Colour Me PURPLE

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Half the sky belongs to women. And every year, March 8 is commemorated as International Women’s Day or United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, to celebrate the achievements of better half of humanity, across the nations.

More than two years back, I took a break from my professional life and joined my spouse in another country to spend quality time with him and my 7-year old. I used to have a bundle of emotions regarding starting a life at a completely new place that too without any professional engagement and the handsome regular paycheck that used to be associated with it each month. Slowly over the period, everything settled down and I started on a journey to explore myself. As luck would have it, I met beautiful people around, made lifelong friends, and in the process, these beautiful people and my family helped me discover the new me. I now do Yoga, practice meditation, throw some colours here and there on a canvas, pen down my thoughts, and try to venture out in other interest areas, which probably I couldn’t do two years back.

The colour Purple is the internationally recognized colour to symbolize women. But why purple? It is a combination of calmness of blue and the fierceness of red. It often represents royalty, nobility, power, ambition, luxury, extravagance, dignity, grandeur, pride, and magic. In my journey of self-discovery all these months, I was able to draw upon the real description of colour PURPLE, at least the one that works for me.

 P: Prioritize self-love and avoid procrastination

Celebrated motivational speaker, Lisa Nichols said “Mostly, the world sees you the way you see yourself”. Women need to accept their flaws and accept their imperfections. Short, tall, dark, fair, thin, fat, doesn’t matter if we feel beautiful and positive from inside. Once we let go of these notions, we’ll feel more energetic about the positive qualities we possess. Avoid procrastination at all costs and make self-care the top priority.

U: Unlock your potential and Uplift other Women

As per American politician and diplomat Eleanor Roosevelt, “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water”. Many times, women do not know their full potential and lack of self-confidence stops them from exploring and experimenting with new ideas. We must acknowledge our fears and always work towards solutions. Go out, meet positive people, choose your company carefully, listen to inspirational stories and motivational talks regularly. The positive energy achieved is thus dissipated to others too thereby helping in upliftment of the needy and those who need external anchors for them to act.

R: Recharge mentally and physically

Noted author, Lilith Saintcrow wrote, “It’s better to be strong than pretty and useless”. Exercising releases endorphins or the happy hormones. A sound sleep of 8 hours and a regular exercise regime builds endurance and keeps us going father and longer. Walk in the garden, explore the colours, watch a movie, go for solo vacation, recharge yourself regularly. Remember, our body is the only asset that doesn’t depreciate with time, rather it gives maximum return with regular minimal investment.

P: Practice gratitude

Spiritual guru, Eckhart Tolle said, “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance”. We all must practice gratitude every single day. We must identify things that we feel grateful for and appreciate about our life. We must also identify the things that we take for granted but are very thankful for. Eventually, it’s not the happiness that makes us grateful, it’s the gratefulness that makes us happy!

L: Listen to your body

We must always listen and understand ques from our body. It always communicates with us. Take a break. Don’t overdo, don’t stretch beyond a point. Draw a line. When hungry, eat; when tired, rest; and when stressed, relax (Zen stories).

E: Eliminate Guilt

Women need to stop feeling guilty for their decisions. The decision to be a working mother or a stay-at-home mother must be respected either ways. Both require efforts and sacrifices beyond comparison. One shouldn’t be guilty of leaving a toddler behind to go to work. It’s perfectly fine to take a day off from work or take a complete break from professional life for as long as one wants to. It’s okay to have a messy house sometimes, it’s okay to enjoy a meal or two at your favorite food joint, it’s okay to let your husband do the cooking or laundry occasionally!

In the end, as Oprah Winfrey rightly said, ‘You get in life what you have the courage to ask for’. Ladies, go PURPLE this Women’s Day!

DISTRICT 105

Where Leaders Are Made