Years come and go, and still the glass ceiling persists in our modern, technologically-advanced and social media-driven society. Enter stage right, a new player, Glass Closet, provocatively coined as the title of former CEO of BP John Browne's new book, and now we have another high-heeled attack on the corporate echelon, only this time it's full frontal assault of the gay kind.
Ironically, even though I have yet to peruse Mr. Browne's prose, I can't help but feel drawn to scream, "When the hell are we going to realize that every human is encased in glass?" GASP. Am I just a raving, bitchy gay man who's on the hunt to provoke the uninformed, riling them into a frenzy of heated debate? Of course not.
In all honesty, I'm on a mission for humanity to embrace, "we're all on the same playing field, we just don't realize it yet!" Yep -- gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, queer and all the new alphabet letters that define sexual orientation -- we are one!
However, what truly grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard, it that it takes people like John Browne, Michael Sam, Ellen DeGeneres and a myriad of other public figures who are breaking through the glass ceilings of corporations, Hollywood or the sports world to wake up humanity to the fact that diversity rocks, and that raging party isn't stopping until every person on this planet can be exactly who they are, in themselves, in their own skin, without worrying about being who they are, day in and day out! That's a long sentence that probably has grammar teachers ready to slap me with their rulers. To that I say, "Do not mess with a gay man who has a message to share. Back off, I'm sharing it, and no one will get hurt!"
My curiosity is peaked. If the glass ceiling and the glass closet that held John Browne captive for so many years still exist, then there's about to be a revolution. People from all walks of life are taking a stance, preparing to throw stones at their glass houses, closets and ceilings. Each member of this uprising is crying, "I'm done! Done playing by everyone else's rules. I'm throwing the stone, ready to face the consequences of breaking glass because I'm ready to be me. If you can't handle the truth than, bye, bye, and bye, bye!"
The excursions I've been taking with clients as a life strategist (aka life coach) continues to substantiate we're all living in glass closets in same way, shape and form in our lives. Fearful of rocking the boat in your relationship? Welcome to the glass closet of romance. Fearful of breaking the glass in the work environment, telling it like it is? Welcome to the glass ceiling that isn't just covering the "C-level" execs. Fearful or shattering the glass around differences of who's responsible for being the primary breadwinner? Hello! Take a stand on the glass floor of "How do we manage who works and who doesn't in your relationship?" Trembling before the metal god to see if any poundage has slipped off your frame? Yep. There's even a glass closet of health and wellness to break through.
Ironic isn't it? Whether it's glass ceilings, glass closets or some other "breaking through" conflict, truth is we all have glass expectations to shatter. I know it's kind of scary to think of shoving your life through shattered glass. I speak from experience having shoved my elbow through a glass door chasing my brother around the house. Trust me. You don't have to go to that extreme to break through the glass ceilings, closets and cubicles of life.
Scary as it might seem to break the Windex shine on the windows of our lives, often, that breakage is the exact medicine we need to catapult our lives into a new realm of inner peace, happiness and self-awareness in order to achieve the ultimate "AL" -- Authentic Life!
What's even crazier, most humans fear being authentic, yet, we'll spend thousands of dollars striving for fun, joy and happiness on in-the-moment solutions, when breaking through our own glass can solve so many of our problems when we embrace, "I'm surrounded by glass. I have a rock. And I'm lovingly throwing it to set myself free.
No need to assume you need sledgehammers, rocks, or bricks, to break through the glass ceilings, closets, and cubicles of our lives. The key is realizing cuts and scrapes are all part of breaking through the glass. However, if living in glass houses, closets, and cubicles isn't leading to a fulfilled life, then what's the point. Might as well take up residence in a fish bowl and swim aimlessly around in circles all day. Wouldn't that be fun?
However, while Mr. Browne's book, Glass Closets may be good for business, how might coming out and breaking through any glass ceiling, closet, cubicle, life be good for the human race? Just wondering!