The children of my generation grew up hopeful. Even if our goals and aspirations were not on the level of superstardom (although superstardom was considered an achievable destiny), we lived in a world where we were always told that if we wanted it enough, we could make it.

Like Ann-Marie, I made sacrifices when I went to Washington, leaving behind a husband and house in Seattle for an amazing set of public service opportunities. Her willingness to share her struggles and bare her family's story makes the conversation about women having it all palpable.

Would a man's choice to embrace his traditional breadwinning role with gusto be marked as an end to progress, or to opt out of parenthood as a harbinger of the downfall of society as we know it?

Why do women quit fighting for higher positions or quit their jobs altogether, moving on to something else?

We are not our roles. And we are not our resumes. And if that leaves you wondering what's left, well, you're certainly not alone.

The misguided assumption that women are less ambitious than men puts companies at risk of underutilizing talented women and overlooking -- or outright dismissing them -- for key roles.

I discovered something that did surprise me -- women's waning career ambitions are not a result of the conflicting demands of work and family life. So what do women want more than money?

I meet many brilliant young women who have no interest in achieving leadership in business or public life because it just seems so hellish.

Can a woman be ambitious -- in charge, driven, goal-oriented, confident, passionate -- without being labeled a bitch? In theory: Of course! In practice: Probably not any time soon.