In church, its been all about the power of the woman this month. You don't realise what power you have until you have been told about it. At least I was not too sure about it until I heard it told to me. Whine on the phone and get Mr. Man to rush home with the milk and a kg of roast, Bat your eyelids and put on the smile and get the shopkeeper to give you freebies with your tomatoes. Twist your hair and hike your skirt up abit and you might just be able to hand in your assignment late. We're a combination of Superman and Prof X in a tight little pretty package.
But we have taken power to a new level. A more positive level. We do run this town. We have Stella Kilonzo doing a stellar job at the Capital Markets Authority, Betty Murungi, rocking her fabulous hair at the Kenyan Human Rights Commission and Olive Mugenda who has taken Kenyatta University to whole new level. Setting the example.
(She goes with out saying. Read about her here)
It is with pride that I look up and see what I can become. If those women can do it with quiet dignity, why can't we? There are a few things that every woman needs to know. Things that will make you woman enough to run this town. One or five positive attributes that can get you there without stepping on toes in your Minello Stilettos.
1.God focused:
Your belief drives you. Your God guides you. A prayer a day never hurt anyone. It never refused to put food on the table or slowed down your focus. Whether you believe it or not, God does push you that extra mile that you don't have strength for. He does give you grace to withstand the forces that may be put up against you and the patience to look unblinkingly into a future that does not seem all that bright.
2. Others focused:
"Our influence is useless unless it is others centered"
An attitude that shouts me, me, me never got anyone anywhere. At least not how they wanted to get there. You might end up powerful but who wants to get rich alone? Who want to reach at the top lonely? A selfish attitude leads to an eventual life of loneliness. Help others and they will be instrumental to getting you to the next level. No matter how small the gesture, someone, somewhere will remember. In your time of need, they'll remember that lady who stood up for me, who gave me a lift, who gave me a job, who listened to my troubles. Ladies, we have trouble with the concept of selflessness...I should know. But we can change. Try it out and see how improved your quality of life will be.
3.Be informed:
Let us be honest. We don't watch sports, we hardly read the paper and we don't watch the news. International news gets to us months later and usually as a caption in one of those fashion magazines at the salon. The information we get is usually fifth hand and like in a game of broken telephone, usually very, very broken. We can't make an impact using information passed down from an 18th source. When people of influence around you talk, try and listen. If the market in China crushes, ask yourself how it affects you and your business. Find out. Read and understand. Continuously be informed.
4. Wisdom:
She who desires wisdom, should just ask. For the Lord shall give it to you with abandon. Where there is wisdom, there is no need to make great shows of strength. We need to understand we are not men. We lack physical body strength. And we tend to counter that by being blonde and ill informed instead of making wise decisions. You don't have to be illiterate to be blonde. And blonde ails us as women. Make your business decisions using your head and not your heart. Listen to your 6th sense before you jump onto any deal. Consult the people in the know if you are feeling unsure of something. Like they say, "Common sense is sometimes not so common" and in women it's because our wisdom stems from our emotions as opposed to our facts.
5. Be brave and courageous:
Women are cautious by nature. Sometimes excessively so. Timidity might just be what's holding you back. If you have everything else, all that is left is to jump in. No looking back. If men can do this with reckless abandon, why can't we do it with cautious abandon? Our ability to see all the results and our 6th sense should be able to let us sail through any and all decisions we make. We have the ability to persevere longer than men so we can see a business idea grow and blossom into something great.
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
Acknowledge your power. It is in every woman and you can never reach it unless you acknowledge it's presence.
Bring it out. It is only any good if you decide to create an impact.
Confess. Women are good manipulators. We need to harness our power for good instead of the evil we are prone to. Be sorry for your past transgressions and be willing to change.
Direct it. Know your targets, know your dreams. Use your power.
Girls everywhere, Unite!
"She may only be one but she can influence her whole world"
(Inspired by Pastor Janet Mutinda from 1 Samuel 25)
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