When Beyonce’ began to refer to her on-stage presence by a
completely different name, she embraced a valuable concept that all women
should have the courage to acknowledge. Countless interviewers inquired about
the appeal and allure of “Sasha Fierce” which would lead Madame B. to
articulate how her and Sasha were almost total opposites. According to B., Sasha
Fierce represented everything that she pretty much isn’t in her day to day existence.
Sasha magically appears on stages across the world under the bright lights and
in front of a blaring band to give performances filled with sex appeal, energy,
stamina, and overall confidence. Meanwhile backstage and later on at the house,
“southern gal” Beyonce’ prefers to curl up in comfy sweats, wrestle with her
nephew, and eat a sizeable portion of her mama’s macaroni and cheese!
Now, what can we learn from Beyonce’s acknowledgement of Sasha
Fierce as an entity unto herself? As women, we genuinely believe that ‘we are
every woman.’ And while we most certainly are, I think it’s healthy to
recognize those areas in our life that we are naturally comfortable navigating
vs. those areas where we may need to call on some ‘characteristic reserves,’ if
you will. We all possess the ability to do whatever it is that we need to do,
however there will always be some situations, actions, and decisions that come
a little easier to us than others. This is where your alter ego(s) come in. Perhaps
it takes a lot out of you to work a room during a social gathering. Maybe you
feel out of your element in the kitchen having to prepare a big meal. It could
be a challenge to get up in front of a room of people and introduce yourself.
How cool would it be to think of yourself as morphing into a totally different
person in order to get these various tasks accomplished? I mean, this is sort
of what we have to do, right? Why not embrace that ‘stretch’ of our abilities
in the form of creating an empowering and motivating alter ego that will show
up and show out in that particular capacity on demand!
By now you may be wondering have I myself identified any
alter egos? Who are the ‘personalities’ that contribute to my unpredictable
existence that brings smiles to so many faces? J Why yes,
yes I have! As a true introvert, I have come a long way with my interactive
capabilities. I remember being the shy girl who was terrified at the thought of
public speaking and would light weight experience heart palpitations at the
thought of walking into a room full of strangers and attempting to strike up a
conversation. But over the years, my life has unfolded into a beautifully
layered work of art that has pulled and stretched me in ways that my ‘scary’
former self couldn’t have ever imagined! Here are a couple of my alter egos
that I hold near and dear:
Chet As I attempt to live a healthier lifestyle and keep myself active, I have developed a love for physical challenges. Races, hikes, stair climbs, obstacle courses….you name it, I’m up for the challenge! It keeps the idea of being active new and exciting and sometimes I even surprise myself with what I’m able to accomplish. I may not win the race or even place, but just participating gives me such a rush! A good friend once joked with me, when I mentioned signing up for a 1,500 stair climb challenge, that I was ‘acting like a crazy white man!’ Her point being, who else would engage in such a physical challenge!?! As I initially laughed at her accusation, I then embraced it and decided to name my ‘inner white man’: Chet! Chet enjoys the rush of engaging in a new and physically challenging activity. He enjoys the prep training of pushing towards new physical goals and capabilities. He’s fearless with his approach to life and what it means to live free! So when I come across a great race or obstacle course that makes me go hmmm….I tap into Chet to not only sign up but to show up and show out in the cutest athletic gear I can find! After all I may be tapping into Chet on the inside, but a diva must maintain her appearance to the world!
Shirley
Now this alter ego was actually named by one of my colleagues. I’m a self-proclaimed ‘old soul’ so often times my advice or interpretation of life events is filled with wisdom beyond my years on this earth. In these cases, I’m tapping into Shirley! Shirley is the epitome of common sense. She can see the unseen and hear the unspoken or untold. She’s very intuitive and seeks to always find meaning from life situations. Shirley is the energy that I’m able to exude when I interact with my students on various campuses that warrants them to remain in contact with me after just one meeting. She’s the piece of me that comforts others and provides a space in which others feel safe to confide in me and sometimes ask for advice. She listens without judgment and even when I’m going through my own issues, I can tap into Shirley if a loved one needs a good long cry or a laugh to keep them going! Shirley is my intuition. She’s my direct line to beings and ideas greater than myself that I’m able to tap into in order to make positive impacts in people’s lives.
Glo
Now Glo represents the part of me who may
have been raised in the suburbs but is not naïve to street etiquette either.
Glo is very observant and can scan any given environment to determine it’s
level of safety and the most appropriate behavior in that setting. Glo
anticipates foolishness and while she tries not to put herself in drama-filled
situations, she’s always knowledgeable of the nearest exits and keeps a pair of
Timberland boots in her trunk….just in case! Glo is not ashamed to put an
airplane bottle of alcohol in her bra before entering an establishment known to
have overpriced cocktails. Glo would also eagerly join a DJ in the booth and
instantly become his/her hype woman for the night if given the opportunity! She
knows the words to songs that you don’t want anyone to know that you secretly
like but know all the words and get pretty crunk when singing along! She can
carry on a well informed conversation about a current national event and turn
right around and articulate why Krispy Kreme donuts must be laced with crack or
who would win in an MMA fight between Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa. Glo is my
edge. She’s the epitome of what I mean when I’m provoked to say ‘don’t let
these degrees fool you!’ Now I know you know what I’m talkin bout….. ;)
