Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” – Helen Keller
It is easy to light a candle but how can one light the fire itself. Nobody can. One cannot light a fire, rather the fire doesn’t require light as it creates light itself and all it needs are oxygen to breathe, fuel to live and space for the flame to exhale. It doesn’t require appreciation; it grows on its own and burns all the evil or obstacles that come on its way. Still, it has fears, and it faces trouble and ambition to move forward. People light a candle to get a vision in the dark and not to keep it in a closed container or hide it somewhere, where it cannot be seen or of no use. A girl is like a fire, a burning fire, which needs only air to breathe, food to eat, and little space to grow.
There was a time, when as soon as a girl was born into a family, they were taught to be grown up for only two reasons, to become a mother and to take care of their families. They were mostly behind curtains, used as an object of sensuality and was deprived of most facilities like education and freedom. Gone are those days when women were considered to be nothing more than a vessel to carry and a machine to give birth to children. Things are changing now. How long can one keep a burning fire behind the closed doors? Not for long apparently. One day, it will burn everything and break all the barriers. Similarly, women are going against all the odds, breaking through all the challenges and overcoming all the hurdles on their path to success.
From traveling to space to climbing Mt. Everest to winning Nobel, women are excelling in every field they are stepping into. They have crossed all those barbed wires and now they are no longer waiting for men to show them sympathy; rather, they are expecting nothing but the respect that one human being deserves from another. They are giving their best efforts to make a mark on the wall. But it’s no harm in appreciating a woman.
Reports apparently say that women form near about 52 percent of professional jobs even though they are substantially underrepresented in leadership roles. Women represent about 14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top earning members and a mere 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. Experts suggested that if this goes on, then it is difficult for women to achieve leadership parity even by 2085. Intellectuals all over the world clearly mentioned that it’s not the barriers that are stopping them to succeed. It is their belief, their mindset, and thoughts that are blocking them to move ahead.
What Stands Between a Woman and her Success?
A study among various women revealed some interesting points which are stopping them from taking risks. Some wise men said that it is hard to achieve something if there is no risk involved and every risk is worth, even if one doesn’t succeed, he/she gets to learn. It is presumed that most young women often fear that any mistake in their professional life can cost them to lose the job, reputation, goodwill and success too. Some even believe that taking risk is equivalent to spilling water on a ready-made plan.
The society is still believed to be a patriarchal one and even though women are successfully beating men in every field including wrestling and boxing, they fear men can do better than them. They still believe that men can be stronger leaders with better ideas than women. It is a vague concept that women are less equipped to achieve success than men. It can be termed as nothing but an inferiority complex.
Family and family matters are of great concern to professional women. They are always filled with the thoughts that what will their families say, what their friends think and what will their loved ones will do. Some even fear that if they decide to start a family or start one, which can create a negative impact on their work. They think that their employer might count them as vulnerable, unmotivated or inefficient after they start having a family.
“Power’s not given to you, You have to take it.” – Beyoncé Knowles Carter
How Can Women Overcome their Problems?
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement,” said Golda Meir.
Nobody else can help a woman to overcome those boundaries that they have created themselves, neither man nor another woman. It is them who themselves can break through that. The most important thing that a woman can do to rule over those problems is stop nagging about the problem and start thinking about the problem and then find a solution. Firstly, the thinking should be changed. As said by the genius Albert Einstein, “No problem can be solved with the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Women must become themselves, believe in themselves, trust their instincts and start embracing their mistakes. Instead of searching for a perfect time and a perfect environment, women should start creating one for themselves which will be healthy for their career progress too. They should even stop waiting for a man to get appreciation, instead women should start appreciating one-another’s work, encourage mentorship and bring in more collaboration. Everybody needs a break and they should also consider taking off pressure sometimes.
“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves,” asserts Barbara Corcoran.