Being the Best We Can Be, Is it not Enough? by Stacey Honowitz


     Forgive me for not writing for a very long time, but I have been quite busy with the normal things that most moms deal with on a daily basis. So many of us work full time jobs, are taking care of children, dealing with issues at school, scheduling playdates and after school activities, worrying about homework and volunteering, sweating over the next series of bills that are coming in, and all other insecurities that invade our brains at all hours of the day. I think if you spoke to a lot of women they would all agree.  I guess that’s why hearing about a book that is currently on the market written by a woman who makes 30 million dollars, about women who don’t strive to be at the top, is  tough to swallow. I think its fabulous that she has made it to the top, her hard work has paid off  financially for her, and she should not be shunned because she is in a better position than most. What I think is difficult for a lot of women to relate to, is her lifestyle and what she can afford to do in comparison to most  because she has “made it.”

     I think that most of us spend our days trying to figure out how to make room for all things that are going on in our lives. I hate to use the term “juggling it all” but honestly that is what most of us do. I doubt very much that this author sits in her office worrying about who is going to pick up their child from school if she can’t get there, and I am doubly sure that she is not worried about getting to the supermarket, or target before the end of the day to get things for a school project. I guess its easy when you can afford fabulous help, but the average person does not have that luxury. Many women do not have a partner that they can ask to share in the work, as this author suggests. I just hope that most people realize that while her ideas seem palatable  as a way for women to get to the top, the reality of that situation does not take into account the real world. I am not trying to say that you can’t do everything, but I think that if you are not surrounded by an an incredible team either at home or at work, one or the other is going to suffer.

     Today’s society is focused on success and celebrity, and when we look at some of these women who “seem to have it all” we forget what is going on behind the scenes. The only celebrity that I have ever seen “come clean” is Sarah Jessica Parker, when asked in an interview how she lost her baby weight so fast, she responded by saying that most women don’t have what I have.” .”I am very lucky, I have a trainer  five times a week, a nanny to take care of my kids, and I can run and do as I please.” Most of us are not afforded that luxury.

     Most of us have had to learn to sacrifice certain things, whether it be a position at work because we didn’t think we could succeed in full because of other obligations. We have had to prioritize certain things in our lives to be able to afford others. We have had to challenge ourselves to move ahead when things got rough.  I don’t know if someone living a completely different lifestyle can ask us to do differently or “step up to the plate”. I applaud her efforts, I just think she needs to mingle with the masses.

    We all do our best to make it work, we all try and please our bosses, families and others. We try to make things right and good for our children and to make sure that they have opportunities that we didn’t have. I don’t know how I feel about this “movement” and would be curious to hear your feelings? Do you think that women are selling themselves short, and not being the best they can be? I know that in my mind I struggle with it everyday, how about you? 

        

  1. One Response to “Being the Best We Can Be, Is it not Enough? by Stacey Honowitz”

  2. so true!

    By susan on Mar 13, 2013