March feels like it was made for women. A month where we are fully recognised for our contributions to the world, business and the family. 31 days where we can champion the power of women’s voices and drive positive change.
That’s because the whole month is designated as Women’s History Month. Then there’s International Women’s Day on Friday 8th, followed by Mothering Sunday on 10th.
Celebrations and empowerment
Each year, women are encouraged to:
- Celebrate their achievements, while reflecting on the successes of those who came before them
- Empower women to ensure a better world for our daughters, nieces, granddaughters etc.
It’s important that this month we come together to recognise and embrace the diverse experiences, talents, and perspectives of women. Plus, we should see it as a collaborative call to action to promote equality, dismantle stereotypes, challenge biases, and champion the inclusion of women. Barriers still exist (those pesky proverbial glass ceilings) and we need to get business leaders and organisations to play their part in clearing these obstructions for future generations. It’s also essential that business owners and employers continue their work to promote professional growth and facilitate strong working relationships for women.
Building resilience
Throughout life, we take on many different roles – wife, mother, carer, homemaker, educator, friend, employee, change maker – and this diverse range of skills can help us to prepare when unexpected things happen. I never thought I would ever have to draw on my inner strength so much, but on New Year’s Eve, I underwent life-saving surgery.
Not only did I have a long period of recovery afterwards – 6+ weeks that I hadn’t planned for, but it all happened during an important time of year when I should have been completely focused on my business. I had been ready in January to relaunch my business following an intense period of strategic planning.
But suddenly, there I was forced to change my priorities. My health came first obviously, so I did as I was told and got plenty of rest. However, whilst my body was healing my mind was still active. After two weeks of doing very little, I then had six weeks of working part-time to get things organised within the business.
Practice gratitude, embrace change
And now two months later, I am almost back to how I was physically, but find myself still playing catch up business-wise. I know that in time, everything will work out, maybe not exactly how I envisaged, but good things will happen, because I have done the hard work and believe passionately in the business that I have built.
Many people might have been phased by this period of rapid change where personal choice was completely removed and I was thrust into survival mode. But I remain philosophical about it all. First and foremost, I am so grateful to be here. Secondly, I am thankful to the paramedics, surgeons, and hospital staff at Northampton General Hospital for everything they did and finally, this experience has taught me not to take things for granted and instead to cherish every moment and live your best life every single day.
Dig deep for personal success
So my advice to you is when setbacks happen, dig deep. The solution is within you. After all don’t forget that “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and loved more than you know.” (AA Milne – Winnie the Pooh)
If you’re looking to make changes in your personal or business life, when it comes to HR, recruitment (dedicated services for both candidates and clients) and life planning, please email debby@total-spectrum.com
