In my work with hundreds of women over the past few years a theme has emerged: women’s desperate, unquenchable desire to step into their power, countered by the fear of what will happen if they do. The longing to express the riches inside them, wrestling with the deep terror of being burned by the judgement, hatred or rejection of strangers or loved ones if they do. This fear of being burned is an oddly female one. It is a fear which keeps us small and scared… but seemingly safe. From the outside this can seem like an overreaction. Both the need, and the fear. But women, it seems, have an innate knowing of what it means to burn… and be burned. They know the dangers in their bones. And it makes them wary. Lucy H. Pearce
About This Quote

Women may be scared of stepping into their power but that power can bring them great happiness. In this quote, Sandberg says that women have a deep understanding of the dangers in their bones. In order to protect themselves from these dangers, women have developed a protective mechanism which keeps them from being burned. However, the problem is that this mechanism prevents women from being happy and powerful.

Women are afraid to be burned by a man or a situation so they stay small and scared. This means that they never express the riches inside them because they know it will lead to their downfall. For women to step into their power, they have to be willing to be burned at times so they can grow and learn from the experience.

Source: Burning Woman

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  5. At her first bleeding a woman meets her power. During her bleeding years she practices it. At menopause she becomes it. Traditional Native American saying
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