Recently I was asked to write a short chapter leader bio for the Wildlife Women website. This task was out of my comfort zone, and made me feel little insecure. I found myself trying to define who I am in terms of an outdoors-woman. It made me think of all the other women I’ve met over the years. The ones that I look up to and admire. I found I was trying to compare myself to them. I kept struggling to embrace my own strengths and find my own confidence. Surely, I was chosen for this chapter leader position for a reason. I wasn’t fraud. I had to dig deep within myself to unveil the truth.
The truth was simple, I was born and raised to be a lover of the outdoors. I was swimming since I was 2 months old. I was fishing since I could hold a pole. I played in the woods my entire childhood. I’m still loving the outdoors. Just yesterday I took my son and our dog on a winter walk in the woods. Last summer I was running and jumping off the dock into a cold Northern Lake the same way I did as a child. The outdoors is my happy healing place. The place I feel completely comfortable and at peace.
I realized while writing my bio we can’t compare ourselves to each other. As women we need to lift one another up. We need to be patient and kind. We need to share our skills with one another. Only when we do that can we understand that someone else’s strengths are not our weaknesses, but are opportunities to grow. I am proud to be associated with Wildlife Women, and I am thankful I have found a group of women dedicated to encouraging, inspiring, and educating one another. Even though I may have been second-guessing myself I have concluded we are all special people that have unique strengths and diverse backgrounds, and that is a very beautiful thing. Heather LeBlanc
