The "I Can't Do This!" Syndrome -- Where Are You Disempowered?

Greetings! I've created this blog to be a voice of advocacy for professional women across the country, as well as to provide a much-needed forum for working women to discuss, share, and connect with each other about the common challenges we face today in creating a life of meaning, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

Each month, I'll be posing some key questions aimed to inform, stimulate, challenge, and inspire women, as well as offer an opportunity for each of you to personally contribute to the book I'm developing tentatively titled I Can't Do This: The Professional Woman's Guide to Overcoming Crisis and Claiming Your Power and Purpose (slated to be published in Fall 2008 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers). This book is based on my research with over one hundred professional women across the country who have faced professional crisis, overcome it successfully, and lived to tell the tale.

I hope you will join me and many others in giving voice to the concerns and obstacles you face in being all you wish to be in life and work.

This month, my question for you is:

Of the four areas listed below, which one do you think best represents where most of your challenges reside in terms of building and maintaining a satisfying and joyful professional life?

Are your challenges mostly in:

Your relationship with yourself (meaning: how you perceive, feel about and evaluate yourself)

Your relationship with others (meaning: how you relate to and interact with others, and how they relate to and treat you)

Your relationship with the world (meaning: how effective you are in the world, how able you are to use your talents, and how capable you feel you are to get what you need physically, emotionally, and intellectually)

Your relationship with your highest self (meaning: if and how you embrace your higher purpose [why you are here on this planet now] and your interconnectedness, and how empowered and supported you are to live your higher purpose)

We would all benefit from hearing your thoughts on which of these areas poses the greatest challenge for you, and what you are doing to overcome the hurdles that get in the way of a smooth journey to success and joy.

Thank you so very much for your generosity in sharing your insights. I have no doubt that your comments will be helpful to many others.

All best,
Kathy