Women's Day: The Written Inspiration

“As long as I have life, as long as blood flows through this arm of mine, I shall not leave the cause of freedom…I am only a woman, only a poet. But as a woman, I give to you the weapons of faith and courage and the shield of fortitude. And as a poet, I fling out the banner of song and sound, the bugle call to battle…” Sarojini Naidu

I am surrounded by women, who continue to charter unknown territories and spectacularly shatter barriers. ?Women who effortlessly find a deep conviction to progress and claim their spot under the beautiful skies. Unafraid of persistent stereotypes and barriers, they navigate with remarkable deftness and grace.

I asked some of these fabulous women, to share with you their sources of written inspiration – here are their book recommendations. If you are a woman professional, soak in the magic and advice of these timeless books.

1. Sukanya Patwardhan : I first met Sukanya at a course she was teaching and she navigated a belligerent topic with so much grace and wisdom. Sukanya embodies eternal learning and I wasn’t surprised when she headed off to the University of Cambridge for an intensive course. Sukanya recommends The complete works of Swami Vivekananda, Dyaneshwari, Dasbodh, Eknath Bhagwat and Rajnish Osho's work.

2. Dr. Pooja Sharma – I met Pooja on the same course that Sukanya taught and we were backbenchers, kindred spirits who just clicked. She navigates the complex business world with such finesse, and has had a spectacular career, she recently completed her Doctoral. Pooja recommends "Equal, Yet Different: Career Catalysts for the Professional Woman" by Anita Bhogle. Pooja finds it very relevant for Indian women professionals and recommends it to young women professionals whom she mentors.

3. Kavita Nair – If you know Kavita, you know the look! We met on a course as well, later became colleagues, and have an uncanny ability to contact each other when the other needs a sounding board. Kavita is one of the best in her field and is known as the ‘turnaround’ professional. Kavita recommends: "Attitude is Everything" by Jeff Keller and ?"Be your own sunshine" by James Allen. Both books talk about one thing - how one can tame their mind and unlock infinite possibilities. It is a reminder that the body is the servant of the mind so we start with our mind and the rest all falls into place

4. Harshada D. : If there is someone who wades into the deep dark waters – it has to be her. She has shifted industries, countries, and roles, only to effortlessly navigate cultural and professional dynamics and grow!. My go-to person, we first met in college. Harshi recommends the "Palace of Illusions: by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni because what she’s learned from it is to have a voice and presence.?Whether you are deemed right or wrong by history at least when you use both you can shape your world and workplace to live and participate fully.

5. Charu Raizada – I first met Charu at work, she is brimming with passion, and ideas and is a rare leader who ensures that initiative, drive, and impact all neatly tie in together to elevate the game, she pushes you to do better and challenges existing biases. She effortlessly lands and creates an impact in different industries and genres of work. Charu recommends "The Alchemist" by Paul Coelho and she believes that The Alchemist made her realize how much control of our lives we leave in the hands of other things and other people, without realizing it's all in our heads. Each of us needs to break those self-imposed barriers.”

Lastly, one book which permanently shifted something for me is "Never Split the Difference" by @Chris Voss with Tahl Raz; in this book, a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations―whether in the boardroom or at home.

I look forward to a day where we don’t celebrate ‘Women’s Day’ as every day everywhere will be ours, until then as the world, communities, and workplaces continue to evolve, you as a woman need to keep learning, unlearning, and find your tribe of courageous women.

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