The News Part II

Some time ago I read this book that concludes baby making is no longer a viable tent making skill (i.e. trade) for women.  The book didn't quite state it as such, but that's what I took from it.

The book explained how in the agricultural world, the more children a woman birthed, the greater FREE work force for the family farm or business.  Children had the potential to increase a family's wealth.  Unlike today, children back then were considered an economic benefit to families.  But today, the cost of a college education alone often scares couples away from having more babies.

I mention this because...

Recently a facebook friend of mine asked via her status, "What's your dream?'  I noticed her status early on and immediately started typing a response.

I wrote, "I want to help rewrite the female metanarrative so that women will begin to know and believe they are worth far more than their ovaries."

But just before posting I read the post ahead of mine and determined posting such a statement probably wasn't the best idea.  The person ahead of me had written "to be a good mom" and then something else about her son, saying she hopes he'll grow up to be successful.

I didn't want this chic to take offense to my post, so I cleared what I had written, and tried again.  This time I included my life mission statement.

I want to be a voice of truth that sets women free to embrace the gifts God has given them that they, in turn, might make a significant impact in the world. :) In short, inspire and encourage through speaking and writing, and starting a non-profit called "for her."

83 year old Warren Buffett confirmed for me my life mission is worth pursuing.  He too is concerned that women aren't being encouraged enough in embracing their gifts and talents. 

In May 20's edition of Fortune Magazine, Buffett writes, "For most of our history, women - whatever their abilities - have been relegated to the sidelines."

Later in the article he explains the dream disparity his sisters encountered in our male-dominated society.

He writes... 

The moment I emerged from my mother's womb, however, my possibilities dwarfed those of my siblings, for I was a boy!  And my brainy, personable, and good-looking siblings were not.  My parents would love us equally, and our teachers would give us similar grades.  But at every turn my sisters would be told - more through signals than words - that success for them would be "marrying well."  I was meanwhile hearing that the world's opportunities were there for me to seize.

So my floor became my sisters' ceiling - and nobody thought much about ripping up that pattern until a few decades ago.  Now, thank heavens, the structural barriers for women are falling.

Still an obstacle remains: Too many women continue to impose limitations on themselves, talking themselves out of achieving their potential.

* To read the full article...

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/02/leadership/warren-buffett-women.pr.fortune/

Stay tuned for The News Part III: Pushing Past the Double X Curse