I learned that fear is at the root of management frustrations. 

Fear is keeping people stuck in a job they hate.

Fear is preventing leaders from being imaginative and taking more risks.

Fear is halting personal growth amid constant change.

I learned that good leaders are leaving the field, and many organizations don't have a clear, winnable strategy. We react to what is happening to us, which is a normal human experience. We wait, we hope, but very few are taking the untested path. Very few understand how to drive the action; only how to respond to a crisis.

We have entered an era of unprecedented information on the subject of menopause, and celebrities well over 50 are sharing their menopausal experiences.  Yet, the average working-class woman in her 30s and 40s is unprepared for these natural changes or unclear how they will impact her body, mind, and spirit. A recent study from the University of Virginia highlighted that many perimenopausal symptoms are understudied, and the "psychological symptoms associated with menopause, like anxiety, depression, and irritability, appeared well before the physical symptoms". It also found that these symptoms peaked among women aged 41 to 45 but may begin as early as 36. Just like when preteens experience menstruation earlier than what is considered "typical", if you are not expecting this change to occur, it can feel scary and isolating, and learning more can feel taboo. 

Post-election, a variety of contradictions may emerge that we don’t address in our country. We like to keep things in dualism, but that isn’t who the US has ever been as a nation; we are filled with contradictions that make me believe we still have hope to reorganize if we learn to listen for understanding rather than to convince someone their self-interest is wrong.