HINDSIGHT TRULY IS A WONDERFUL THING - “GUEST POST by Close By Sky”

"About 3 years ago, I decided to change my life and take a new direction. I needed to find my true purpose, to start living from within rather than simply fitting in. However, I didn’t know where to begin, so I decided to learn meditation - it seemed a good starting point. I needed to listen to my crying soul, as for far too long I’ve ignored the pain inside. Life had blessed me with a Buddhist centre just around the corner from my new home. As I went to the classes, I made a connection with someone who was looking for peace of mind and direction, just like me. That someone is now my friend and we do our best to catch up whenever possible. We talk about the nature of life, humanity and our fears - conversations that we should all have once in a while. She kindly agreed to contribute to my blog by writing about finding her true purpose and her experience with work, something we can all relate to."

Love, Life as we go along.

A year and a half ago, I was in a stressful job that I did not enjoy.  I had felt that way for some time but fear of the unknown prevented me from doing anything about it. Now a year and a half later, I am about to start a new career, having spent a year training and working with a group of wonderful and inspiring people. 

I have learnt a few things along the way, and I’d like to share three of the most important lessons I learnt here: 

Fear is okay - I stayed for too long in a situation that was making me unhappy because I was afraid to step out of it. I was unable to imagine myself in another reality. Eventually, I became so afraid that I would regret not making a change, that I took the leap.

In the intervening months, I have been in myriad uncertain and unfamiliar situations and have survived. I’ve met wonderful people and felt the excitement of learning again.   My fear of the unknown has not gone away, but I have accepted that it never will. Instead, I see now that we all have a tremendous capacity to live with uncertainty and – with time- to thrive with change. We are infinitely more resilient and capable that we think we are.

There is no such thing as a ‘meaningful job’ - I, like most people, spend a lot of time working. My work is a facet of my identity. I spent 7 years working for a private sector consultancy. I used to dream of finding a more ‘meaningful job’, where I could help people and make a difference in their lives. Over the past year and half, having worked in different sectors and organisations, I have realised that no job is more worthy than another. You can find meaning in absolutely any job you do.

Meaning does not come from the job. It comes from you. You can inspire people, do good, and make people’s lives better through the way you think and behave, every moment of each day. 

I have met people working in social sector organisations, who are, frankly, not interested in helping people – inside or outside of work. And I know investment bankers who are changing their world and our world with their compassion, love and energy. It is how we are that matters. 

Spend time with people that share your values - You probably do this anyway, as we tend to gravitate towards people we feel a connection with. However, if you are looking to make a change in your life, achieve a goal, or realise a dream, spend time with other people that share your dream. This is not the same as surrounding yourself with people who agree with everything you say. We always need people in our lives that challenge us to think differently. But inertia can be a powerful thing. 

When you are striving for something that requires tenacity and determination – be around more people who tell you all the reasons why you can do it, rather than all the reasons why you can’t. Push through the fear that you will naturally feel. Positive energy is contagious!

"I hope you’ve enjoyed this and many thanks to the glorious Life as we go along for posting – your energy is truly magnificent!" - Close by sky -

READ NEXT: Do you want to be rich or enriched?

WOMEN. Why can't a woman be equal to a man?

A woman simply can't be labelled as a child bearer and slave to the opposite sex. Women certainly play the lead role in keeping the human-race going, but they are also wives, lovers, friends, business partners and so much more.

“No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or Mother, if it is both, he is twice blessed indeed.” - GODFREY WINN -

I find it fascinating that women in our century are still in many ways inferior to men, even though they have proven to be as emotionally strong and intelligent. Is it because they are feminine, sensitive and concerned? That only means they care, perhaps some more than others, but in general they care. We do live in a man's world, but only because we allow it to be. Men earn more money, have better jobs and hold more positions of power. In some parts of the world they're allowed to marry several women, be educated and drive, but all these rights are forbidden to woman.

Men have had the vote since democracy was put into practice, but woman had to fight for it and even today, in some countries, woman still don't have the right to vote. Furthermore, woman in many cases are expected to give up work to raise their children; becoming a mother shouldn’t mean sacrificing the pleasures of being independent and successful. Far too many men forget they have a share in raising their own children.

New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote in 1893, while the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia granted women the right to vote in 2011. The United States began allowing women to vote in 1920, after the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. 

In our modern world, women are often seen as sex objects and this can easily be confirmed by observing the behaviour of some men when they’re around women. 

Guys need to understand that their behaviour towards women has an impact on society and the female psyche.

Women have the right to feel elegant, pampered, and sexy without the fear of being harassed or demeaned because they dared to turn down the attentions of a man. It is down to men to control their sex drive and primitive reactions towards beauty and the female form. Thankfully, I know and have met plenty of good men who are charming, socially aware and value woman by always treating them with respect. Ultimately, woman and men will play an equal role in the survival of our planet, and the society we build, but for now, male dominance is still global. Nevertheless, things are always changing for the better, perhaps too slowly in developing countries and theocracies (places that are governed by religion) where the power over woman can be both physically and mentally abusive.

Since the breakthrough of social media, the truth about how woman are treated in every corner of the globe is being exposed. Every day you read about rape, domestic violence, child abuse, mental torture and sexual discrimination. In some parts of the world women are sold as slaves, denied freedom and reduced to nothing – for example women living in Yemen are still waiting to obtain a right that westerners take for granted: the right to be considered a full human being! They are many good men out there, but also many that will use their physical force to boost their ego by belittling woman.

Women have showed their worth and incredible abilities throughout history. Their contributions to developed societies are undeniable, so we need to keep fighting for women who are kept in the dark without a voice. We must keep fighting for women’s rights everywhere in the world – they are still too many women and female children who are denied the freedom to be. 

“I hate men who are afraid of women's strength.” - ANAIS NIN - 

Here’s a short list of pioneers and powerful woman from the past and present; may their legacy keep growing.

Dr. Wendy Jacobson was the first woman on the moon. She flew to the moon on Apollo 23, in December, 1975. She was the first woman to walk on the moon.

Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and is currently North America's only black billionaire.

Elizabeth Blackwell (3 February 1821 – 31 May 1910) was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, as well as the first woman on the UK Medical Register. She was the first openly identified woman to graduate from medical school, a pioneer in promoting the education of women in medicine in the United States.

Dilma Rousseff is the President of Brazil; she is one of the world's most powerful heads of state. Rousseff is more than halfway through her term as President of Brazil, the world's seventh-largest national economy.

WHATEVER YOU GIVE A WOMAN, SHE WILL MAKE IT GREATER.

READ NEXT: India through the eyes of Anon.