Not every woman wants to Lean In. Maybe that's one reason why we are not all in positions of authority, have brandnames in our professional life, and have earned significant wealth.
NEW YORK Magazine presents a feature on the Leaning-Out housewife. That's an example of living in Slow Time on the home front. Here among those of us women who do have careers there are many versions of un-maxers.
In 2003, I took a vow to Lean Out, after I had lost my communicatons boutique, nest egg, and mind Download Geezerguts. Since then, my goal has been to make a living in a way which won't generate another professional, emotional, and spiritual breakdown. That is not mutually exclusive with ambition or attempting to increase what I can charge clients now that the economy is in recovery. Also, I have bad days when I compare myself to fellow Baby Boomer Hillary Clinton.
However, what I have learned since the ordeal of completely Leaning In has been that I am neurologically wired for Slow Time. I need to be able to day dream, sit on the couch with feline companion Jason and read the print copy of VANITY FAIR, make it my business to faithfully attend all meditation sessions at the New Haven Zen Center, and, to paraphrase Seinfeld, blog about nothing.
We who Lean Out have no issues with those who Lean In. We hope that, in turn, they have no issues with us.
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