As a woman on the path to success we expect to feel a sense of achievement when we see that we have reached the top, where we wanted to be. How does it look from there? Will the world and people around you look beautiful? Will the journey to the top be pleasant and memorable? For so many women whom I have met this journey has certainly not been easy. It is not always a journey of mutual support, upliftment and friendliness. Instead, you have to be careful about who is conspiring to push you down. There are many challenges, not just due to gender bias, but also due to an unhealthy competition and jealousy from other women themselves! This kind of journey can be very stressful and takes its toll on our body and mind.
Gurudev says that one who manages all challenges that life gives is successful. However, what are the skills that we need to be able to do this and succeed?
Commitment – One failure can lead to another success later. We should not be deterred by failures.
Time – It is not sufficient to invest money to nurture or develop anything. We have to giveour personal time and attention.
Setting an Example – A successful woman doesn’t just show you the way; She walks the talk.
Team work – Make others feel involved - inspire participation and contribution.
Silence – Nurture quietude and calmness.
Reflection – Sit quietly at the end of the day, looking back at all the day’s activities, seeing where we made a difference. Reminding ourselves of the successes, it can inspire us to do more.
A woman has to balance her family, relationships, work, interests – all of these and more on the road to success. When you realize that you are multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, you can multi-task. This realization comes when you are in a calm and serene state of mind, which is achieved through meditation.
When you meditate, the task that took you four hours to complete earlier gets done in two hours. It is necessary that you give prime time to yourself, to relax yourself, to realize your potential to do better. Otherwise you limit your capabilities. When you meditate, you realize the expansion within you, that limitlessness within you.
The meditative woman is successful.Belongingness, commitment, connectedness - all these qualities are a byproduct of meditation. Gurudev often says, “success means strength, an unshakeable smile that nobody can take away and a courage that does not diminish. It does not mean having a big bank balance. There are some very rich people who do not have the strength of character. They don’t have a sense of belongingness or love. They are unable to appreciate the subtleness of life.”
True success is when it extends to both the material and inner realms. Are you enjoying the little things in your life? Have you lately observed the glistening dewdrops in the grass? The birds chirping, the sparrows drinking water, the blue jay feeding, the eagles circling overhead, the beautiful flowers, have you cleaned your window pane, have you watered the small little plants in your garden? Have you observed the lucky bamboo with two more leaves, enjoyed the design on your carpet and the craftsmanship - the beautiful colors, made a new salad dressing, experimented with your sandwich - this is the sign of a successful woman – living every moment to the fullest.
I have always believed that a woman is the heart of the family – she keeps everyone together. A woman is the heart of society – when you empower women to succeed, you are enabling society to prosper.
- An article by Smt. Bhanumathi Narasimhan, sister of H H Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, meditation teacher and Director of Women and Child Welfare programs of The Art of Living Foundation.
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