It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said that women are like teabags, you never know how strong they are until they’re in hot water.
We understand that many women may be feeling as if they are indeed in ‘hot water’ during this Women’s Month, so the TomorrowToday team wishes to celebrate not only the phenomenal women who keep our wheels turning, but celebrate you too.
Our team of phenomenal women have put together a few words to encourage and motivate women during this uncertain time. Each piece is written uniquely in its own special way, from our hearts to yours:
Caryn Edwards – Accounts Manager (South Africa)
Women often take on multiple roles and stretch themselves in so many different directions. They are used to multi-tasking, and often excel at this and make it look easy. From being a daughter, sister and friend, to being a wife, mother and homemaker. Add in a full-time job and financial pressures and life becomes interesting.
- Setting boundaries with family, friends and work may sound harsh, but my experience has shown me that it’s necessary. Boundaries not only allow for greater productivity, but for better interpersonal relations as well.
- Have a definite off-switch for work life. Give 100% while at work, but leave work at the ‘office’.
- Take time out for yourself at home. After work or when you’re back from the school run, take 10 mins alone in your room to recharge your batteries. Read, check your phone, but be on your own.
- Take time out for yourself on weekends. Be it running, walking, reading or shopping, do something for ‘you’. Your family will survive without you for an hour here or there. Trust me. Taking time out for yourself is so important to remain positive.
- Be present. Give your full attention to your children and family when with them. Make the most of the time you spend together. Sometimes that is as simple as just communicating without distractions from your phone.
It’s often the small changes that make the biggest difference.
Jude Foulston: Operations Manager and Nice Person
Mr role at TomorrowToday is officially the Director of Digital and Nice Person, but I continue to adapt as life seems to be constantly disrupted.
Here’s what I’d love to share with fellow women: Sop trying to be anything other than the person you were created to be.
If you’ve lost the essence of who that person is because life has somehow gotten in the way, then spend some time finding out what’s important to you and start shining that light brightly again.
The world needs more leaders who are smart, who are better listeners, who have more empathy, who collaborate, and who aren’t afraid of showing more kindness and compassion.
Don’t be afraid to be true to who you are – it’s what the world needs.
Vicky Coats – Sales and Client Manager
I have just celebrated my 16th year with TomorrowToday in a client and project management position, as a people focused person. I thrive in my role of building client relationships. Linking clients’ needs and expectations to our team’s deliverables, ensures we have deep ever-growing relationships with our many long and short term clients.
My favourite quote to share with you is ‘It seems impossible until it’s done” by Nelson Mandela, an individual who was one of my motivating reasons for becoming a Personal Performance Coach – seeing others fulfil their goals is so rewarding to me, especially when you’ve walked a journey with them.
As a married woman with 3 adult children and 2 delightful little grandsons, I believe family is to be cherished and loved. I encourage all women to fill their time with meaningful activities besides work. Outside of work; traveling, reading and long walks fills my time, when I am not watching cricket live or on TV.
Janette du Plessis – Financial Manager
2 years ago what seemed my perfect world, that I had built up over 20 years came crashing down faster than the blink of an eye. I had reached an all-time low and thought my life was at its worst as I fought with the emotions of how I would never see the light at the end of this deep, dark and endless tunnel.
Today I stand proudly as I tell my story of how I have overcome fear, failure, anxiety and worry of how I would be able to continue. I have surprised myself by stepping out of my comfort zone, by successfully working with an organisation that has allowed me to grow in confidence and broaden my knowledge of what I love.
It has allowed me my own independence and realizing that I am capable of so much more than I had been made to believe.
I am a Mom, Daughter, Sister and Friend, but without the support, love, care, guidance and laughter of these amazing woman I wouldn’t be where I am today. The only thing more powerful than magic is sisterhood.
To all the woman out there thinking that you are not worthy, remember this:
Self Worth – Nikki Banas
The only one who gets to decide your worth is you.
It doesn’t come from your bank account or the number of friends you have.
It doesn’t come from what someone else says you are worth.
It is called self worth for a reason – it comes from you. It comes from being yourself
and being proud of who you are. It comes from being someone that you can count on
and someone you love. The numbers will change with time, but what won’t change is
who you are deep inside – beautiful, limitless, wonderful, creative, strong, capable.
And that is where your worth comes from.
Tamryn Batcheller-Adams – Psychologist and Consultant
Happy Women’s Month! This is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge steps taken towards gender equality as well as how many more steps there are to go.
What drives me to get up everyday? (Coffee!) and witnessing people change – changing their mindsets, their behaviour, their perspectives. It is really rewarding work. I am a psychologist, consultant, wife, daughter, friend and life enthusiast.
I spend half my week in private practice in Cape Town seeing patients and the other half engaged in emotional intelligence consultancy work and executive coaching through TomorrowToday Global.
My message to women this month is, ’pay attention to that internal voice in your head’.
We all have it, a self dialogue that pushes us forward or pulls us back. So often women have a more negative, self doubting, or critical voice in their head, one that tells them where they falling short instead of where they are excelling.
This internal script becomes an unconscious driver for our self esteem and self imagine. So this month, pause and analyze what you tell yourself about yourself and about your work… you may notice it’s time to change that internal commentator to something healthier.
Zanele Njapha – The UnLearning Lady
I’m now more convinced than ever that being a woman is truly a gift. Through my journey of being a sister and a daughter, who is immensely passionate about teaching and learning, I have three gems to share with fellow women this Women’s Month:
1. Invest time and resources into finding you: Whether you believe that we create ourselves or find ourselves, be willing and intentional in doing that. Finding your true and unique self and core values is an irreplaceable compass to navigate you through life.
2. Put skin into the game of developing ‘you’: Invest in your wellbeing, your education, your laughter and your overall enjoyment of this life experience. Unfortunately as women, we may find ourselves laying ourselves down as sacrificial lambs, but I encourage we make the primary investment in ourselves every single day – whatever that looks like for you.
3. Give ‘you’ away to a cause bigger than yourself: Give your life meaning. Committing to a worthy cause or ideal helps give life meaning and make the daily activities worth doing. Find a cause that resonates with you and dedicate yourself to serving it.
Wishing you a Happy Women’s Month this August. Even when drenched in hot water, know that you are a strong, phenomenal woman who is worth celebrating!
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