Nadim Alamedin gave me this book in 2013, - God, how fast can 10 years go by?-
And on the first page, he wrote:
Just Lean In, Mire!
I don’t know if I thanked him enough for that gesture that changed my perspective on my career and leadership, so here it goes, THANK YOU, Nadim!
In the weeks leading up to WID, I've been working on an article that highlights the difficulties mothers face when trying to "lean in." While writing, I found myself revisiting this book and had to dust off the cover. In particular, the chapter titled "The Myth of Doing It All" struck a chord with me. Ten years ago, I didn't relate to it, but now I wish someone had warned me. I feel as though someone should have taken my hands, looked into my eyes, and said, "Mire, this is going to be your reality, and it will be a challenging journey."
The Myth of Doing It All:
"Having it all. Perhaps the greatest trap ever set for women was the coining of this phrase. Bandied about in speeches, headlines, and articles, these three little words are intended to be aspirational but instead make all of us feel like we have fallen short….Like me, most of the women I know do a great job worrying that we don’t measure up. We compare our efforts at work to those of our colleagues, usually men, who typically have far fewer responsibilities at home. Then we compare our efforts to those of mothers who dedicate themselves solely to their families."
Balancing everything in life can be an insurmountable task, and trying to do it all is practically impossible. As individuals, we must make choices. Whether we choose consciously or we let others choose for us is up to us.