Sunday marked two years since the passing of the legendary Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Truthfully, I was a little late to the party when it came to RBG worship. I admired her and viewed her as the feminist icon for my generation of women. But my perception of her was superficial. That is until two years ago.
The fall of 2020 is when I started questioning my identity, my choices, and my path forward. At the same time, my firm and I also put together a podcast dedicated to Justice Ginsburg. Because I only had a cursory understanding of Justice Ginsburg and her legal legacy, I tasked myself with getting up to speed on all things RBG and doing it quickly. By doing so, I discovered that Justice Ginsburg’s legacy was as much about being a great human as it was about the law. She inspired me to be my best self at a time when I was uncertain about almost everything.
I have spent my life believing that you can only be one way: you are either all in or all out. There is no in-between. I fall into the “all in” category. For me, that always meant taking dedication to an extreme. Think scorched earth!
In first grade, I would not just do my regular homework. I would do extra so that I was working harder than every other 6-year-old. (Sadly, I am not joking!). When I was in high school, I would not just try to improve as a long-distance runner by working harder at team practices. I would layer practices with an extra 15-20 miles per day until I could outrun everyone else. As a young adult (and sometimes as an old one!), I would never just agree to disagree with others or even accept a concession. Instead, I had to prove why I was right repeatedly.
There is nothing wrong with being determined, persistent, tenacious, and having grit. These qualities have often served me well. So well that sometimes my brother jokes that I am capable of willing anything into existence with the sheer force of my determination.
Here at the midpoint, I now appreciate that my way of channeling these qualities sometimes did more harm than good. While I certainly had success with my approach, I suspect I would have been more successful with a lighter touch at times. I also suspect that not every situation I tackled required the level of intensity that I gave it. Some issues likely did not require my attention or energy at all. Making everything into a something is exhausting and leaves little time for joy and appreciation.
What does any of this do with RBG and her legacy? As I have studied Justice Ginsburg’s writing and biographies about her, I see that she was able to take her determination, persistence, tenacity, and grit and channel those qualities in a way that gave her superpowers. Superpowers that she focused on the greater good.
Justice Ginsburg never had to obliterate her opponent. She never had to use her determination as a steam roller. Almost every significant success in her life was because she could focus her determination. She was deliberate and strategic. When she encountered an obstacle, she did not insist on blasting through it. Sometimes she went around the obstacle.
For example, in 2007, Justice Ginsburg dissented in an equal pay case, Ledbetter v. Goodyear. This seeming defeat became a victory two years later when Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. This law overturned the Court’s original ruling and endorsed Justice Ginsburg’s dissent. She had a special gift for adapting to her circumstances in a way that channeled her determination to achieve success. Where there is a will, there is a way.
As I write today, I admire RBG more than ever. Not because she was a feminist but because she knew how to channel her superpowers strategically. Her ability to achieve the desired results – without using a steamroller – is something I hope to emulate one day.
Justice Ginsburg’s passing has left a void for many (including me). But I am not discouraged. Instead, I am more determined than ever.
My view of the world is not one that is RuthLESS. My view is RuthFULL. I do not dwell on whether things would be different if she had lived longer. Instead, I use her example to propel me forward. RBG’s life and accomplishments assure me that I can accomplish anything I want with focused grit, determination, perseverance, and a strategic plan for tackling obstacles. To me, that is her true legacy.
