The traditional Indian sari, is a six meter long length of exotic fine silk fabric, hand-dyed into a rainbow of rich deep colours. Women wrap the Sari around their bodies, showing just enough skin to make us look sultry, alluring and sexy. the irony is, this same tradition and culture can also be an ugly burden – a burden that weighs you down. The beautiful image created externally can often mask
the ugly inequality contained inside. I have found that In Australia we have another Sari – I call it The Corporate Sari
Look only at the outside and you’ll see the lure of reward, of position and of possibilities. On the inside however, lurks the limiting expectations of society and the heavy hand of discrimination. And perhaps most importantly of all the weight of our own guilt and self imposed limitations. Too often we impose a limit on what we can be and what we can achieve. We impose self-fulfilling limits, we create glass ceilings that limit our vision and our reach – and all the time we should be shooting for the stars. So, what is that stops us shooting for the stars? Too often it’s ourselves. It’s our own preconditioning and thoughts and reactions. And In taking the easy route of blaming other factors, as I discovered the hard way, the answer lies in taking charge. Taking charge not of others – but of yourself. In my industry I am one of a handful of women in a CEO position
In reaching this position I had my fair share of mountains to climb and attitudes to change and unfair, gender based opinions on my performance to put up with. I have not only thrived under mentors but also endured the bullies and thrived regardless because I took charge of my responses and my actions. It may have come to your attention that I am a woman…of colour. And I’m not afraid to speak my mind (in fact it’s become my hallmark. I’m someone with big ideas. I’m someone with opinions. And to give them life, I’ll push through whatever barrier is placed in front of me, because deep down I know that it’s up to me to make things happen – or maybe even STOP things happening. So, what is the main lesson in life that I’ve learned so far? It’s that we mustn’t let the ugly side of the corporate sari weigh us down. Instead, we should all strive to thrive on wrapping the beautiful side of life around us
The side that is rich and colourful and sultry and sexy and feminine. The side that protects and nurtures. The side that inspires you to be different, vulnerable, and driven to be more
So my message to every woman is wear your beautiful sari. Wrap yourself in its beauty and its possibilities
It won’t ever weigh you down…it will only lift you up!
