People often call me Superwoman. It usually comes after someone hears what a typical week looks like: managing a demanding job, traveling for work, showing up for my kids, nurturing friendships, contributing time and energy to my temple, and still finding space to breathe. It’s meant as a compliment, and I receive it with love. But here’s the truth: I don’t do any of it alone.
That title, Superwoman, sounds powerful, but sometimes it feels like a setup, like there’s an invisible pressure baked into it. As if we’re only valuable when we’re doing it all, perfectly, all the time. And the truth is, nobody flies solo: not even those wearing capes.
A few years ago, I was speaking to a group of women in our organization on Women’s Day, and I shared something that still rings true today: the harshest critic many of us will ever face is ourselves. We hold ourselves to impossibly high standards. We strive for excellence, and while that may make our mothers proud 😊, sometimes that pursuit becomes so unforgiving that we forget something essential: we all need help. And we have to be willing to ask for it.
Redefining Strength
We often tell ourselves that asking for help is a sign of weakness, that if we need support, we’re somehow not capable. But what if the opposite is true? What if asking for help shows self-awareness and strength?
Think of any hero movie you’ve ever seen. There’s always someone just off-screen: supporting, coaching, lifting, carrying part of the load: the trusty sidekick who comes through when the hero is in a tough spot.
Help doesn’t always look dramatic. It might be a neighbor who picks up your child after school, a team member who takes on a few extra tasks, or a spouse who handles dinner. Whether they cook or order in. Help is often quiet, small, and exactly what we need in that moment. But we miss it when we’re too busy trying to be everything for everyone, all the time.
This pressure to “do it all” doesn’t just apply to women. It affects anyone taught to believe that vulnerability somehow disqualifies their strength. But true strength isn’t in the doing; it’s in the discerning. Knowing when to push, when to rest, when to ask, and when to let go.
There’s a difference between being excellent and being exhausted, and too often, we blur that line.
Grace Over Perfection
So, what if we stopped chasing perfection and started chasing balance instead? That doesn’t mean abandoning ambition or letting go of what we care about. I’m still a mom who loves her children fiercely. I still care deeply about my work and my community. But I also know that I can’t be everywhere at once.
I’ve missed a few soccer games. I’ve skipped a few perfectly curated dinners. But I’ve been there when it counted. I’ve been present where it mattered most. And my kids, my family, my team: they don’t need Superwoman. They need me: real, flawed, but committed.
The cape looks good in theory, but honestly, it’s never been that practical. We don’t need to wear it to prove our worth. There are better things to wear: ones that fit who we are, not who the world expects us to be.
So, let’s stop pretending we have to fly solo. Let’s ask for the help. Let’s take the rest. Let’s be proud of what we’ve built and give ourselves the grace to keep building, without burning out.
Because Superwoman might fly alone, but the woman behind the cape? She never did.
