traditional gender roles: malebox

Traditional gender roles are as outdated as last year’s calendar. Sure, men will always provide the seed, and women will always bear children, but beyond those natural facts, limitations simply don’t (or shouldn’t) exist.

Choose any profession, from prime minister and secretary of state to scientist and

professor. From CEO and entrepreneur to concert pianist and composer. From… to…. From… to…. Women can be dominating and abrasive; men can be sensitive and nurturing. And mothers can be breadwinners while stay-at-home fathers can take care of home and hearth. Read about one country’s current struggles and how corrosive it can be to remain bogged down in suffocating norms.

Yet men often find themselves boxed in by expected behaviors that serve neither themselves nor society with any relevance. Increasingly, macho behavior is as stale and difficult to digest as last week’s nachos. Regardless of gender, those failing to recognize this truism will remain rooted in patterns and behaviors as meandering as they are meaningless.

In a broader sense, let no one be confined—limited—by anything unproductive either personally or professionally. Preconceived notions are as germane to actual life as is junk mail, and as fulfilling as navigating through six tiers of electronic phone-number pressing in a vain attempt to talk with a live person at the phone company.

Embrace true collaboration and relish the results as the actions—and the accounts—advance.

give or take: the conventional root

You’ve decided. It’s perfect for you. It represents a direct way to self-fulfillment, and you have so much to offer. You’ve studied hard, worked hard. The way to make a real contribution has presented itself. What lies at the root of conventional responses, of a course of action widely followed by your competition? So then how to distinguish yourself?

Demonstrate your uncompromising commitment by word and action. Volunteer time, if not money, for a related nonprofit. Here’s how a grassroots social enterprise in New Orleans, for one, serves those on both sides of the so-called divide. Write personal cards to all involved, not just email acknowledgements. Research people, places and events. Become deeply informed. Find out all you can about its mission, its past achievements, its future goals. Be direct, allow your integrity to guide the process, and conduct yourself without fear or hesitance. Write an op-ed piece on a relevant topic. Submit an article to a trade publication. Offer to speak to a community group with common objectives.

Use the inevitable delays to further improve your skills. Openly show your resolve by committing to ongoing education. Learn or hone a second language to enhance your abilities and cultural appreciation. Read voraciously to broaden your perspectives. Take the repeated interviews in your stride. Begin an exercise regimen to sharpen your physical and mental focus. Learn to play a musical instrument or take art lessons to feed your creative side. Redouble your efforts at self-awareness.

Why let conventional obstacles dictate your actions or way of thinking? You’ve decided. Why give up or settle for something less than your abilities would suggest? You’ve studied hard, worked hard. With this kind of clarity in place, why not proceed eagerly rather than anxiously? It’s perfect for you. Apply this mindset to every other part of your life and watch the good fortune follow suit. Watch your relationships become meaningfully enhanced. Watch your community tangibly benefit.

Your dream job awaits.