I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that every woman is uniquely Brilliant. And I believe that the world becomes a better place as each woman connects with and leads others from her Brilliance– generating joy, prosperity and meaningful impact as she goes.

To me, Brilliance is the unique combination of genetics and experiences that have made you who you are, with perspectives, insights and contributions to the world different from anyone else’s. Your Brilliance is made up of your life’s circumstances, choices and experiences: your aptitudes, passions and qualities, your intellect, creativity and education, your successes and mistakes, as well as your relationships with yourself, other people, and the Universe.

When you connect with and lead others from your Brilliance, you don’t waste time and energy in constant doubt. You accept that you will make mistakes, because you are human, and you will not be waylaid by them. You approach relationships confidently, with clarity on your value-—what you bring to the table and how it makes an impact. You feel and you help others feel centered, empowered, in the flow, in integrity. As a result, you are able to accomplish your Brilliant missions and feel fulfilled.

All this sounds great, right? So why isn’t everyone doing it?

I see the same 5 blocks repeatedly interfering with women’s abilities to connect with and lead others from their Brilliance.

Any of these sound familiar to you?

1. You fear you have no Brilliance, that you are the exception to the rule.
2. You have an inkling about your Brilliance, but sharing it feels so easy for you that you think it’s no big deal, and therefore must not actually be Brilliance.
3. You assume that your particular Brilliance cannot make you money. It can do good in the world, it can make the world a more beautiful, kind, creative, socially just place, but that’s not the kind of thing that feeds your kiddos.
4. You’d love to spend all your time using your Brilliance to achieve your purpose, but you have SO MUCH TO DO!!! Who has time for all the Brilliant, energizing, creative stuff when you’re a woman living in today’s society with 16 to do lists the length of your arm? (If this one resonates with you, you might want to check out my Competence Archetype Assessment to see the alternatives.)
5. Your Brilliance doesn’t match your expectations for who/how you “should” be, so you ignore, suppress or downplay your Brilliance. This conscious or unconscious choice limits you to be a pretty good leader who doesn’t feel completely happy in her role rather than your fully expressed unique self, leading with your own vision, doing things your own way, trusting your own instincts, and making the impact you’re destined to make.

These are some of the reasons too many of us don’t either recognize or feel comfortable in our Brilliance. Over the next few months, I will explore these five areas in greater depth so we can better understand what keeps us from fully inhabiting our Brilliance.

In the meantime, please understand: even if you feel completely disconnected from your Brilliance, I guarantee that you have it—and that it can be accessed.

You can learn to see, feel, live, connect and lead from your Brilliance. When you do it opens up greater ease, joy, prosperity and meaning than you may have even thought possible—or at least possible for you. This powerful shift is what I’ve experienced, and what my clients discover.

If you’d like to access your own Brilliance and start living from it more quickly, let’s talk. And if you’re not ready to change your life quite yet, then please take from this post the knowledge that you are already Brilliant, and that the world will make room for your Brilliance as soon as you demand that it does. Get comfortable with it!