When I first heard of the International Women’s Day theme for the year 2021, I was pleasantly delighted. #ChoosetoChallenge has been my life theme as I have always been an outlier and pushed myself to the edge. While the theme is centric to challenging gender stereotypes and inequality, IWD serves as an annual stop watch to recognize the various challenges that are thrown our way in an everyday life, and the sacrifices we make, to keep it intact.
While there should never be a limitation for any human being aspiring to great things, we are only able to reach the impossible when we overcome our internal weaknesses before we focus on the external shackles.
There has been something I have always lived by and that is that the human mind is the most powerful weapon because whatever it conceives, it can achieve. Challenges are thrown our way, rather consciously, because of the patriarchy that the world has witnessed over centuries. From our younger years, our lives are dictated by social norms and subconsciously, we comply with them.
Women, in particular, face many hurdles all along the way, whether it is in gaining an education, building a career, raising a family, or simply getting past each day in the safest of health. It takes a lot of muscle and strength to own your life and listen to your voice; be it getting a degree in your thirties, shifting your career in your forties or starting a family only when you are ready. It is only by challenging the stereotypes and drowning the negative toxicity that the first of the women paved the way for the rest of us, so it would be irresponsible of us to not draw inspiration and extend the path for generations to come.
In this journey, there is bound to be plenty of potholes, a bend or two and some very difficult crossroads. As convenient as it may seem to skip it altogether, it is by overcoming those obstacles that you can reach your goal. If you set yourself limitations, no one can open your mind; similarly, if you set yourself ambitions, no one can stop you.
While wishing you all a wonderful International Women's Day 2021, I hope that we truly unleash our potential and choose to challenge ourselves to become whatever we dream of and be consistent in our efforts to achieve them.