There are two physical genders, but energy exists on a spectrum. We all contain masculine and feminine energies. We’re born with a certain balance. This balance is altered over time as trauma and healing minimize and maximize our potential, respectively.
Males contain more masculine and females contain more feminine, generally. I’ll mansplain here that this does not deny the fact that some females have higher masculines than some males, and vice versa. This is a nuanced conversation, jump out now if you are uncomfortable with generalizations.
I’m a male with a high feminine energy (some would say a high masculine as well, both due to my healing journey). I am very comfortable with my feminine traits. I became a widower six years ago and had to cultivate that energy to thrive as a single parent.
I also recognize where I lack work to do better.
Leadership is a masculine trait. Compassion is a feminine trait. The best leaders access their compassionate energy to understand those they are leading. Effectively compassionate people use leadership to direct action most productively (conscientiousness). This is the practical application of the masculine/feminine balance.
Leadership in humans has little to do with physical strength. Yes, it is a factor in male hierarchies, but not dominant in leadership roles (e.g., professional sports coaches). If the world was run by the physically strongest men, then evolution would have favored this trait and humans would be getting bigger and stronger. Instead, we see our species growing in head size and shrinking in body mass. Look at the men around you. Look at CEOs and politicians.
I hope that by using the feminine/masculine energy paradigm, we can see that it is critical that we recognize those energy balances in ourselves and honor them in others.
The healing journey of a widowed, unschooling badass in Delaware.