What are you fierce about?
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Last month, I answered a question from Fierce in Florida, about how to speak up for what she believed in without coming off as “too much” in her small community. As I thought about her question and my response, I was reminded that you don’t have to be an expert to be passionate and put that passion into action.
Being fierce comes from our values—our compassion, respect for others, patriotism, and courage, to name a few—not just from what (or how much) we know. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or just learning about something that sets your heart on fire, there’s space to share how you feel and advocate for what you believe matters.
You all shared some of the things that you feel fierce about and I wanted to lift up some of the common threads:
- Women’s rights. You won’t be surprised to hear that the topic we’re fiercest about is protecting the rights of women, whether that means being safe from violence or brushing off “men who think women should only have the opinion that they (men) give them.” It makes me so proud to be part of a community of women that demands respect and lifts each other up.
- Support for people with mental illness and drug addiction. Several of you wrote in with personal stories of advocating for family members and loved ones who need mental health care or help with substance use disorder and have struggled to get it. Too often, folks with addiction and mental illness end up isolated, struggling to get by, or even incarcerated instead of in treatment, especially women. We’ve seen firsthand–whether as recovering addicts ourselves or as their loved ones–that the way to help people heal is to meet them where they are, not judge them for struggling.
- Integrity. If there’s one thing this community can’t stand, it’s a liar. We don’t have any patience for skirting the truth, sweeping things under the rug, or bending the rules. We feel fierce about living honestly and fairly in our relationships, at work, and in the way we show up as community members.
Share in the comments: Who inspires you to be fierce and speak up for what you believe in?
My grandma and great gramma inspired me. I’m fierce about my house always clean and tidy. You never need to make a mess to begin with but they do making things harder on themselves. And wasteful I can’t stand that. Humans consume whatever they need to make the pain go away I guess. Judging others is gossip. DONT DO IT. It is not attractive. Unconditional love is real
Telling another their enabling another is just plain out of control.
That’s where the name Karen comes from 😆