What would you do if you weren't afraid?

International Women's Day. What better way to draw attention to that, then by highlighting Sheryl Sandberg's TED talk from 2010? A talk that turned out to be a prelude to the book Lean In that later on became a best seller.

She shares three messages to women who want to stay in the work force:

• Sit at the table
• Make your partner a real partner
• Don't leave before you leave

I find what she has said about this talk even more interesting than the talk itself. She was afraid to give it. She was afraid to talk about being a woman in the business world. I understand what she means. Do you?

"I grew up in the business world, as I think so many of us did. You never talk about being a woman, because someone might notice that you´re a woman.[...] Or worse, if you say "woman", people on the other end of the table think you´re asking for special treatment, or complaining. "

Since she felt uncomfortable about giving the talk, what made her do it in the end? She asked herself a question I think we can all ask ourselves a little now and then:

"What would I do, if I wasn't afraid?"

For Sheryl, the answer was: Give the talk.

What will the answer be for you? 

What would you do, if you weren't afraid?