SHE

I’m fascinated by women and their adaptability. Consider the women in your life and you will see that change is set in our DNA, we have this insane ability to shift, everything from the superficial (you need only to consider your varying hairstyles over the decades) to the deeper stuff. And believe me, change in a woman is never sudden, that shift has been considered over time, using various scenarios, but always with the bigger picture in mind: what is best for me & mine.

Sometimes it is out of choice that a life-altering change is made, but most of the time it is out of necessity. Show me a woman in her 40’s and 50’s+, and I will show you a warrior that battled and thrived. I am thinking about what it is like to study or try something completely different when you're older and setting out on a new path, with the challenges and the rewards that go with it. But also acting with courage and despite the fears, setting a new course.

Cue Jatha, GingeredZ, and Zainab, 3 women of strength that I know personally and that each have contributed to my life in small ways, and big, and made me the woman that I am. Of course there are many, many more, but this is where I will begin.

Part 1 J.

Studying when you’re older has many rewards. There’s the excitement of learning about something that has nothing to do with anything I have been doing up to now.  The looking forward to sitting down behind the computer and the feeling of I am achieving something other than work and domestic responsibilities.  And then it circles out to how I could impact other people with what I am learning.  It empowers me.  It gives me a sense of direction and a new-found hope.  

And of course there are many challenges:  I have to find time for this but I didn't mind giving up TV and reading for this. And Finances are a consideration as I had to pay a hefty amount for the course and the materials.  I tried doing it online with free courses, but the quality was not what I was looking for and also I see it as an investment in my future and also my well-being. So even the challenges became positives.  The important aspect of studying again is that it must be something that you are passionate about and NOT just to achieve another qualification for your CV.  Then you will enjoy it.

And being exposed to this kind of thinking has opened my mind and expanded my horisons and now I too am excited to grow in a new direction... yes even though I am on the cusp of 60.

So many women in my life are stepping out and being brave, my sister is doing her Masters in Psychology at 60, GingeredZ  is doing her Masters as well, and I am excited to shift direction inspired by these epic women. 

Also, I am of the firm belief that our younger women need to know that this is a path/ a journey, and the destination doesn't need to be fixed. There is something to be said for the bravery of women in embracing change and growth.

Life is not set in stone!  You decide on the direction and take the first tentative step...and then the next... and before you know it...you would've morphed into that authentic version of you beyond all the noise. 

Claiming that power to change our lives for the better forever resides within us. Stepping out of our comfort zones and reaching for our dreams, now that is what life is about!