Why Every Woman Needs To Work, Even If She Doesn’t Have A Job

Why work is so important to a woman’s life and why every woman must try it to keep the smile on her face.

You are a total home-bird said my colleague in those days, during the very beginning of my career. Though I disagreed completely, I might have believed her down the lane.

Years later, after short stints of jobs and no steady career, I decided, maybe she was right. I loved my home. I loved my time alone, and I really loved my house neat and tidy. But though home was what I had settled for, I had this constant urge to express myself, to contribute, to make a difference in this world.

I know it sounds far-fetched and too philosophical, but I don’t think I should have bought into what my friend suggested. I clearly believed her judgment about me and accepted  myself as someone ‘homely’, but in a disempowering way.

Don’t we all do this? When we are too lazy to decide on what we want, we settle, for somebody else’s judgment of ourselves. I urge all women out there not to buy into an idea again. I want everyone to have their own ideas, besides what others have to say about them.

So when I was labeled homely, what did the world mean? Did it mean I was being bracketed as a cooking – baking machine type or as out-going, or as the go-getter? How many names? How many labels? There is no stopping. Open any weekly matrimonial ad supplement and all you find is people looking for labels. Homely v/s the career oriented, salaried or non-working, but why can’t I be both? I could be homely and have the passion to make a difference in the world, a drive to contribute my bit.

It was never necessary to conform, it was never a rule to follow any rules. You could be this and that, you could be everything you dreamt of. I am homely – it means I have good taste which reflects in the way I have done up my home. It certainly doesn’t mean I lack ambition or passion to do things outside of my home. That is why it is important that every woman has an occupation. Am I suggesting that everyone has a job?

What work does for a woman

I say No, a job is not a necessity, but work is, and here is why:

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• You feel productive, you feel useful, it feels like you matter. You could be knitting for your pregnant friends and who knows, tomorrow you could have your own knitting unit. But don’t do it for that – do it for the love of knitting.

• To express yourself in this world is one of the best feelings you could ever have. You could be at any stage of life, you are a mother of two or three, or even four, but doing something that expresses the best in you will keep you in a good mood for a long time.

• Doing something that you love, gives you a high. It promotes happy feelings and a new zest for life. Sure you are doing a great job with your home, but it is time to express that sheer genius beyond the four walls.

• Because there is no perfect moment (after I am well-settled, after my children graduate, after I make my perfect house, after the world becomes nothing but a green alley). If you keep waiting for the perfect moment to express yourself, it will never come.

• If you always wanted to start sharing your knowledge in dhokla-making, do it now. Because as you are thinking about it, someone is taking action, already. Yes, and that is how fast ideas come and go. Express yourself now.

• Creativity bottled up, is energy blocked, which leads to frustration in every area of your life. So if you want to start putting your CA degree to use, start by managing some accounts for friends – most will be glad you took over.

• I know you hear this everywhere, but work is indeed empowering for a woman. Don’t be scared of people who will tell you to take a back seat, and enjoy life, enjoy being around your children, enjoy being at home, enjoy peeling peas out of the pod. Of course you enjoy all that, but make sure to do some work for yourself, so that you don’t completely loose touch.

• To top it all, to earn some moolah, is a great feeling; there’s no better high than to get paid for doing your best. People are waiting for you to take charge, they are waiting for you to do something incredible or equally mundane and also pay you for that.

•  You feel useful. All of a sudden your life starts to matter to many people around. After a long time. Yes, it’s for that feeling too that you should work.

• Last but not the least, do it for the love of it. Work is very fulfilling, and when we are content, we are happy, it’s easier to get through the days with a smile.

While we all could have our own lists on why we should totally work and rock, I would say, make your own list and put it up your favorite wall at home.

pic credit: funkyah (used under a CC license)

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