Defying Gravity: Lessons from Wicked for Women Who Dare to Lead
I’ve been thinking a lot about the limits we place on ourselves. The many ways we convince ourselves that we need to fit into a “box” to please others.
Or that we can only jump “so high” because to jump higher is just crazy! So we try to fit into the square peg even though we’re round! And it never feels right or true or aligned but we keep on squishing ourselves to fit into that peg, or to jump only so high.
I know for many years that’s exactly what I did. Without realizing it. I had placed limits on what I could do professionally and how I should do it.
But what’s interesting is that my professional journey is definitely NOT conventional. I had the privilege of working from home back in the early 2000’s when I’d moved from NY to MD. I’d even had a flexible schedule for a while. These were definitely NOT the norm back in those days. But somehow, those opportunities had become available to me.
But pondering these things got me thinking about the glass ceilings we face as women as executives or even entrepreneurs.
That glass ceiling—that invisible barrier stopping women from rising higher—is something we’ve all felt at one point or another. Maybe it was in a workplace where your expertise was underestimated. Or in a society that subtly (or not-so-subtly) conditioned you to play small, stay quiet, or not “rock the boat,” because you can’t “be too big for your britches.”
But here’s the real question:
Are these ceilings real? Or are some of them illusions we’ve been taught to believe in?
Unfortunately, some ceilings, like the various glass or concrete ceilings so many women face professionally are very real:
Workplace inequities
Lack of access to opportunities
Gender bias
The pay gaps…
But many of the ceilings we think hold us down are built from the stories we’ve been conditioned to believe. Stories like:
“Don’t stand out, fit in.”
“What if you fail?”
“You’re not qualified to….”
“Who are you to think you can do that?”
These ceilings exist in our minds, reinforced by years of unconscious programming. And the worst part? When we believe in them, we make them real and they become our reality.
But here’s a truth: Whether the ceiling is tangible or an illusion, the only way out is through and up.
When you defy gravity, you don’t just break the glass ceiling—you break the mental ceilings too. You stop asking, “Am I allowed to rise this high?” and start declaring, “This is where I belong!” or “This is my divine assignment and I’m here for it!”
You shatter every limit placed on you:
✅ The limit that says women can’t lead by their standards and norms.
✅ The limit that says success comes at the expense of balance or joy.
✅ The limit that says your bold vision is too much.
When we choose to rise, to defy expectations, we reveal something incredible: We were never truly bound!
This is why I loved the ending of the Wicked movie. Elphaba literally broke glass everywhere in the Wizard’s “palace”, climaxing with shattering the glass when she escaped being caught flying out on her broomstick! She was done! She was finally ready to claim her true power even if it meant doing things her way.
Even the strongest glass ceiling can’t hold us down when we tap into our full brilliance. And the mental ceilings? They crumble, the moment we decide they’re not real.
Because we are limitless!
When we stop internalizing the “rules” society hands us and start rewriting the narrative, we become invincible.
I want to challenge you today, to ask yourself;
What ceilings have I been staring at?
Are they real, or are they stories I’ve believed for too long?
What would it look like to rise anyway?
You were never meant to stay down, to plateau, to be limited in your abilities.
You were meant to rise, to lead, and to soar beyond the limits you thought existed.
Because, as the Wicked song Defying Gravity says, “Everyone deserves the chance to fly.”
So, go ahead. Take up space. Play bigger. Shine your light. Push past every barrier, real or imagined. And show the world what happens when women like us defy gravity.
You are limitless.
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Natalie Jobity, known as "The Brilliance Unveiler," is a certified coach, bestselling author, Leadership Elevation Strategist, Personal Brand Architect, sought-after speaker, and women’s summit creator with over 15 years of experience empowering women to own their brilliance and lead audaciously. As the founder of The Unveiled Way, she helps visionary leaders break through barriers to step into their power and make their highest contribution in their sphere of influence. Natalie’s latest book, It’s Your Time to Shine, Girl, and her She Shines affirmation card deck equip women with tools to thrive as influential, purposeful leaders. Her work inspires visionary women to step outside their comfort zone, and harness the power of their feminine attributes like intuition and empathy so they can transform lives, organizations, and communities they’re destined to serve. Visit her website at https://www.theunveiledway.com/.