Thoughts on Being “am-BITCH-ous”

If you’re looking for a shot of girl power, pick up the book “am-BITCH-ous” by Debra Condren, Ph. D. The cover of the book states the definition of am-BITCH-ous as: “a woman who: 1. Makes more money 2. Has more power 3. Gets the recognition she deserves 4. Has the determination to go after her dreams and can do it with integrity.” I read this book almost two years ago and its lessons have stayed top of mind ever since.

I think many women view the word ambition as a dirty one. Which, ironically, is the title of Debra’s newest book “Ambition is Not a Dirty Word.” Some women may try to be overly polite in the workplace due to their fear of seeming too “ambitious.” This often means less pay, fewer promotions, and letting others take credit for your ideas.

Although we’ve seen several women in our generation crack the “glass ceiling,” many others still live in fear of carrying out their deepest ambitions. I’ve never quite understood where this fear comes from!

This may be a controversial topic for some, but I’m going to go ahead and keep writing… I’d love to hear your feedback on this too, so leave some comments!

I believe that women are the only ones holding themselves back from living out their wildest dreams and career aspirations. There’s no doubt that society may make it a bit harder for women, but honestly we have two choices: we can either let it bother us, or keep on truckin’.

Going to college at Miami of Ohio exposed me to some very interesting female perspectives on ambition that often left me feeling confused and frustrated.

Here are the types of false beliefs that I have heard girls express:

• “Guys aren’t attracted to really smart and successful women because THEY want to be the smart and successful ones.”
• “I’ll be perceived as less feminine if I show too much of my ambition.”
• “I’m waiting for Prince Charming to come, then I won’t have to worry about being ambitious.” (Um, get real!)
• “Well, I don’t know EVERYTHING about my field, therefore I know nothing. So I will just keep hiding in the background and play it safe.”
• “Oh no, I’m not ambitious! I’m hard working.” (Again, avoiding the word ambitious)

Have you heard women say these types of things? Have you ever had these types of thoughts? If so, where did your fear of ambition come from? What made Ambition a dirty word?