Enriching Women’s Lives

By Carla

I work in an environment that empowers women, all types of women. One of our mottos is “enriching women’s lives.” I get to work with women from every possible background; colors, shapes, size, lifestyles, and levels of education. It doesn’t matter who you are in our field. All that matters is if you are willing to believe in yourself and those around you and work to make your goals and dreams come true. That is what drives me. That is why I am an empowered and poised woman.

My name is Carla. I am 27 years old. I grew up in the suburbs of the east side of Cleveland. I danced from age 3 to 18. I was a Girl Scout. I graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelors of Science in Health Services Administration with a business minor. I spent most of that time feeling lost and like I couldn’t find my fit, until I did. I found my flow and the space where I feel in the zone. Finding that place has helped me become the person I am today in my work and in the rest of my life. This is because other women have empowered me. Which, in turn, has helped me to learn how to empower myself. And that allows me to pass it on.

It has been said that you are like the 5 people with whom you choose to surround yourself. That is why I choose to spend my time with positive, like-minded, hard-working, passionate women. Each one of us is in control of our own thoughts, words, and actions. This is not an easy task. It is a lifelong journey. There are good days and bad. I find when you do so, you can change a life. When we change a life, we change our own.

It is easy to be kind when others are kind too. The hard part is to be kind when you are unable to see the hurt or the struggles others are going through. It doesn’t take away from your success or your life, to support others. When we choose to be kind over catty, we make a difference. When we offer a smile, a hand, or a kind word, we make a difference. That difference changes a life, causing a ripple effect. Sometimes we have to help someone else to help ourselves.

Being an empowered and poised woman doesn’t mean you always feel that way. It doesn’t mean you always have a great attitude, know all the right words to say, believe in yourself or don’t fail. I mess up. I say the wrong thing. I doubt myself. I fail, often. I also pick myself back up. I learn what the right thing to say is or when not to say anything. I reach out to others for help. I help others. I have faith. I fail forward to success. I believe in myself. Every woman has the right to feel empowered and poised. It all starts with a decision. It may sound silly but you, yes you, have the ability to decide how you feel. So when you wake up in the morning, decide to feel happy, confident, and beautiful. Decide to be an empowered and poised woman and help others to do the same.