Woman, Be Brave! A Learning Curve For The Modern Woman

“Interrogation” turns out to be a rather formal portrayal. O’Connor and Dawson have a list of queries but they seldom resort to them. As the conversation flows over a time frame of over an hour and a half, “The tales are truly prevailing and stimulating,” says O’Connor. “There are many women struggling or ill-fated and it’s conceivable to alter that. The issue is, we are not well equipped to handle such problems in a definitive manner.” She and Dawson expect that the stories they’ve put together will inspire women to take a close look at their lives armed with a different perspective and change them to for good. 

Occasionally, women cling onto certain things, just because, they are comfortable with those things.
Rebecca, a highly successful marketing executive in Singapore, had accomplished great achievement at a relatively young age. Conversing with O’Connor she acknowledged that what she really wanted, was to be an artist. When O’Connor asked, what was pulling her back, Rebecca simply replied, “It’s not what I do.”
Women often tend to linger on and get trapped with the evil they know, O’Connor reflects. “Have faith in yourself,” she counsels. “What is the worst that’s going to occur? If you’re successfully fading in your present condition, trust me it will be much better than the present scenario.”

It is not possible for us to keep our lives in a neat sense of order, throughout. Commotion is unavoidable, whether we like it or not. Every now and then we choose it by moving between jobs or having children; frequently it arrives in a less comfortable pretext as we are confronted with an unanticipated dismissal. Once you’ve worn out the initial encounter, the crucial thing is to view the turmoil as a prospect for change. Irrespective of who initiated the disruptive decision, the women in this article look back and tackled the turmoil positively, and turning their lives in a satisfactory state.

Several of the female candidates O’Connor and Dawson conversed with had superficially "picture-perfect" lives. One such banker appeared to have it all: an impressive job paying her an exceptional salary, a strong professional path and a financially secured future. A list for a happy and satisfied life, apart from a fundamental sense of sickness. Leaving the office at 11:00 every night wasn’t attaining her personal achievement of purchasing a house, finding a suitable partner and having children. The moment she acknowledged this condition to herself she set about methodically investigating the best places to achieve her goals. The instant she found out one, she quit her job and moved into the new place. The happy ending wasn’t immediate. To begin with, she didn’t know anyone around and was out of a job for over a year. In due course she found a job that she loved and is currently living in an atmosphere probably leading her towards a better and happier future.

The banker undoubtedly did her investigation but, in common with almost all of the women interviewed, she also had the nerve to have faith in her own opinions. Women frequently have the repute of deciding in a group; campaigning friends’ opinions over a glass of chardonnay before determining how to tackle a situation. Nevertheless, one of the astounding revelations from O’Connor and Dawson’s tête-à-têtes was that, when it came around in taking the most important decisions of their lives, the women were more likely to take it in their own stride. “The study discovered how self-conscious they all were and how they understand the fact that no one understands them better than themselves,” says O’Connor. “It’s important to have confidence in your own beliefs.” Listening to your heart and acting accordingly can help you take charge of your life.

Such was the case of a jet setting management consultant in her mid-30s. Having toiled extremely hard, travelled and acquired the superficial frills of success, she felt she needed to anchor down. As an initial step she purchased a house in the countryside. Soon as she moved in she took upon herself to renovate the house and within a year was married and blessed with two children living in the same house in the countryside. Turned out she met this contractor who was helping her with the interior works and things clicked between them and now she runs a successful interior designing company along with her husband. Happiness came in the form of listening to own mind and understanding when to call it quits if the things that you do, do not provide you with the innate satisfaction that you so deserve.

Meanwhile, endangering life may not be everyone’s cup of tea, however, this particular woman’s account offers a valuable likeness. Sometimes, endangering your life may prove to be the right thing to do, whether real or metaphorical. It works! 

This was the message that emanated loud and clear all through O’Connor and Dawson’s conversations. “When questioned what guidance they would part to their younger selves, almost every woman said, 'be brave',” says O’Connor. “Leave that job, leave that partner, say your piece to that boss. Most of this seemed to replicate a craving to tell one's younger self not to be fearful. They sort of gave the impression of saying, you'll find another job, another boss, another opportunity.” 

Throw away the idea that a résumé has to be in a linear fashion and any personal time taken to chase a dream means lack of ambition. It inclines the scales in approval of workers who can compete that way, the ones who have no care giving responsibilities or who have a full-time caregiver at home. It also means that as a civilization we lose out on enormous amounts of talent. We miss out the long distance runners, the endurance athletes, the patience and fortitude to keep going over the long haul. 

Businesses frequently lose out due to the inadequacy displayed towards nurturing their female employees’ early drive and determination. A Bain 2014 report on gender parity displays 41% mid-career women believe that do not have the same career opportunities in comparison to their male counterparts. Within five years the number of women with this determination plummets to 16% but remains unaffected amongst men. While, still a few women leave the workplace never to return. Therefore, if a woman leaves your company, ask yourself why. Did she have a dreadful boss? Did the company lack policies to offer sustenance to her when, for instance, she may have needed to take time out for personal reasons? When a company recruits a woman it invests in her. Then does it mean that a woman with so much investment is let off without understanding the reason why and is she inexpensive to replace? Then, why are you letting this woman go? Companies should ask themselves this question. Reassure women through their leave process and develop an environment that induces them with the confidence to return back albeit on a different job role.

As a woman, you are the best judge of things that are what’s important to you. However, one needs to be realistic about their mode of living and plan accordingly to stay afloat off your savings. Cultivate a sense of self awareness of the situation.

The older women in the study articulated a longing to share their experiences with younger generations. At a time when so many women feel an irresistible burden to accomplish everything in their personal and proficient lives during their twenties, hearing another, perhaps more senior, woman say “I know exactly what you’re going through” may help to lighten their anxiety. 

The awe-inspiring notes from the study’s contributors was to be courageous no matter what. Although quite a few repented on not taking measures soon enough, they do advise the younger generation to listen to their heart and take cohesive action. 


Even if things don’t materialize as anticipated does not mean that you have made the wrong decision. In an ambiguous world, good decisions can also lead to bad outcomes, and vice versa. So then, why not take that step forward and enter into a new brave world of tomorrow.