I'm a woman from Africa, so most of my assertions from this post will be from my background because my environment has defined the way I see things. In my continent, most of the expectations for women are to be wives, give birth to children and take care of them.
The women live sacrificial lives without any aspirations in life, even if they do the environment won't allow them to grow but over time, we see more women in my continent doing great things for themselves which gives hope to the younger generation of women in Africa that they can become whatever they wish to be.
It wasn't an easy road to get here but a lot of women fought to be seen and heard and because of them, I can wear the many hats I wear today, ( a wife, and a mum and get to follow my dreams) for every woman that fought for me to be able to have dreams without limit. I'm super grateful to them.
Now to the modern-day woman, a lot of barriers have been lifted but so much is expected of her. She's expected to be a superwoman and excel in all that she does. If she fails at being a mum or her own business, they laugh at her and ridicule her for trying to break the status quo.
From where I am coming from it's difficult for a woman to want more from her life and if she does it is like people around her want her to fail so they can say I told you so, you can't be all that you want to be because of their of own limited mindset they want to limit your dreams.
If you want more from life you have to put in the extra work, you have to find a balance, you have to do all you can to prove them wrong and that your dreams are valid but all these can be draining, without a good support system you might just loose yourself.
I have read a lot of articles that say women can't have it all, you either choose one and leave the other but why should I have to choose at all? When they all can coexist? I read a quote from Michelle Obama that changed my mindset about a whole lot of things, she said "You can have it all but not all at the same time" and honestly I made my peace with that quote.
It's ok to dream but if you have to be a mum and a wife, you need to realise that your children and your husband will need your time and attention too, especially in the formative years of your kids. You just need to learn to balance and don't put unnecessary expectations on yourself.
Share your struggle, you don't need to be able to figure it all out but don't stop fighting for what you believe in and remember to leave your footprint on the sand of time. Love yourself, love your life, love your family, prioritise your sanity, learn to balance, have a good support system and don't give up on your dreams.
Dear woman, I'm rooting for you!
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