Toxic or poisonous patriarchy has disempowered people and created strife and angst for centuries. There is a polarity arising in our culture of more people becoming aware of toxic patriarchy and being responsible for it and there are groups that are more comfortable with forwarding poisonous patriarchy. Recently a movie called Barbie highlights this polarity and the challenges and the paradigm shifts that this growth mindset might offer and engender.
“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.” – by America Ferrera
The double standard that the Barbie movie points to is that people who hold feminine energy are continually between a rock and a hard place. How can people get ahead? Is it possible to function inside of this mindset? Here are some thoughts.
- Having a Daily Spiritual Practice allows for and encourages the Divine Internal Expression that we all have. When we’re grounded in Spirit we can access and function from an authentic place.
- Self Care! Self Care! Self Care! Effective and consistent self-care promotes balance throughout our lives. Observe and witness when that funny feeling arises in your gut, trust your intuition and take action about taking care of yourself.
- Setting boundaries when toxic patriarchy rears its head can create a safe space. If we’re being run over or allowing people to mistreat us we can be sabotaged. Seek out assistance or support! Bring in a friend to hold space if a challenging conversation needs to happen, call a Practitioner or a Minister or find a great therapist.
Taking baby steps around healing toxic patriarchy can make a magnificent difference for yourself, the community and the world!
“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai.
James Stallcup, RScP