is a problem that needs fixing, there are systems that do not work for us and there are people that can pave new paths and ways of thinking if we invest and bring our ambition and fire to the table.
There’s a lot of fighting going on out there, it’s exhausting. So if it’s fighting back against the way society makes you feel as a woman, a person whose ethnicity/ love/faith/lifestyle draws judgement/violence/prejudice/ or restrictions… whether you lead or follow the fight, I hope you hold space for it and keep going. Life isn’t fair, but fair treatment, humanity, and equality SHOULD be. It’s not pie, no one gets less by making sure everyone has a piece.
When Elle Woods said “What, Like it’s Hard?” she absolutely wasn’t talking about navigating this. Simply existing and persisting these days is a full time job. This video gave me the strength to power through another day, I hope it inspires and encourages you too. There is so much work to be done, and we have only just begun.
