A real-life law change in India provided a wonderful control experiment for researchers: in 1993, the Indian government passed a constitutional amendment to address the dearth of female leaders in local politics. In each five-year election cycle, one their of villages were randomly selected to appoint a female pradhan or chief.
The result? After two cycles of having a female pradhan in a village, perceptions of women in leadership improved among both male and female villagers. What is more, parents' aspirations for their daughters increased: they were 45 per cent more likely to want their girls to progress beyond secondary school than parents in villages that had never had a female leader. Meanwhile, the girls themselves had greater ambitions, did better at school and shared household chores more equally with their brothers.
– Mary Ann Sieghart (2021) The Authority Gap: Why Women are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men and What We Can Do About It, p. 306.
God didn't call me to kill me. He called me to glory and virtue. My body has dropped on His feet to follow me home no more. Who the son of God set free is free indeed.
Patience Johnson, Why Does an Orderly God Allow Disorder
“Thanks to Hydeia, millions were educated, stigmas were broken, and attitudes about HIV/AIDs were changed. We will miss her powerful voice in this world.”-Magic Johnson
RIP Hydeia Broadbent. Thank you for using your voice.
There comes a time when we hit what feels like our limit, but that's exactly when the concept of finding another gear becomes most relevant.
It's not about pushing ourselves to exhaustion but discovering a deeper, more sustainable source of energy and focus.
This gear is usually fueled by passion, connecting our daily efforts to what genuinely inspires us. When our tasks resonate with our bigger motivations, they become less about obligation and more about fulfillment.
Tappingg into another gear is about acknowledging our humanity. We aren't meant to be on all the time. Our worth isn't measured by our productivity but by our ability to maintain balance and perspective, ensuring we can sustain our efforts over time.
So, as we navigate our responsibilities, let's remember that finding another gear means deepening our engagement with our tasks and lives in a balanced way.