You are Not Alone

EVERY WEEK, I see more and more young women who live way beneath their potential . . . women who indulge in lifestyles that are crippling to their future . . . women who suffer in silence when life deals them a rotten blow . . . women who struggle to find meaning and purpose in their lives… women who unconsciously sabotage their lives and career.{{more}}

Which has prompted me, over the next few weeks, to write a series of articles on what it means to be a woman and how to avoid engaging in self sabotaging behavior.. These articles will present my views and the views of women I’ve interviewed sharing their problems, their solutions-their experiences. They will provide us with a way of sharing what we’ve learned.

Before you pass judgment on these views or conjure up notions about my life and the women I’ve interviewed, let me be the first to say that no one’s life is perfect-not even mine. In fact, all of the topics I will discuss are episodes many women have experienced but remain silent about their ordeals. Unless woman share these experiences with younger women, those younger women are doomed to repeating the mistakes of their mothers and grandmothers instead of learning from them and going farther in life.

Part of a saying goes, “. . . when you educate a women, you educate a nation.” Our hope is that these articles will kick off discussions between older woman and younger women so that our nation of young women does not feel so isolated when going through the problems they face daily and break the cycle of destructive behavior. The funny thing is, their problems are not new, but people are ashamed, embarrassed to say they have issues-they fear the revelations will look bad on their families. They are afraid of the “neighborhood gossip” that would follow, so they all put up the perfect front. In our shame and silence, we doom another generation of young women to a mediocre existence. And this time, the influence of the local, regional, and international media, coupled with the breakdown of families, is contributing to the demise of how our young women view themselves.

No this is not asking you to broadcast your “business” to the world, but it is a call to help a young woman realize that life is not perfect and to help her realize her true potential. It’s a call for women to wake up and realize that many of the problems we have we unknowingly create ourselves because we are unaware.

In some of the personal and professional development seminars I have conducted for young women, I’ve discussed everything from self esteem and goal setting to resume writing and navigating office politics. What I’ve found is that many young women are unable to excel professionally because their personal lives are in turmoil; that they are not equipped with the information to get motivated; that their ability to dream is a muscle they do not use or know how to use.

Too many young women do not know what it means to be a woman. There is more to being a woman than looking pretty! We will discuss how a woman can begin to dream a bigger and brighter future for herself, how she can deal with issues such as becoming more financially savvy, how to stay spiritually grounded, and how to deal with the pain if being violated. We will emphasize the importance of nurturing the bond between themselves and their mothers, and yes, we will talk about men. I mean, let’s get real: men are handsome creatures and they’re great to be with (under the right circumstances). And, no matter who you are, every woman wants to feel attractive and desirable and to know she has the ability to turn a man’s head. But there is a difference between wanting to turn a man’s head every so often and designing your life around the need to feel attractive.

Young women need to invest their time and effort into getting to know who they are and who they can become. And, we, the older women shouldn’t get upset with our young women because they mimic what they see. Throughout this series, the challenge will be for the older women to help younger women to realize they are not alone in their struggles to find themselves and to make the right decisions. My hope is that in the process, maybe some older women might realize the need to redefine themselves, as well.

Your feedback is welcomed; e-mail your ideas to Karen@WorkplaceSuccess.com.
Karen Hinds, President/CEO Workplace Success Group Toll Free; 877-902-2275/ Tel: 1-203-757-4103
Karen@Workplacesuccess.com
www.Workplacesuccess.com