We Were Never Meant to Lead Like Them
My sister, niece, daughter and I in front of the Shantadurga Temple
Today, I'm sharing the second insight—or gift—I received while in India. (If you missed last week's Sunday Note where I shared the first, you can read it here.)
During our travels, we visited Goa, a beautiful province along the Indian Ocean. While there, we stepped into an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Shantadurga, a symbol of powerful, compassionate leadership.
According to legend, when Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva were locked in a destructive battle, it was Goddess Shantadurga who intervened. With her calm yet commanding presence, she restored harmony between two unstoppable forces. She is a reminder of the profound power of feminine energy—the ability to nurture, lead, and transform.
Which brings me to the second insight I want to share with you:
It is time for us, as women, to reclaim the power we lost over the centuries.
In the beginning, there was an honoring of both the masculine and feminine—a recognition that these two forces, intertwined, create a thriving, balanced world.
But over time, that balance was lost. And for centuries, we've been fighting to restore it.
Yes, we may now be able to sign for our own credit cards, sit in boardrooms, and, in some parts of the world, even achieve equal pay. But there is a difference between attaining power within a system we didn't create and stepping into our own inherent power and leadership.
I believe we are being called now—to reconnect with our divine nature, to remember the gifts that have always been within us.
We are not here simply to support others while neglecting ourselves. We are a necessary part of the ecosystem. We are here to elevate, to expand, to lift the consciousness of the world.
So what does that mean for you?
It means trusting your own wisdom, your own knowing. And then using it.
It means stepping fully into your feminine leadership—not by following a prescription for how it “should” look, but by defining it for yourself. Not outsourcing your truth to others, not wearing a mask to fit into outdated models, but shaping leadership in a way that is fully yours.
What does stepping into feminine leadership mean to you?
In what area of your life could you use your voice and energy to inspire change?
It's time to reclaim our feminine power. Here are a few journal prompts to support your reflection:
Where in my life have I been following leadership models that don't feel fully aligned with who I am?
In what ways have I given away my power—whether in my work, relationships, or personal life? How can I begin to reclaim it?
What fears or beliefs hold me back from fully embracing my power? How can I begin to release them?
What aspects of my feminine energy—intuition, creativity, compassion, strength—do I want to nurture more? How can I cultivate these in my daily life?
See you next week for Part 3 in this four-part series.
PS. I've created a beautiful 11-minute meditation to help you connect to your feminine strength and to your Inner Goddess. Find it here.