breathe in
exhale
pause
relax
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inhalation
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maintains the moment
of . . .
now . . .
On the new job
So far, work has been great. As I've been sharing with folks, I'm doing more writing than I've done before in any position, honing in on my grant-writing skills, which I'm very much enjoying. While reading through hundreds of pages of government RFPs can be daunting, I am thankful to be working for a worthwhile organization whose mission is to transfer the lives of New Yorkers in need. As I struggled the past eight months to figure out what to do next, I kept telling myself, All I want to do is be in a position where I know that I'm contributing to the greater good & can also make use of my past professional experiences. I'm not trying to climb any career ladder as I've discovered what I thought I wanted in my twenties certainly isn't what I want now -- to have a family. And for me, it's important to be in a job that as much as it involves a wonderful cause, it also needs to support a family life.
While at the gym last week, I watched CNN's feature on 'Womenomics,' how First Lady Michelle Obama is a role model for today's women. Authors of the book Womenomics Claire Shipman and Katty Kay refute the myth of Superwoman -- having it all, a successful career & a family. It is just a myth. They commented that the First Lady has taught us that women do need to make some hard choices about when they want to have a soaring career and when they want to take precious time to be with their families. Women's lives are not meant to move in straight lines, but do take some curves.
And as someone who aspires to be a mom in the future, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to 'be in my life.' During my time off, I agonized over what kind of job to look for anticipating that A. & I want to move forward with adoption & start our family soon. It's important to me to be in a job that has sanity and will allow me to balance both work & family as much as possible. And if that means not having a top title or not making the most optimal salary, that's okay.
Thank goodness for Womenomics. n. 1. Power. 2. A movement that will get you the work life you really want. 3. The power collision of two simple realities: a majority of women are demanding new rules of engagement at the very moment we've become the hot commodity in today's workplace.
