The gender imbalance of playing small #IWD2021

By Kerryn Vaughan

9th March 2021

So often in my work I come across people who tell me they are ‘nobody special’, and it doesn’t stop there! They continue with the barrage and negative self-talk by telling me how they’re not good enough and that they have nothing to offer.

This is so common and is a result of thinking small. But let’s be clear here - you can be the tiniest little being and still make a massive difference. You know the saying:

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” ~ Dalai Lama

Yep, we all know the impact one little mozzie can have!

Unfortunately, there’s a gender imbalance in play here as most of the people who tell me they are too small, are women. Women have a natural tendency to downplay their skills, talents, and abilities.

It’s International Women’s Day (week), and I’m not going to let the opportunity slip to smash this myth. The following case in point is not about a woman who set out to challenge the imbalance, but a woman who’s heart hurt so much that she was prepared to override her fear and belief that she was too small.

Last week I chatted with Jennifer George, a woman with a massive heart who was left feeling heartbroken and helpless after a trip to Nepal where she witnessed malnourished dogs with terrible health issues, some even limping around on exposed bone! 

As well, she witnessed some incredible human rights breaches that are just so horrible I’ll spare the details.

The bottom line is, that Jennifer went back to her hotel room, closed the door and cried for hours, every single day of what was supposed to be an enjoyable trip and a great opportunity to snap some wonderful photos.

She felt defeated and believed she was too small to do anything about what she was witnessing.

But what she saw hurt her heart so badly that she couldn’t stop thinking about it, and over and over she thought “there must be something I can do?”. The anguish of that question gripped her heart and paralysed action. But finally she got so mad that she made her move.

She started asking questions of people until finally she got some answers and some hope. Long story short, she founded the Magic Marble Foundation, and in just a few months has mobilised a school refurbishment in Nepal and has set up an animal rescue centre in Costa Rica.

Every single person on this planet can make a difference. Even a little smile can save somebody’s life.

If you were to take every ‘small’ gesture or action and compound them, it wouldn’t be long at all before you made a big impact. 

It’s about the tiny steps and tiny actions we take each and every day that make a difference, and there is absolutely no evidence that women can make less impact. Let’s go girls!

Kerryn Vaughan is the author of ‘Magnificent Kids!’ and ‘Get Off The Bench!’, founder of One Planet Classrooms, co-founder of Girls With Hammers, and host of Get Off The Bench Podcast.

Kerryn is also a DISC ADVANCED® accredited consultant.