POWER TO EMPOWER
Today we celebrate the woman in all her beauty, kindness, intelligence, courage, and strength. It's a lot to be grateful as a man, but that's just the beginning. History doesn't do justice to women's role in shaping this world and the way we see it. Women give birth, nurture, and educate the next generation. They may not have been seen on the podium to all the victories humankind achieved, but make no mistake, they started the race, they planted the seed, they successfully did what we all should do, which is to cultivate the future, to have faith in tomorrow, to persevere even if your voice is not heard and your presence is not seen. Making a difference is not all about being in the spotlight (although it's desirable), but setting the stage, creating the environment for great things to happen.
We live in a brave new world and who drives the change, runs the place. And for every woman out there, if you came so far, you're strong enough to fix what is broken and build back better. Your vision and creativity bring innovation and hope, your potential energy will fuel the next revolution in terms of equal rights and opportunities. And as a woman, the best investment for the future is to empower other women and girls, to give them confidence, a sense of self-worth, to help them grow stronger. Be a friend, a role model, a mentor, a leader, a hero for them. Show them what it means to be independent, to stand for themselves and their dreams, to debate, to fight, to keep going, to thrive. The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. (Roseanne Barr)
I hope you find true meaning, contentment, and passion in your life. I hope you navigate the difficult times and come out with greater strength and resolve. I hope you find whatever balance you seek with your eyes wide open. And I hope that you - yes, you - have the ambition to lean in to your career and run the world. Because the world needs you to change it.
(Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead)
The world is for the taking, but in order to win, you need to step up your game, to join the fray and build an army as you soldier on. Unlike a man, to reach for the top, a woman has to open more doors, to get more certifications, to overcome more biases, to make concessions. It's a power play and a cultural thing. But if you know your value, don't sit on the side, don't lower your voice, don't surrender your dreams, don't give up. The current moment requires a collective strength and action. Find women who think alike, build a stronghold and a strategy, create a movement and the moment will come. There is much to be done, both by women and men, in order to live in a world where value has no color, sex, or religion. Until then we have to strive to be better and bolder. Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition. (Timothy Leary)