For those who are not aware of who Ursula Burns is, she is a former CEO of Xerox, who led the company from 2009 to 2016. She also is renowned for her candour: to tell the truth even in the darkest of times. However, and to reach the heights she did, at as the first Black woman to run a Fortune 500 company, Ursula Burns could not be a wallflower. She had to be seen; she had to be heard.

Far too often, we women like to be invisible, or perhaps just seen, but not really heard. We may not agree with the views being shared by others, but we say nothing. However, and to those around us, it may suggest that we agree with what is being said, or it just allows them to overlook us.

In some ways, it can be argued that to not be present, to not show up, to not use your voice, can be interpreted as you denying your own existence, or not valuing the contribution you can make to the situation at hand. Why?

 

Throughout the day, we invite you to revisit this quote. Below are a few questions you may wish to ask yourself, and those who journal may find them especially useful:

• Do I remain quiet even when I have an opinion that could be beneficial to share?
• To what degree do I deny my own existence?
• To what degree do I not value the work I do, or the contribution I could make to a problem that needs to be addressed?

 

 

Best wishes, and have a great day!