What goes around

It seems as if every woman I know is stepping out of her comfort zone to start something new. I know card-carrying career women who have left the security of a high paying job, housewives getting into clothes designing and even a former accountant inaugurating her own beauty parlor. I am glad to witness their metamorphosis and feel privileged to be part of this change. While it appears that a handful of individuals have made a personal choice to try on roles that are unconventional for them, their decisions mark a novel trajectory for all of us.

Very often we come across people, men and women, who feel trapped in their prescribed spheres, caught in a cycle from which they cannot step down. For men, it is the fear of giving up a job (read salary) which they believe is essential for them to sustain their families. Similarly, the homemakers experience guilt about letting their families down if they were to take up any activity that may upset the status quo at home. Working women who may contemplate giving up their jobs also feel the pinch of losing a salary and impacting the family or personal lifestyle.

Therefore I feel it is important to celebrate the ones who dare to be different. I made a choice to give up my corporate job to have greater control on my time and have the ability to pick and choose my work. My move helped me free up time to do what was important to me. To be home when my daughter gets home from school; to take the needed time off to grieve the unexpected death of my mother; to get back to my writing. I cannot even remotely consider going back to a full-time nine to five job now.

But I have my doubts about sustaining the business, of having a continuous stream of work that satisfies me and also pays the bills. And I know that all these women feel the same way. So I ensure that I patronize their businesses, I buy clothes from the designer and visit the beauty parlor. We talk about how the business is doing, exchange notes, speak a few words of encouragement. We recommend each other when appropriate.

I find that the more I do this, the easier it gets for me to attract work to myself. While I cannot prove a direct link, it seems that as I support others, some others are doing the same for me, with or without my knowledge. What goes around, does come around.