There is inside each of us a long-buried treasure—a deep-seated source of strength, daring, and focus—otherwise known as the Warrior Archetype.
This Archetype is the psychological blueprint for leadership and courage, for fierce determination in the face of incessant obstacles.
I believe the Warrior Archetype provides the missing link in women’s evolution. The Warrior carries the hardwiring for our power.
Unfortunately, a lot of women shun this Archetype. They equate Warrior energy with cruelty, destruction and violence.
As a result, many have atrophied Warriors, which shows up as passivity and cowardice, compliance or rebelliousness, refusing to claim personal authority or projecting their authority unto others (notably Prince Charming).
I’m convinced this negative reaction stems from a serious misunderstanding of what a Warrior really is.
I prefer the definition from The Shambala Buddhist Tradition:
A warrior is someone who is not afraid of herself.
Perhaps what we need is Warrior training—learning not to be afraid of who we are. That means owning our light and our darkness, our flaws and our strengths, our achievements and our failures.
But for many, it’s easier (and more comfortable) to focus on what we’re lacking than to revel in the magnificent totality of who we are.
Welcoming our Warrior is precisely how we claim our power. When we can fully accept who we truly are—our weaknesses and our strengths—we will finally claim, without fear or false humility, our genuine magnitude and glory.
As psychiatrist Eric Fromm once said, “the main task in life is to give birth to our self to become what we actually are.” That task is the essence of power and the crucial challenge facing women today.
I invite you to stop right now and list all the Warrior attributes you already have and claim them as yours. Share what you discover in the comments below.
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