Friday, August 11, 2006
A Successful Woman
Whenever you hear someone being praised as a successful woman, what image do you have of her in your mind's eyes? Perhaps someone like:-
A) A superwoman in power suit and all, who holds multiple degrees from Ivy League universities, has a cushy job high up in the corporate stratosphere earning mega bucks, travels first-class all over the world, a mover and shaker in her particular industry and perennially on the headhunters' list.
B) An eagle-eyed chief/matriach of the family conglomerate who runs and controls the entire profit-churning business empire with such precision that it actually make the men in the family looked bad.
C) A highly regarded social worker who works tirelessly with the less fortunate bringing hope where despair usually reigns, who is never motivated by monetary rewards but just by a heartwarming smile from her charges.
D) A homemaker with her young brood of 5 staying together with all the possibly anal-retentive in-laws in the same house and running a seemingly happy home like clockwork with nary a complain.
E) A woman who has found her match made-in-heaven, resigned from her mundane job and then got married.
All of them are successful women to me.
Then does it mean that those on the other side of the coin are less successful or worse, are failures?
To my simple mind, every one is a success in her own right. Not having a string of qualifications does not mean you are a failure. Not making millions does not make you a failure. Not holding a full-time paid employment is not failure. And neither is chosing to remain single considered a failure.
Why am I ranting? It is because I cannot stand the oft-heard remarks, something to the tune of, "I think this so-and-so is a very successful woman and we must be like her."
What nonsense is this? Why must we be like her? Is this suppose to tell us that we are failures just because we are not like her? Awwww.....!
A) A superwoman in power suit and all, who holds multiple degrees from Ivy League universities, has a cushy job high up in the corporate stratosphere earning mega bucks, travels first-class all over the world, a mover and shaker in her particular industry and perennially on the headhunters' list.
B) An eagle-eyed chief/matriach of the family conglomerate who runs and controls the entire profit-churning business empire with such precision that it actually make the men in the family looked bad.
C) A highly regarded social worker who works tirelessly with the less fortunate bringing hope where despair usually reigns, who is never motivated by monetary rewards but just by a heartwarming smile from her charges.
D) A homemaker with her young brood of 5 staying together with all the possibly anal-retentive in-laws in the same house and running a seemingly happy home like clockwork with nary a complain.
E) A woman who has found her match made-in-heaven, resigned from her mundane job and then got married.
All of them are successful women to me.
Then does it mean that those on the other side of the coin are less successful or worse, are failures?
To my simple mind, every one is a success in her own right. Not having a string of qualifications does not mean you are a failure. Not making millions does not make you a failure. Not holding a full-time paid employment is not failure. And neither is chosing to remain single considered a failure.
Why am I ranting? It is because I cannot stand the oft-heard remarks, something to the tune of, "I think this so-and-so is a very successful woman and we must be like her."
What nonsense is this? Why must we be like her? Is this suppose to tell us that we are failures just because we are not like her? Awwww.....!
posted by nyonyapenang at 9:27 PM, | 
16 Comments:
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yup, all successful women! :) I think it depends on each individuality on which they think is more successful. Nothing wrong for someone to say A is more successful or B, or C, or D, or E. Each to their own.. :) Don't listen to others.. I am with u!
Success is subjective. Your (A) for instance...may not be satisfied with her achievements and may be scrambling for more...more...and more! Then she's not happy, not successful! If you are contented with what u get or what u are or what u have (no matter how little), you find fulfilment, contentment in God's little blessings; only then are YOU successful!
i have very low expectations of the word 'successful woman'
She only needs to know how to make her hubby happy in bed. that's my succsessful woman.
She only needs to know how to make her hubby happy in bed. that's my succsessful woman.
successful women are those that can balance career (if she has one), family, in-law, fren, kids, hobbies, staying trim, looks good and dont seem to shed a sweat doing it.
Success means different things to different people. Even if I am not successful, that doesnt make me a failure.
erika,
yalor, everyone is successful in their own way. ;)
suituapui,
you said it so well.
"clap, clap"
ah pek,
errmmm... what's your defination of 'happy' then? LOL
see fei,
what a big pair of shoes to fill! :D
yalor, everyone is successful in their own way. ;)
suituapui,
you said it so well.
"clap, clap"
ah pek,
errmmm... what's your defination of 'happy' then? LOL
see fei,
what a big pair of shoes to fill! :D
It doesn't matter how other see you or judge you. You are the best judge yourself! :-)
If you're happy, then don't give shit to what others think about you. The saddest thing is to have the world thinking how successful you are and you have to live up to their expectations. :-)
If you're happy, then don't give shit to what others think about you. The saddest thing is to have the world thinking how successful you are and you have to live up to their expectations. :-)
king's wife,
very true indeed.
helen,
honestly, i don't care two hoots what they think.
many, many years ago, while on a Co. team building trip, the facilitator asked each of us to tell from the bottom of our hearts what we aspire to be and i said i wanted to be 'a successful mother'.
"Hey, that one not counted. Say something else.", the facilitator interjected.
That facilitator is a dumbasss.
very true indeed.
helen,
honestly, i don't care two hoots what they think.
many, many years ago, while on a Co. team building trip, the facilitator asked each of us to tell from the bottom of our hearts what we aspire to be and i said i wanted to be 'a successful mother'.
"Hey, that one not counted. Say something else.", the facilitator interjected.
That facilitator is a dumbasss.
savante,
that's actually a tough act to follow. LOL
that's actually a tough act to follow. LOL
I agree totally with you. My childhood ambition is to be a housewife *blush* lol But of course I dare not put it down on my essay lar...
As usual, I put teacher and lawyer. (ceh, pleeez!) lol
As usual, I put teacher and lawyer. (ceh, pleeez!) lol
helen,
now you are a successful housewife! :D
now you are a successful housewife! :D
Ditto what ah pek said. being slightly mcp, i dislike esp A, B
Over-achievers are usually overrated. Glorified by the media, their flaws and shortcomings are covered ever so discreetly that renders us to forget that we are mere humans with limitations of our own. Yet, our own flaws come with our own unique talents nonetheless. All we need is a clear mind and some potential tapping.
las montanas,
mcp or no mcp, as long as the glove fits, that's important. ;)
ianfluenza,
that's very true. each one of us is unique and have different strengths and abilities.
mcp or no mcp, as long as the glove fits, that's important. ;)
ianfluenza,
that's very true. each one of us is unique and have different strengths and abilities.