A Smile for Marie Curie on Her Birthday

Happy birthday Maria Salomea Sk?odowska-Curie ?? Connecting today with your fearless heart, and your audacity to envision, hope and deliver a better world for all of us.?

I learned about Marie when I was very young, from my late aunt, who was a fierce woman supporter and a chemist. She died at 66, the same age Maria did. Both were silent yet fearless forces, who dedicated their lives to chemistry, their mission, and serving others, in spite of being often misunderstood and shut down by the world.

I recently visited beautiful Warsaw and discovered her monument. The monument is quite small and hard to find, tucked away just outside the walls of old town Warsaw, but it draws you in with its unexplainable power. It carries her strength, frequency, and aura. I was so drawn to it that I kept coming back every day, and each day I sat in front of it, and pondered. How did Marie manage to follow and live her magnificent purpose during such a turbulent time and in spite of all the obstacles she faced? Has there ever been a human as courageous as Madam Curie?

So I picked up the book, The Inner World of Marie Curie by Barbara Goldsmith, that gave me a glance into her visionary and fearless life, her radical courage, conviction, grit, and drive to bring something of huge value to this world while serving others.

Marie Salomea Sk?odowska Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering work on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win this prestigious award twice in two different fields.

Marie Curie was not afraid to take risks. Her forceful character led her to a level of independence unusual for her time. As a young woman, she wanted to study science, but Polish universities did not allow female students. She saved up money by tutoring and moved to Paris. She enrolled in science classes at La Sorbonne. In France during this period, gifted women were scorned and looked down upon, but her relentless resolve and insatiable curiosity guided her forward.

Curie was nearly fearless in her drive to discover. She believed scientific research was a public good and championed its utility. Indefatigable despite a career of physically demanding and ultimately fatal work, she discovered polonium and radium, championed the use of radiation in medicine, and fundamentally changed our understanding of radioactivity. She died in 1934 of aplastic anemia likely caused by exposure to radiation.

Marie Curie broke ground for women in science. She is well known for her chemistry achievements, but less so for lifting and helping other women succeed in science. Here is a glimpse into the untold story of Marie Curie’s network of female scientists: https://shorturl.at/nibyZ Her legacy and persistence will continue to inspire us and women in science around the world.

“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy. Dire circumstance is like water under a bridge. Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”

I read somewhere that Marie Curie's belongings will be radioactive for another 1,500 years.I would take away the word “belongings” and simply say - Marie Curie's will be radioactive for another 1,500 years and beyond.

Standing next to her monument, you can feel her conviction, courage, and tenacious spirit. How she approached her life and mission, and her leadership is, in my mind, her greatest legacy.

As I feel shaken right now in this turbulent time in history, reflecting on Madam Curie's gives me a renewed sense of courage and hope. Her example gives me direction and a light on the horizon to navigate by.?

Right now, one thing is clear: the work we’re doing together has never been more urgent. Nor has there ever been a better time to commit to the audacity of hope.

Hope requires boldness against those who say we can’t work together to build a shared future.

Hope requires ignoring the conventional wisdom of a culture that tells us we can’t be hopeful.

Hope requires resolve, conviction and resilience.

What better time than now for us to set our intentions to build a better and more just world, and like Curie, to lift others as we climb?