Fear. We face it every day. The fear of not being smart enough, talented enough, good enough. The fear of saying the wrong thing, of saying too much, of not saying enough. The fear of asking too much or too little, or not asking at all. That fear that everyone around you is looking at you and laughing at your hopes, dreams, and goals. The fear about whether or not they even like you.

That’s the fear we face. It eats at us with that stomach-churning, heart-pounding, mind-racing feeling of being in over your head and not knowing how to escape.

Leaning in is accepting that you are afraid and doing your best to fight through it, knowing you aren’t the only one. Leaning in is that moment when you decide to take an opportunity or do something that feels out of your comfort zone: Taking on a stretch assignment, reaching out to someone you admire and want to work for, or applying for a job you think you are under-qualified for. “Lean In” is the term Sheryl coined for those moments, both big and small, that we face every day. And that is precisely why Levo has joined the Lean In launch team.

Levo was founded on the principles that we want women to come together with the shared goal of elevating one another in our careers and inspiring all of us to take action in getting to where we want to go. Lean In is precisely that action. What drew us to the Lean In Foundation is that it’s centered on what you can do, not what you can’t do. Sheryl gives a lot of amazing tokens of advice and inspiration, but a favorite of ours is this:

“Don’t let your fears overwhelm your desire. Let the barriers you face—and there will be barriers—be external, not internal.”

Lean In offers research and modules from Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research and McKinsey’s Centered Leadership, among others. There are Lean In stories from women like you and me, and then women we all want to meet and learn from like Oprah and Alicia Keys. And then there are the Lean In Circles—small groups that give you the space to learn from one another’s  experiences, and discuss what might be holding you back and how you can take action to break through your barriers.

Caroline and I have both shared our Lean In stories on LeanIn.org, and have both been a part of separate Lean In circles. We hope that you’ll also take part in all of this. You can submit your story here, and over the next month our LocalLEVOs will help you set up your own Lean In Circles and events to experience the modules together.

And don’t forget to get the book that is catalyzing this all! Get your copy of Shery’s new book, Lean In, and send your receipt to leanin@levoleague.com for the opportunity to be included in a special event with Sheryl!