Making changes to live a life that worked for me was intuitive and seemed more a necessity than a bold choice. When my career ambitions within the traditional constructs left no room for my family or my development as a human, I opted-out of the construct. Society’s definition of what it meant for me to work in my chosen field seemed stifling. Of course, my “intuition” struck at the height of the economic downturn. Thanks to an amazing support network, no one said that I was an insane person; but I suspected I might be and I certainly felt alone.
Why had my mother and grand mother filled my head with such fantasies about career and family when the reality is almost impossible to maintain? Was I the only women in the world that felt work was a “soul crushing” experience, like someone was going to tap me on the shoulder one day and say, “you’ve been found out, we know you don’t belong here?”
So you can imagine my elation when I read these exact words in Maddy Dychtwald’s Influence: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better. It will be available May 4, 2010, but I have an advance copy because a natural series of events has led me to work with Maddy on the launch of this ground-breaking book. I say it was natural because her message is in exact proportion with how I’m choosing to earn a living today. My personal experience with Maddy is that not only is her message “bright” and true, but Maddy is true to her message.
When I finished Influence I felt a part of a whole; inspired to do my best work and empowered to be who I am while doing it. I had confirmation that others were behind me, lot’s of others, from all over the world. I was no longer moving alone but a part of a movement. Maddy Dychtwald’s research proves the countries that harness women’s economic power thrive globally and human economic success now depends on it. Once more, she asserts in the book, I have influence and I’m doing myself and this world a disservice if I don’t use it!
Influence is chock full of women’s stories detailing how they’re changing society as we know it. I guarantee you’ll find yourself in this book.
Pre-order Influence and become a part of the movement by sharing your experiences with Maddy and the rest of the world on how you are using your influence to make changes in your daily life. Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and the blog about women’s economic emancipation and how it’s changing our homes, our workplace and our society for the better.
