Dear friends ,
Mrs Kodian asked me to write down a few words for women's day for her group.The steady work she and her association have been doing in the last couple of years to make Dwarka a safer and cleaner place is truly inspiring for all of us. It makes one realise that there is a lot one can acheive if we put our mind to it. Here is the message which I shared with the group :
Wouldn't it be most rewarding for all of us women if we could discover our full and
true potential some day ? But how are we to make it happen ? Reflecting on this brought out these
thoughts which I put before you.
“It is never too late to be what you might
have been” – is an inspiring quote attributed
to George Eliot .
Well , I thought, what if someone had a sports trophy
in mind ? Agewise, it may be much past the time where one can truly excel as an athlete . But then, it occurred to me
that one could instead just play the game of life with excellent sportsman spirit.
It gives as much satisfaction as momentarily holding up a shining cup does.
In his book “The last lecture”, Prof. Randy Pausch talks
about his childhood dreams and explains in a delightful manner how he came to
achieve some of them. I thought about my childhood . At a very tender age I dreamt of being able to play with water
for unlimited periods without being scolded or stopped by any adult. Now, as a
doctor, I see one childhood dream coming true every time I have to thoroughly scrub
my hands with soap and water before a surgery!
Perhaps one of you always wanted to be a professor and
are currently a busy, harried housewife.Try
to remember why you wanted to be a professor in the first place. Did you
enjoy reading or love a particular subject ? Was it the thought of moulding
young minds or just the academic atmosphere? Once you are able to answer this
question correctly to yourself, the rest becomes easier. If you already have a thorough knowledge of your
subject, but don’t want a conventional job ,you could sign up with an NGO in
the teaching field ( they are almost always looking for skilled volunteers.) If
you want to brush up your experience before embarking on the task, many schools
offer learning programmes where you can observe the teachers at work. If not
looking for a formal training, you can request a friend who has a school/NGO to
let you observe other teachers for a few days. Any combination is possible to
ease you back into your chosen field.
Some people wanted to be at the best institutes and interact with the “brightest minds” in a
particular field. They just didn’t get
the chance . I would urge you not to fall into the trap of thinking that good
theories are formed only in elite institutes. The most pathbreaking ideas have come
from uncluttered minds of diverse backgrounds and inspiration can come from
anywhere. A simple question asked by a simple mind may lead to the discovery of
the most profound truths. Some women enjoy what they are doing but want to be paid
much better for what they do. It would not be an exaggeration to say that 90%
of men and women feel that they are underpaid for services rendered. Join the
gang !
A friend always wanted to be a nightclub singer. She was now past forty and had never managed
to get behind a mike. Two fears she had prevented her from doing so. According
to her , her voice was too raspy and her figure slightly plump . Only her love
and knowledge of music matched the glamorous club singers she had grown up
hearing and seeing. It was pointed out to her that most singers had predictably melliflous
voices , hers being slightly husky, would be a refreshing change. Also, age had
lent some gravitas to her comportment which most people would find attractive .
As far as tyres around her middle went, there were two aspects. Firstly, it
showed how well she represented nature. After all , even trees showed off their age by adding rings around their trunks
! More to the point, one of her designer friends could easily make her suitable
dresses which concealed the bulges. Most importantly, her target audience had
also aged alongside her.Our friends were
more refined in their tastes, a lot kinder and some, deafer. All this made for a great
audience. I think what really clinched it for her was watching the video of Susan
Boyle who was ‘discovered ‘ at the age of 47.
So friends, on the occasion of woman’s day, I ask you
to just express yourself in any way that makes you happy. Don’t let age or
fears or circumstances hold you back. Work with them or around them and achieve
what you want to . Or at least live with the satisfaction that you tried !
Wish you all a wonderful woman’s day !!
