Working Women - Be the Kind of Woman...

Don't worry about the haters...Dr. Steve Maraboli

I love this one so much, I had to repost it!  Hope you enjoy! :)

Amy Glass Should Take a Walk on the Other Side

In her article “I Look Down on Young Women With Husbands and Kids and I’m Not Sorry” Amy Glass questions motherhood and career women and whether these roles are equivalent.  In her article she asks “Do people really think that a stay at home mom is really on equal footing with a woman who works and takes care of herself?”  Her response is “these two things are never the same.”

Before my days as a “stay-at-home mom” when I was young and carefree and focused only on me and my schoolwork and my career, I thought much like Amy Glass.  After jumping into my luxury vehicle, I would fly off to the nearest coffee shop on my way to class, after dropping my oldest off to Pre-K, and would scoff at the stay-at-home moms with their perfect clothes, hair, teeth, and trendy strollers.  These ladies always appeared so stressed out and I couldn’t (for the life of me) understand why.  After all, they only had to roll out of bed, put on make-up, look pretty and sip coffee while their children attend circle time or whatever the latest fad was for young children.  At least that is what I thought. 

What I didn’t know was that life would happen and I would be in the same shoes as these very women I turned my nose at and would quickly learn that being a “stay-at-home-mom” (a term I still loath because of the negativity associated with it) was no “walk in the park.”  I did not roll out of bed, put on make-up, look pretty and sip coffee while my daughter’s attended circle time or whatever the latest fad was for girls their age.  I struggled out of bed, made meals, play dates, activities, and birthday parties while struggling and worrying about losing my identity and my future as a career woman.  There were many sleepless nights where I would lay in bed constantly worrying about whether I would ever be the “old” Kelli again. 

Now, that I have returned to work and have been on both sides of the fence, I remember to smile at these women and am grateful to my own mom who gave up plenty to care for me and my siblings - Thanks mom!  While I think Tucker Carlson calling Glass “another boring entitled rich girl who’s frustrated with the emptiness of her life” is extreme (I can’t speak for her personal life), I do think her article screams ignorance and inexperience.  

I am truly a believer in  our 1^st amendment and having the right to speak freely,  but I think before Amy Glass can discuss the equality of the roles women play -  she should first take a walk on the other side of the fence and experience what it is like to wear a different hat as a woman.  Because she might be surprised at what she finds out.  At least I was.

Stop Complaining! Maya Angelou

5 steps to establish genuine confidence - Susan Piver

Excellent self-help article by Susan Piver.  Hope you enjoy!

5 steps to establish genuine confidence

New Year - New YOU!

New Year – New You!

The start of a new year is always exciting– it allows you to start over and reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and failures and look for ways to improve your life.   It is the time to tackle old challenges and start anew.

A lot of our resolutions on our to-do list focus on accomplishing all the FAILED tasks we BELIEVE should have been accomplished in the previous year.  These goals are great because they keep us motivated and working towards self-improvement in the New Year, but leave little time to really care for ourselves and just enjoy life.   

I am definitely guilty of creating exhausting, daunting “to-do” list of things I am convinced I “SHOULD HAVE” achieved in the previous year- cook more and eat out less, improve my finances, have more positive experiences and relationships, travel to new places,  try new activities, eat healthy and maintain physical activity, improve my career, go to grad school, etc.  You get the point.  

Yes, these are things I look to accomplish in 2014, but what about just enjoying life?  This year, my #1 resolution is going to be focusing on self-care and just enjoying life to its fullest.   Because when you are enjoying life and happy, then all those tasks on your “to-do” list appear less taxing and challenging. 

I hope everyone remembers to include self-care and enjoy life in their New Year’s resolutions and best wishes to a FANTASTIC and FULFILLING 2014!!

Working Women - Thoughts for 2013