As we celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Ireland, it can be a time to reflect upon our identity and where we are from. This month’s newsletter is about our values and being authentic.
Who we are is a reflection of how we’ve been brought up and where we call home. There is a poignancy in this right now, as we see and hear of those who are fleeing their homes and experiencing danger.
To paraphrase Steve Jobs, I hope that the voices which value peace and unity can rise above the noise of disharmony and hate.
We hope for a world where people with different identities are not divided but able to live in peace.
Last week marked International Women’s Day with a theme of Break the Bias. In March we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage, so this month I have chosen to profile an Irish woman who is an advocate for inclusiveness and breaking down barriers.
Sinead Burke is from Dublin and in her early 30s. She is a writer, primary school teacher and PhD candidate. Sinead has achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder which means she is shorter than average height at 3ft 5 inches. As a little person, she has encountered bullies and bias throughout her life, however she has used her experiences to advocate for inclusivity.
In March 2017, Sinead delivered her TED talk “Why design should include everyone”. This has been viewed over 1 million times.
Sinead’s book, “Break the Mould” was published in 2020. This is aimed at children but has a message of inspiration for everyone.
In the book, Sinead explains that her TED talk experience was transformational in her life. She overcame her nerves and found her authentic voice. She delivered a message that resonated with her own experience and she chose self-belief over self-doubt.
Sinead’s passion is fashion and she started a blog when she was in her teens to record her views and experiences. Her opinions have challenged the status quo and led to changes in the fashion industry and elsewhere.
She has gone on to achieve many of her dreams including appearing on the cover of Vogue and attending the Met Gala, which is a major event in the fashion industry’s calendar.
Sinead is optimistic and inspiring and her advocacy work is making positive changes in the world. She also has a great name 😊.
To Do or Not To Do – Is that the question?
Brené Brown is an American author and researcher who has written many books on topics such as vulnerability, courage and authenticity.
In a 2014 article in O, The Oprah Magazine, Brené shared some thoughts and advice on being authentic.
She identifies the challenge for us of knowing and being our true selves versus being and behaving in the way others expect.
She offers examples such as agreeing with our boss because we think we should or wearing uncomfortable clothes or shoes to fit in with our peer groups.
Brené highlights how easy it is to be swayed to become, or act, or look like someone else. However, when we act out of sync with our own values, we feel uncomfortable. We do it because we think our authentic selves aren’t good enough but we don’t feel better by trying to be someone else.
Brené offers 3 tips to help us remain true to our authentic selves.
- Music – have a few songs that you play to remind you of yourself and what’s important to you before you go to an event where you might find yourself sliding into a persona that’s a “fitter-in” rather than your true self.
- Partner-up – have a friend that helps you “keep it real”. Get this person to remind you of your priorities and values before you have important meetings with work colleagues or friends. You don’t want to end up like a contact of mine who went to a meeting with her boss to ask for time-off and came out having agreed to lead a team to research a new product.
- Say no – we all love to win praise and please others but at what cost? Say yes to things that fit with the direction in which you wish to take your life but be prepared to say no when you need to.
“Being ‘yourself’ in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is an accomplishment.” – Jim Kerr
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” – Coco Chanel
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs
“There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others,” – Michelle Obama
Sinead Huskisson 