My Personal Experience:
Being a Woman
in a Man's World
"A man is commanding – a woman is demanding.
A man is forceful – a woman is pushy.
A man is uncompromising – a woman is a ballbreaker.
A man is a perfectionist – a woman is a pain in the ass.
A man is assertive – a woman is aggressive.
A man strategizes – a woman manipulates.
A man shows leadership – a woman is controlling.
A man is committed – a woman is obsessed.
A man is persevering – a woman is relentless.
A man sticks to his guns – a woman is just stubborn.
If a man wants to get it right, he is respected.
If a woman wants to get it right, she is impossible."
(Barbra Streisand)
"Of my two handicaps, being female put many more obstacles in my path
than being black." (Shirley Chisholm)
"The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins
when the doctor says: It's a girl." (Shirley Chisholm)
Discrimination is when others judge you based solely on your externals.
*
Demeaning Labels:
The instant hallmark of discrimination is when
others apply a label to you. I get called "sweetie, honey, darling" etc
all the time… I have never heard a man addressed in such a familiar and
demeaning manner.
I make it clear that I am none of those things and insist upon being
treated with respect - first - in the way I am addressed.
*
Condescending Treatment:
The most insulting hallmark of discrimination
is when others treat you like you are an idiot… and do not possess either
education or common sense. It starts with "now I do not expect you to
understand this" because, as a woman, I must be "some dumb blond" (I used
to have blond hair).
I dazzle them with both my education and common sense as well as with my
extensive experience in a variety of different occupations. I gain
instant respect because it is clear I know more than most experts.
*
Uphill Battle:
The most wearying hallmark of discrimination is
when others treat you like you are a child… and assume you cannot make
decisions. It starts with "where is the 'Mister' who can
buy this for you" because, as a woman, I must consult the "man" who
decides for me (as they assume I cannot decide for myself).
When confronted with this, I just take my business elsewhere because I
would rather support those who do not discriminate against women. Yet
it gets very tiring to work for a period of time just to gain the respect
that would automatically be accorded to a man.
*
Empowering Interpretations:
The best way to fight back against
discrimination is simply to fight back when it happens to you. When
someone once called me a "broad" (US slang for female), I replied that
I had shoulders so broad that I was more than a match for anyone… which
(I admit) was hostile but an empowering interpretation to counter the
discrimination.
Yet the best example comes from the movie "Mao's Last Dancer". When the
dancer asks why someone called him a "chink" (negative US slang for Chinese),
his mentor gives an empowering answer. The mentor says "chink" means the
gap in the curtains onstage revealing the back lighting and that it meant
others could see the dancer's "special light" of talent and courage shining
out of him… This empowering reply is a great counter to discrimination.
"Judge me by the content of my character." (Martin Luther King Jr)
If you are a woman and you find yourself in a traditionally male dominated
profession... read this.
*
Like Gravity:
Over time, we are naturally attracted to those
professions which are the highest expression of our life path. Yet when
society assigns gender roles to a certain profession and when our current
gender is the opposite of that... problems, conflicts, and tensions are
the natural result.
Just ask any woman who works in a man's world.
*
Life Path:
Those who have been on the path of leadership throughout
many past lifetimes will naturally gravitate to those lines of work that
usually attracts males, like law enforcement and the military. It is
hard to be a woman in a man's world when others tell you to "go and grow
a baby" because that is your real job.
For example, I have been a General in many lifetimes and know
how hard it is to be a woman in a man's world when you are not
essentially feminine or girlish or gentle, etc. Ironically, people
are much more accepting of female energy in a man (as in "isn't he
sweet?") than they are of male energy in a woman (as in "she's a
real b---!").
*
Unequal Partners:
Females with high levels of male energy are
never fully accepted by men as equal partners and are always regarded
with suspicion by other women. Yet, the real problem is not being
accepted by others - hard as that is - the real problem is when "women
in a man's world" do not (and feel like they cannot) accept themselves
as they are.
Worse, if these women keep on wishing that they were men, keep on acting
tougher than the boys, or keep on resisting their own femininity, they
are telling their female body that they hate it. Worst of all are those
sad people who get operations to change their gender not realizing how
much karma they are sending to future lives.
*
Physical Cost:
Those who choose to hate their female bodies are
bound to experience physical and psychological problems along the way well
before they reincarnate. This can manifest as Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS),
Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Uterine Cancer, and Endometriosis, to name a few.
The more at peace women in a man's world can be with their female body (not
wanting to change it or wishing it were more male), the more healthy/happy
they will be.
The trick for these women is to see themselves not as a female body or as
a male spirit but to accept themselves simply AS they have chosen to BE
NOW free of gender and just pure SOUL.
"Judge me by the content of my character." (Martin Luther King Jr)
If you are a man and you find yourself in a traditionally
female dominated profession... read this.
*
Like Gravity:
Over time, we are naturally attracted to those
professions which are the highest expression of our life path. Yet when
society assigns gender roles to a certain profession and when our
current gender is the opposite of that... problems, conflicts, and tensions
are the natural result.
Just ask any man who works in a woman's world.
*
Life Path:
Those who have been on the path of nurturing throughout
many past lifetimes will naturally gravitate to those lines of work that
usually attracts females, like caring for health and beauty. It is
hard to be a man in a woman's world when others tell you to "man up"
and get real work.
Men who are nurses can be as effective in that role as any woman... but
they have to live with others always suggesting they should be a doctor
instead. Those men who are in the beauty industry are often looked down
upon for doing "girly" work... and so it goes.
*
Unequal Partners:
Males with high levels of female energy are
never fully accepted by other men as equal partners and are often regarded
with suspicion by women. Here the real problem is being accepted by
others: "men in a woman's world" fight an uphill battle to be accepted.
When these men keep on facing constant rejection, wishing that they could
be accepted for just for who they are, keep on fighting against the girls,
or keep on resisting their own masculinity, they are often in disharmony
with their male body. Worst of all are those sad people who get operations
to change their gender not realizing how much karma they are sending to
future lives.
*
Physical Cost:
Those who choose to hate their male bodies are
bound to experience physical and psychological problems along the way
well before they reincarnate. This can manifest as Erectile Dysfunction,
Premature Ejaculation, Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, and Urinary
Infections, to name a few.
The more at peace men in a woman's world can be with their male body (not
wanting to change it or wishing it were more female), the more
healthy/happy they will be.
The trick for these men is to see themselves not as a male body or as a
female spirit but to accept themselves simply AS they have chosen to
BE NOW free of gender and just pure SOUL.
"In 1985, the Wall Street Journal coined the term 'Glass Ceiling' to
describe the apparent barriers that prevent women from reaching the top
levels of the corporate hierarchy, denying untold numbers of qualified
people the opportunity to hold executive positions."
The workplace can be a pit of karma, especially when men use the
"Glass Ceiling" against women.
*
The Glass Ceiling:
Men in the workplace discriminate against
women. Women have felt the "Glass Ceiling" bumping their heads usually
as the collusion of men who do not feel comfortable with women and
want to keep them out of the higher ranks. The "Glass Ceiling" exists
and it creates "bad" workplace karma.
*
Boy's Club:
There is a Boy's Club which works with remarkable
effectiveness. The real deals between men are made in place that girls
are now allowed, like men's rooms, late night drink clubs, golf courses,
and so on. Men rarely need to talk in public around other women. It
all happens behind closed doors and with the agreement of men who make
sure that "the fix is in". In any event, the Boy's Club will act to
protect their own from women... even if the work suffers for it.
*
Undermining:
There are many ways that the Boy's Club can get
even with a woman who has offended them. They will see to it that she
must work twice as hard to get half as far. She will not be invited
to unofficial "get-togethers" where the real decisions are made. She
will just attend the official meetings where the "rubber stamp" will
be given to the decisions previously made by men… and which will allocate
the unpleasant, grunt work to her hoping she will leave eventually.
*
Make Her Fail:
The main tactic of the Boy's Club is simply to
"gang up" on women by keeping her out of the loop as much as possible.
If she is their superior, they will do what they are told in ways that
may not get her what she wants. They will certainly not do their best
for her. They will spy on her and report her least mistake to others
in the brotherhood who are gunning for her. Whatever they can do to
make her fail, they will most certainly do it... even if the work suffers
for it.
*
Leave It to Karma:
Quite simply, actively participating in
building the "Glass Ceiling" on others or passively doing nothing while
watching it being done… both are "bad" karma. It is best for you just
to do your job to the best of your ability and leave karma to do its work.
Remember that as others have sown, so will they reap.
"Workin' nine to five, What a way to make a livin', Barely gettin' by,
It's all takin' and no givin', They just use your mind, And they never
give you credit, It's enough to drive you, Crazy if you let it."
(Dolly Parton)
The workplace can be a pit of karma, especially
when women use the
"Pink Door" against men.
*
The Pink Door:
Women in the workplace discriminate against men.
Men have felt the "Pink Door" slammed on their hands usually as a lack
of cooperation from women who are supposed to be helping and supporting
them. While the "Pink Door" is less noticeable than the "Glass Ceiling"
it is there and creates "bad" workplace karma. Many a man finds out
about it when it is already too late.
*
Girl's Club:
There is a Girl's Club which works with remarkable
effectiveness. A man who sticks it to one of the girls soon learns that
the sisterhood is lined up against him. Whenever he comes near, he finds
that the women who had been busily chatting just moments before, instantly
clam up. He wonders if they were talking about him and maybe he was right.
In any event, the Girl's Club will act to protect their own from men...
even if the work suffers for it.
*
Time Delay:
There are many ways that the Girl's Club can get
even with a man who has offended them. If a woman has her work completed
early it will not get through the "Pink Door" until the moment the man
asked for it. The woman does this for two reasons. One is so she will
not get burdened with even more work. Two is to block his progress just
as she perceives that he has blocked hers (or that of another member of
the sisterhood) hoping he will leave eventually.
*
Let Him Fail:
The main tactic of the Girl's Club is simply to
let the man fail. If she sees that he has made a bad decision, she
will keep silent. If she knows that what he is going to do something
that will get him into trouble, she will say nothing. If she knows
that he has forgotten to do something important, she will not remind
him. She will not actively undermine him, but she will let him fail
and pass the good news of his screw-ups to the sisterhood... even if
the work suffers for it.
*
Leave It to Karma:
Quite simply, actively participating in slamming
the "Pink Door" on others or passively doing nothing while watching it
being done… both are "bad" karma. It is best for you just to do your job
to the best of your ability and leave karma to do its work. Remember that
as others have sown, so will they reap.
"A man is commanding – a woman is demanding.
