Before I went freelance, I used to work in a telecommunications firm. My previous job was with quality assurance and technical standards, with some site inspection on the side. I deal mostly with guys and thankfully did not experience any gender discrimination. My fellow guy engineers respect my technical know-how and capabilities while being gracious gentlemen. There were some instances though when I feel I could have been given more challenging tasks, but maybe it’s just how I felt when bored and stuck to doing more research in the office than being given more field assignments.
Women these days face a lot of challenges and issues with their careers whether they belong to the upper management level or not. This is where a women’s leadership program responds to these needs. For women who are serious about their careers and would like to be successful leaders in their respective fields, the Elizabeth J Somers Women’s Leadership Program (WLP) provides a year-long academic program which deals with issues related to women’s leadership and how it is implemented in various situations dealing with social, political, intellectual and other relevant aspects.
The WLP offers two courses and a symposium for a term while providing an academic environment for students to live together in Mount Vernon campus in the George Washington University. An educational setup such as this creates a unique learning experience for the student where she interacts with others having different backgrounds. The leadership programs offered are: International Arts and Culture; Globalization, Economics and Business; Science, Health and Medicine and U.S. and International Politics.
Aside from field experiences, there are guest speakers and special events featuring women leaders and experts from many disciplines. The program connects and works together with important organizations on women’s issues thus leading to opportunities for students to network with mentors or gain experience on potential internship programs.
Lately I’ve been silently whining about my career, the postponed projects, the piled up tasks, the busyness of life and not having enough time for leisure. I have also been making a lot of excuses for not reaching my goals especially when it comes to proper diet and exercise.
As the holidays are fast approaching, it seems that my excitement is overshadowed by my worries. I can feel the financial crunch as I go through my regular accounting and honestly it can be so stressful since I anticipate a lot of holiday expenses coming up.
I know it’s all in the mind. I just needed to change my attitude about life and still be thankful and make the most of what I have.
Yes, I’ve become a noisy duck quacking around instead of soaring high above my cares like an eagle.
Complaining and worrying about unpleasant situations won’t get us anywhere. Making the most of our resources, and giving our best shot is a choice that always gets us to the next level. That was my realization after reading a story I got in my email about a resourceful cab driver and I just can’t help sharing it with you.
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Ducks Quack, Eagles Fly
Years ago, my friend, Harvey Mackay, told me a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.
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Ideas are powerful. A train of thought can make or break, build or destroy. The choice is ours. Our ideas become our future. I believe that life’s meaningful lessons are best learned when shared with others.
