Finding Me – Part 2

Remember my story about winning the scholarship from Monash Business School for a leadership course. Read part 1 here [ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02MTNvX6o4bA52SMMN4642D7FYGXyA2byKMBX8MGPervRYsTq4EwhPDcbgJQKcA5oql&id=100050486024249&mibextid=qC1gEa ]

Here is the next part of the story.

It was the first time I left my little one overnight. She was 3 years old by then. Not only that, but it was also the first time I am getting into a plane all by myself after 8 years. 8 years ago, overseas travel was part of my work life. Things have changed drastically with migration, marriage, and childbirth.

I have to say I was feeling very nervous, yet excited. The journey to find me again was about to start.?

Despite catching the first flight to Melbourne, I was late to arrive at the classroom. I didn′t want to travel the day before. I was trying to minimize the nights away from the baby.

I entered a room full of women. Women in all sizes, shapes, and colours. Our first exercise was speed dating. We had to tell our life story to another woman within a given time duration. As I remember we started at 5 min. Then we moved to the next person and the hour time got reduced to 4 min. We moved through all participants over time.?

By the end of this exercise, I was amazed. I call it, ′The day I broke my IT bubble”. Up until this date I lived in a very safe bubble, which I now call the “IT bubble”. But on this day, I saw a bigger world, A world full of courageous, fierce women who are doing many wonderful things. Women doing not-for-profit work to help other women. Women Entrepreneurs, Women in many STEM careers, Women doing their Ph.D. and have completed their Ph.D. Doctors, IT Women, Women in Academics, Engineers, and Entrepreneurs.?I have to accept I felt very uncomfortable the first few hours, I kept on saying to myself, “How come I am here? I don′t think I belong here.”

When talking to them, I realised how similar we are despite all our differences. The challenges I face as a woman, a mother, migrant trying to balance it all while pursuing my own dreams, are common challenges to all of us women who choose the same path. I realised, I don′t have to kill my desires and dreams to become a good mom and a wife. It was a breakthrough for me. I felt as if I unloaded a heavy weight from my shoulders. My new life or rather my old life restarted on that day.

I encourage you to ask yourself, ′Am I in my comfort bubble? ′ Get out and look around, you may be amazed at how much potential you have and how much you′ll grow when you are out of your comfort zone.