International Women’s Day – what does it mean to me?

Why celebrate? 

After a long two years of lockdowns and restrictions, it is a lovely thought to be able to finally catch up with others in person.  

Having the space to stop, recharge and connect with other women is always refreshing. Listening and learning from their stories, forging new connections, and bonding over the shared female experience, is what International Women’s Day is all about for me.

As 21st-century women, we are often juggling both our professional and home lives, with little time or space for ourselves. We pour our energy into everything and everyone around us, with no thought of any repercussions to our own physical, emotional, or mental health. It is not until we are faced with adversity, be it large or small, that truly makes us reconsider and reprioritise, the areas in our life that deserve our energy.

A predominant trait of many successful women is their ability to pursue a goal despite obstacles or ‘FAILURES’. They don’t see their failures as dead ends or signs to give up, but rather as a First Attempt In Learning, and they continue to show up each day and kept working away at their dream. One step forward, 3 steps back, then one day they just get ‘lucky’ and that dream starts paying some bills, giving them hope and making them feel proud for all the days they showed up and failed.

It is this tenacity, that those women who have gone before we have displayed, that has afforded us the opportunities we have today, and it is our tenacity that drives an even more expansive future for the women that follow. 

So for me, International Women’s Day is about connecting, reflecting, being grateful, and enjoying a beautiful space and a meal while being inspired to keep showing up every day! 

PS – I wrote this BLOG the week before IWD and I did not get to make it to my chosen event, in fact, many events were cancelled or postponed due to flooding. My contribution this year was to source and create our beautiful flowers. I am still flooded in, but I have the pleasure of enjoying all these beautiful creations. I am grateful that I am safe and dry with my family.