Culturally and socially, India has a long way to go before women are genuinely treated as equals in the workplace. Here are some of the issues that women struggle to overcome in corporate India.

• The Infamous Glass Ceiling

Of late this is a term thrown around a lot with respect to women in the corporate sector. The imaginary ceiling up to which a woman can grow in her career is a concept that is taken for granted in the Indian society.

There are several reasons why very few women make it to the top rungs of a firm – family commitments and gender discrimination in the workplace are just a couple.

When two people are considered for the same role, many a time a male employee is chosen over a woman simply because they don’t have as many strings attached like pregnancy and childcare.

• Unequal Pay

Women in a lot of firms are paid 20-30% less than their male counterparts, often without valid reasons. Again, the skepticism of a firm to invest in their women employees is very evident. “What if she resigns because she needs to take care of a parent or a child?”

“What if she quits because her husband needs to move out of the city?” – these are just a couple of questions that run through the employer’s mind. Unless women are paid the same as men for the same work, it is very difficult to retain female workforce.

• Employee Security

A lot of times women, especially in the BPO setup and in many IT firms are required to work for very long hours. Shweta Chawla, an employee of an IT firm says, “My company has cabs for us to use when we get delayed, but who’s to say we’re safe even in the cabs at 11 pm?”

There have been several cases of women employees of BPO organizations being raped and murdered by cab drivers in the wee hours of the morning.  Security is a factor that is extremely important when a woman makes a choice about working.

• Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

Suggestive statements made by bosses or peers, a careless brush of the backside, conversation with sexual overtones – these are not uncommon in corporate India. Organizations usually have a system in place for women employees to report sexual harassment and take legal action.

However, there are two major issues here – inability to recognize sexual harassment in some cases, and fear of career setbacks if they report a superior.

• Lack Of Support From Immediate Superiors

Many a time women have a tough time dealing with immediate bosses who are male. This is due to factors like lack of sensitivity of the boss towards the employee’s health concerns or family commitments, and assumptions about her capabilities on the basis of her gender.

Namrata Rao, an engineer in a reputed Telecom firm says, “I wanted to pursue a business development role and I spoke to my manager about it. He started the conversation by saying ‘If you are really serious about your career, my suggestion would be to …’ as soon as he said ‘if you are serious about your career’ I switched off because I was so mad at him.” Incidents like these are not uncommon.

• Lack Of Support From Family

While this is not an issue directly at the workplace, if a woman doesn’t have the support of her family, it affects her performance at work.

Spouses and parents in law sometimes are unwilling to share responsibilities at home and with respect to childcare. This makes it all the more difficult for women to focus on work.

• Insufficient Maternity Leave

Firms like Infosys and Ernst & Young have women employee friendly policies for maternity leave. But in a lot of other companies, women are forced to either quit or cut short their break post childbirth, depending on their financial condition.

• Rewarding Face Time As Opposed To Results At Work

This is a predominant culture in the Indian workplace, where the more you are “seen”, the better you are rewarded. So while measures that give flexibility like working from home or flexi-hours work well for women, they lose out on a lot of recognition in spite of the hard work that they put in, simply because they are not physically present.

Organizations need to understand that unless they put in genuinely effective measures that will encourage women to work with little hassle, not just the companies, but Indian economy as a whole will take a big hit.

Have you faced any of these issues in the workplace? Leave a comment below and let us know your experiences.

© Naaree.com

Permission is required to reprint this article.

Career Resources for Women:

• iPersonic: The Award-Winning Personality Test – Set your personality free. Our award-winning personality test has been taken by over 1 million people worldwide so far. iPersonic offers personal development products (Personal eBooks) that have been elaborated by leading experts and taylored to each of the 16 iPersonic personality types.
• How to Become a Rising Star in Your Career in 60 Days or Less – Discover the career performance system that gets you where you want to go and learn the critical things that top performers know and do that average performers do not. Regardless whether you’re just starting out in your career or you’re aiming for a new, top-level position, learning these strategies and techniques will give you an edge over your competition. These proven strategies can help you earn more, gain respect and recognition, and put your career on the fast track.
• The Strategic Career Plan – Covers areas important to your preparedness and marketability whether you are a business owner, gainfully employed or in a career transition. Define yourself, know your core competencies, SWOT, what is unique about you, why that matters and how to market yourself. Formulate a strategy with a game plan and goals including your communication strategy – verbal/paper/online – effective networking and how to be sought after as an expert in your field.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The Budget doesn’t really offer too many exclusive benefits to women, but in general there are some areas where everyone can save on tax. Here’s a look at what’s beneficial from a tax perspective, so women can make their choices wisely.

For resident women up to the age of 65 years, there is no income tax on net income up to Rs.1,90,000. This is slightly higher than the bar for men, which is Rs.1,80,000.

With effect from April 1st 2011, salaried women have a 10% tax deduction if their employer has invested more than Rs.1,00,000 in the Central Government’s Pension Scheme. There are many different investment options which help in saving tax, and one should always read and research these thoroughly before investing.

Earlier men solely made financial decisions and did all the investing. Now women are not to be left behind, and a lot of them do extensive research on investment options before deciding on what’s best for them.

The most well known Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, offers many tax benefits to investors. One can invest in instruments such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), Tax Saving Fixed Deposits (FD) and so on, up to a limit of Rs.1,00,000.

Beyond this, one can also purchase Infrastructure Bonds up to Rs. 20,000. There are some market linked products such as Equity Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS) and Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) which can also be considered.

The risk that you can take with your money varies inversely as your age. If you are in your early working years, you can allocate a higher proportion to ELSS investments as opposed to the fixed income investments such as PPF and NSC.

If you are living in a rented accommodation, then be sure to claim HRA (House Rent Allowance) tax benefits.  There are 3 factors which are considered for HRA – the actual rent allowance given by employer, 50% of basic pay in metros (40% in non metros) and actual rent paid minus 10% of basic pay.

The least of these 3 factors is what you claim as HRA for  tax exemption. There are tax exemptions offered on home loans under Section 80C, and on interest under Section 24. These should also be availed of wherever applicable. Investing together offers some benefits for a couple, such as eligibility for loans.

While doing tax planning and taking investment decisions women should consider three factors – age, income and what financial goals they have set independently as well as from a family perspective.

A right balance of low risk investments such as fixed deposits, and medium and high risk investments such as shares, gold and real estate needs to be struck.

Consider consulting a certified and trusted financial planner as they have the knowledge as well as experience to manage money and put you on the right track.

This is an excerpt from “Personal Finance For Women In India: Plan Your Path To Financial Freedom Forever” authored by Ankush Thakur & Priya Florence Shah, and published by the Naaree™ Academy for Indian Women Achievers.

Investing Courses:

• Barbara Stanny’s Tele-Seminars – Barbara Stanny is on a mission – to inspire women to become financially empowered. Her eye-opening presentations convey an encouraging message: when you take charge of your money, you take control of your life. And it’s so much simpler than most people realize. A highly entertaining speaker, Barbara immediately engages her audience with her own dramatic story, inspiring anecdotes, and grounded advice. Barbara teaches women how to map out their financial futures, and shares her secrets for personal empowerment. Her journey to financial enlightenment is an inspiring story, and became the basis for her best-selling books, private coaching and popular workshops.
• FREE 27 page Financial Literacy Report by Loral Langemeier:“The 8 Fundamentals of Building and Sustaining Lifelong Wealth” – Money is power. It’s about time you learn how to earn it, accumulate it, grow it, spend it and manage it like a pro. Loral Langemeier is the best selling author of the Millionaire Maker series of books and Put More Cash In Your Pocket.  She is also an internationally acclaimed speaker and money expert.
• The 8 Steps to Wealth – Learn the secrets steps most millionaires follow to become wealthy. Quit learning from people who teach wealth, but have not created it for themselves. In this program, you will learn The 8 Steps to Wealth system that made Linda P. Jones a millionaire and shows you the roadmap of how to create serious wealth. This step-by-step program is easy to follow and implement. Begin with a “wealthy mindset” and end with creating your legacy.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A well established and responsible person in this position knows how to be a business leader, but what does it really take to fill the position?

• Leadership Skills

A good business leader has certain qualities that both benefit her and her team.

She is the go-to person whenever there is a critical decision making or a plan that needs execution. People can’t function properly if they aren’t properly managed.

• Lead By Example

As a business leader, you must know how to lead by example. A leader, who is dishonest, will receive the same dishonesty from him team.

But a leader with pure and noble intentions will receive the full support of his team to pass through all endeavors.

• Grace under Pressure

A business leader should always show confidence and composure. A leader who exhibits “grace under pressure” will get more positive results and can transmit the same working attitude to his team.

• Ability to Execute Vision

A good business leader should put his vision into words and action. Feasible and tangible projects that can improve the organization and boost the confidence of the people will earn support and encouragement.

• Motivating People

A business leader should also give credit to the right person for a job well done. This gesture will boost the full potential of this person and it will encourage other people to do the same. Monetary incentives, tokens or even food stubs are great ideas as bonuses.

• Ability to Delegate

Company projects and other endeavors should be divided among teammates and delegation of responsibility should be made by the business leader. Assigning the best person for a specific task is crucial in attaining the best results.

But always give your support and encouragement to boost everyone’s interest and involvement. Delegate a project leader for the task to oversee the progress and to give you updates of the day to day activities.

• Communication Skills

Encourage open communication between you and your team. You should always have time for suggestions and feedback to help maintain a good rapport with everyone. Be aware of the issues and concerns of your people and be on the lookout for disagreements and unhealthy working attitudes.

• Ability to Earn Respect

You can always be as friendly as you are, but instilling discipline among your team will help you earn respect and support.

• Fair and Just

Being a business leader also means being fair and just in making judgments that can help improve a harmonious working environment and relationship with your team.

© Naaree.com

Permission is required to reprint this article.

Business Leadership Programs:

• A Leadership Series for Successful Living – Powerful leadership insights to dramatically increase your personal & team results. Conquer paralyzing stress & anxiety begin living a more purposeful life – the rewarding life you deserve. Achieve success in all key areas of your personal and professional life. Get a free 5-day ecourse now!
• Women In Leadership: Feminine Leadership Traits That Will Help You Shine In A New World – This ebook on women in leadership highlights the many ways in which feminine leadership qualities are giving women an advantage in the workplace. Learn which feminine traits can give you an advantage in your career and business in a new world.
• Leadership-UltraNet – Leadership skills training need an ultra-boost? Your Leadership-UltraNet! is the performance empowerment system that shows you how-to think-like, believe-like, act-like, behave-like & manage-like a confident, persuasive, creative, highly effective leader, each and every day. This ultra-huge, ultra-affordable educational system reveals 5001-plus proven methods, shows how-to effectively enhance your leadership skills, creatively solve your problems, instantly generate value-added solutions, elegantly manage your changing priorities, professionally overcome your challenges, swiftly develop visionary strategies and new plans, brilliantly uncover exciting opportunities as you lead, inspire & skyrocket bottom-line results.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

According to the news report here, the law is a paradigm shift in the way the state has looked at the man-woman relationship.

When the law for the protection of women from domestic violence comes into force, it will extend equal benefit to women in live-in relationships, as it will to married women. In other words, this means an official recognition to live-in relationships. Under the new proposal, the Government has defined violence against women in such a way that it makes no distinction between a woman who is married and one who is in a live-in relationship.

Accordingly, from now on there will be stringent provisions for violence against women, whether within a marriage or a live-in relationship; verbal abuse and wife bashing will be considered an offence which may invite penal provision of one year in jail and Rs 20,000 fine and, over and above of all this, none of these offences will be bailable. It’s a proposal that will provide a relief to all women who may have suffered from domestic violence.

I’m all for personal choice, and I think the Indian Government has very good intentions when it comes to protecting women in relationships, but there’s more than one way to look at this situation.

Women who choose a live-in relationship without marriage are not being forced to make that choice. They make it of their own free will, and have the choice to walk out anytime things go bad. If they don’t exercise their choice, they are choosing to act like victims. And there are no victims, only volunteers.

But there’s another reason I believe that women who agree or choose to opt for a live-in relationship, with hopes of tying the knot someday, are doing themselves a great disservice.

Studies on cohabitation, like the one here, have shown that not only are live-in relationships more likely to lead to a weak marriage, but there’s also a higher incidence of abuse and divorce in a live-in relationship.

According to social science evidence, cohabitation presents numerous troubles for the couple. Research has shown that couples who cohabitate increase the risk of divorce if they ever do marry.

Furthermore, there is an increase in the occurrence of domestic and child abuse among those couples living together outside of marriage. Although not proven, it is said couples that cohabitate are not as happy as married couples. (USA today)

Many researchers believe that those who have “trial” marriages will not and do not have better marriages. Many of these couples cohabitate because they believe that their marriage will be stronger since they got to know each other first.

However, research shows that cohabitating couples have lower marital satisfaction and weaker marriages than those who did not live together first.

It is believed that married couples make an attempt to compromise and accommodate to each other’s life because the marriage is supposed to last for life. It is believed that cohabiting couples do not do this because they don’t have a life long commitment.

Personally, I would rather have a live-apart relationship, and date a man a few times a week, than give him the benefit of living with me without marriage. Living together tends to create boredom. Not only is it better for a relationship when you spend time apart, but I believe it keeps the mystery and romance alive.

I believe I deserve nothing less than total commitment and devotion from a man I’m planning to spend the rest of my life with. So, for me, living-in would be the equivalent of lowering my standards and settling for less than I deserve.

For legal recognition of live-in relationships to truly make a difference, we need to go beyond definitions of abuse, to include division of assets and child support for children conceived within such a relationship.

Only when their pocketbook is likely to be affected by a relationship will men think twice before suggesting living-in without tying the knot.

Also Read:

The Verdict On Cohabitation Versus Marriage

The Facts Behind Cohabitation

Love and Sex: Living Together

What It Means to Live with a Man

© Copyright Naaree.com. All rights reserved.

Relationship Resources for Women:

• FREE: 10 Secrets About Men – Learn secrets that most women will never know about meeting and keeping a great man. Learn what goes on inside a man’s mind… and how attraction works for him. The ten fatal mistakes to avoid that most women make with men. What to do if your man has a “wandering eye”. The differences in how men and women think about dating… and why most men want to keep you from being successful. The seven secrets to communicating with a man that will create lasting love and affection.
• Understand Men Now: The Relationships Men Commit To And Why – Do you get frustrated or irritated when it comes to understanding men? In this book YOU will learn about commitment ready men and understand the way men think. Imagine you could truly discover men who are ready for commitment,  understande the 6 Kinds of men you might be dating or in a relationship with and learn the 7 Types of Relationship Men Commit to and WHY. Download a Free Report on “Where To Meet Great Guys”.
• The Magic of Making Up – Do you know the core reason why men leave women? Did you know that most relationships can be salvaged?  Now you can stop your break up, divorce or lovers rejection, even if your situation seems hopeless. The techniques, principles and advice you will receive in here have helped hundreds of men and women just like you win back the mind, heart and soul of the ones they love. Not only will you be able to get your ex back, you also will be much better equipped to keep them long, long into the future.

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

But women aren’t just traveling for education, they are hopping on planes for pleasure and adventure as well.  Times have changed and Indian women are more independent, seeking new experiences in a solo trip or group setting.

There’s so much to see in this beautiful world, where can you start?  Here are 10 places that you should not miss:

• Barcelona, Spain

Many people have already put this on the top of their list! Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city, bustling with people, locals and tourists the like.

Shopping, art, amazing street performers, architecture that astounds – it’s the perfect package for the culture-loving women.

Learn to Flamenco dance, check out one of the largest Marine Centre’s in Europe, L’Aquarium de Barcelona, or simply relax on the beautiful Barceloneta Beach.

• Istanbul, Turkey

This is a special city, positioned right between Europe and Asia. An ancient city, rich with history, one of the largest in the world. Stroll through the amazing spice markets or visit a palace built centuries ago.

Don’t forget to take a moment to sip on a Turkish coffee at a local sidewalk café. A solo woman traveler can have a safe and enjoyable journey here, but always use common sense. Check out one woman’s tips on the Journeywoman site.

• Queenstown, New Zealand

If you are looking for a bit of nature and stunning mountain views are more your thing, head to Queenstown. Nestled in the South Island of this beautiful country, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, this is a magical place.

There is much opportunity for excellent skiing in the winter. Don’t love the crowds?  Autumn is a nice time to visit, as there are less tourists and still so much to do.

Head out for some jet boating, bungee jumping or hiking. Even with all of the tourists, the gorgeous scenery will not disappoint. This is a lovely place for an Indian woman traveler as New Zealanders (aka Kiwis) are some of the friendliest people around!

• Buenos Aires, Argentina

The largest city and capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is a place to let your hair down! Yes, the architecture and climate is amazing but so is the nightlife.

Be ready to eat a late dinner and head out to the clubs until the early hours, especially if you like to dance. Pack your dancing shoes, ladies, there’s never too much tango in this city. Shopping, food, wine and many neighborhoods to explore in this city of rich culture.

• Tel Aviv, Israel

Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, nicknamed “the City that Never Sleeps”, this city will never leave you feeling bored. If you love fashion, performing arts and spending money, this is your place!

Look out New York; Tel Aviv is quickly becoming one of the most popular cities to visit. To top it off, some of the best beaches in the world can be found here. Bring your swimsuit along…or better yet, buy a new one once you get here.

• Zanzibar, Tanzania

Situated off of the coast of Tanzania, in the Indian coast, Zanzibar will give you beauty beyond belief with its turquoise water, coral reefs and white sand.  Visit the historic city of Stone Town, known as one of the last Ancient towns in East Africa, unchanged for 200 years.

Zanzibar will give you a change of pace, if you like history, indigenous wildlife and beautiful scenery, this may be the holiday for you. The local people will love that you are bringing money into their home but always respect their customs and traditions while visiting.

• Brooklyn, NY

The biggest of the five boroughs in NYC, Brooklyn will expose you to more than just American culture. This is a place where you can find people from all over the world (living very closely to one another).

One day you can go to Italy, while the next, try visiting the neighborhood now known as “Little Russia”.  Each neighborhood will have it’s own culture and there are many to explore, prepare to be amazed.

If you are traveling alone, there are many women travel meetups that you can find on the internet to connect with other solo women travelers in NYC.

• Chiang Mai, Thailand

A quieter alternative to the bustling city of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is home to over 300 Buddhist temples. There are many national parks to visit; some local groups offer free guided hikes.

A popular spot for tourists and locals is the Wat Prathat Doi Suthep Temple, the most famous one of the city.  It offers views of the entire valley and sits on the top of the Doi Suthep Mountain.

Go river rafting, ride an elephant or visit a small village in the hills, it’s all possible here! Also, if you love to shop (and enjoy a good haggling), this is your place, you can find many good bargains at the markets here.

• San Juan, Puerto Rico

If you’re looking for an island getaway with a side of history, make your way to San Juan. Crystal blue water, Caribbean sun, beaches, beaches and more beaches!

Spend a day in Old San Juan, walk the cobblestone streets and make sure to check out the two forts called El Morro and San Cristobal. These historic forts are situated on the northern part of Old San Juan, overlooking the ocean, so bring your camera.

If you’re on a budget, there are quite a few safe but cheap options to stay here, some even located on the beach.

• Goa, India

A popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, Goa is a small state full of paradise. Indian and Portuguese culture abounds against a tropical setting in this ever-growing tourist hot spot.

The Portuguese influence is evident in the old Heritage Villas. Spend a day in Old Goa to see magnificent churches, monasteries and cathedrals, where the site of the Portuguese capital used to be.

Or simply find a beach bungalow and sit on one of the many beaches, enjoy a lazy day, and do nothing but soak up some sun.

These are just a handful of the many places waiting to be explored. There is risk in every adventure, which is part of the fun, but you should always be a safe traveler when trekking in unknown territory, especially if you choose to travel solo.

One great resource for a solo woman traveler is www.wanderlustandlipstick.com. There are many helpful travel tips on this website. No matter where you end up taking your suitcase, travel safe, travel smart, travel often, there’s a whole lot of world to see!

© Naaree.com

Permission is required to reprint this article.

Travel Tips & Resources:

• Travel the World and Get Paid! – Love to travel? Does the thought of enjoying exotic vacations sound like a dream come true? You can travel and get paid for it! For years I have been teaching people the ins and outs of tour directing and guiding. Let me show you how to do the same.
• Safe-T-Informant: Receive GPS Alerts Of Approaching High Crime Areas – Arm yourself with information and provide safe travel for you and your family – know the high crime areas. An easy to install TomTom GPS add-on that provides both audio and visual alerts when traveling toward or in a high-crime area.
• Avoid Jet Lag: Unique Plan To Cure Jet Lag – All travelers suffer from some level of jet lag. Discover how you can completely avoid jet lag – every time you fly – following a simple step by step approach. The program is built on both the most up to date, scientific sleep studies and personal experience flying all over the world, several times a month.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I believe that each of life’s experiences teaches us something; it leaves its mark on us in some way or the other. However not all experiences are pleasant.

At times, we may be deceived, offended, and wronged by our family and friends. These experiences cause us untold hurt and anguish.

It may be that your boss is trying to undermine or intimidate you, your sibling is fighting you tooth and nail over money or property matters, or your in-laws are constantly humiliating your parents, but each incident leaves you with a heavy heart, and a troubled mind.

It is very easy to be overwhelmed with anger and hatred when something negative occurs. These feelings impact and affect you as a person. They play havoc on your emotional and physical health.

We learn to cope with our negative feelings in various ways, from denying our feelings, numbing ourselves, and disassociating ourselves from such unpleasant people. These defense mechanisms act as a hurdle to the path of forgiveness.

Over the years, we build up a storehouse of resentment. We prefer to draw comfort from our resentments, feeling almost powerful and God-like, when we refuse to forgive.

Most of us believe in the notion “An eye for an eye”, and disallow ourselves from behaving in a compassionate manner towards the person who caused us grief. Refusing to let-go boosts our (false) egos, and gives us a feeling of self-righteousness and a sense of immense satisfaction.

We become slaves to the adrenaline rush of feelings of anger, self-pity, and retribution, and we draw comfort from these feelings to help us cope with our hurt and resentment.

As the saying goes, “To err is human, to forgive divine”. Forgiveness is considered as an ideal virtue. Forgiveness does not mean that you bow down to the offender.

Forgiving the person who has caused you hurt does not demean you, or make you smaller. You actually do yourself a favor when you forgive the wrongdoer.

Forgiving someone is the greatest gift you can give yourself. It is the best way by which you can heal yourself emotionally, and spiritually.

Forgiveness is an art, an art that takes years to master. It is about the most difficult thing that a person can do, but it is not impossible.

I recently interviewed a brother and sister who have not spoken to each other since the last eight years. Says Jaya, “We had a fight about some trivial matter concerning some family property years back. At that time, my parents sided with my brother, maybe because they knew I was wrong.”

“However I was unable to accept that, or forgive my brother. Since then, there has been no looking back. I have not spoken to him, or even attended his wedding. I don’t know my niece or nephew. I realize now how much I have missed out on. My daughter doesn’t even know her cousins.”

When I spoke to Aaksah, her brother, he said, “Yes I know Jaya was angry at that time”. I always thought she should have been the first one to come and say sorry, as she was the one who started the argument in the first place. She did not come forward or make the first move towards a reconciliation, and neither was I willing to be the one to take the first step forward.

In today’s scenario, where property and money have blinded our senses, it is not uncommon to see so many families come apart simply because no one was willing to take the first step forward and forgive the other person.

One question that has always plagued me is that “Can I truly forgive someone if I am unable to forget?” Well, to ask someone to forgive and forget is perhaps almost unrealistic.

You try to forgive the person who has caused you untold grief or hurt but the mind, which is like a sponge with an amazing capacity to hoard the negative feelings and emotional hurt, raises its head like an ugly dragon, and memories of the hurtful incident comes back to haunt you.

You are then left wondering, “Have I really been able to forgive?” To answer this question, we need to understand what forgiveness really means.

Forgiveness is a process of truly letting go of the situation and making a new start. It means breaking free of any feelings of retaliation; it is a process of truly freeing yourself from grudges.

When you truly forgive, you make a commitment to yourself not to mention the issue in the future or use it to your advantage. It is important to realize that we only hurt ourselves if we hold on to past incidents.

While some incidents may require a long time to heal before you can actually let go and forgive, most incidents are so trivial that it is simpler to forgive and carry on with your life rather than holding on to the emotional baggage.

Debbie Mandel, M.A. Motivational Speaker, Stress Management Expert, Author, Radio Show Host has the following suggestions:

• You can learn to forgive others when you first forgive yourself. When you make a mistake, YOU are not a mistake. So by learning from mistakes, rejections, betrayals and injustices, you can really grow as a person. Most often, we are unable to forgive others because we allow ourselves to be hurt. Once you accept that being hurt is part of your self-growth, you can forgive others – they are your teachers.

• If you make up your mind to forgive and let go, you do not poison or dilute your present. You can forgive as soon as you make up your mind to forgive and move on. Our thoughts govern our perceptions. Many perceived injustices are just that – subjective perceptions which might be misunderstandings.

• The easiest way to forgive is to reframe the transgression with a positive spin – compassionate circumstances that made the person act that way.

© Naaree.com

Permission is required to reprint this article.

Emotional Healing Tools:

• The Magic Of Forgiveness – Forgiveness is the only key that opens the door to a life free from emotional and mental pain. Release the burdens of your past and present that haunt you, end the emotional pain you feel in your heart, ‘take a shower on the inside’ – cleaning out all the gunk that’s stuck within you.
• Working With Your Shadow – The people that push your buttons, loved ones or strangers, that energy is coming from your shadow. Or, those things that terrify you – that energy is also coming from your shadow. Whatever gets you ‘riled up’ – you can bet it’s rooted in your shadow. All the feelings and emotions you deny end up in your shadow. This meditation is designed to help you retrieve your energy one piece at a time and guide you to the home of your shadow. From there, you’ll let the personification of your shadow guide you to the room that holds the energy that will help you most at that time. Each time you do this meditation, you’ll likely go to a different room, and retrieve different energies.
• EFT for Self-Love & Self-Appreciation – Even if the pattern of “not loving self” has been with you for most of your life, you owe it to yourself to address this issue and keep addressing this issue until you can look in the mirror and say to yourself “I love you”, and really mean it.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

1. Be optimistic

2. Avoid Big Mistakes

• No cost to low cost – Use social media liked Facebook, twitter etc to drive your business.
• It is a proven fact that entrepreneurs are today driving economies. Why? We are able to think fast on our feet, we can make changes as needed when we see the markets change. During recession in 2008, it was “dinosaur” companies suffered the most as they tend to move slowly.
• Bring in flexibility in our working style. Maintain a work life balance.
• Never design your lifestyle around your work, instead design business around your lifestyle. Then work becomes your passion.
• Turn your passion into profits. Purpose of business is actually to make profits and not make it a “Secret Hobby”.
• Provide products ir services which audience really “WANTS”. Wants are bigger than needs…trust me we indulge more in wants than needs.

3. Business model needs to be efficient and self sufficient. Cost to Income ratio needs to work in your favour.

4. Learn to embrace risks.

• Get out of your comfort zone.
• Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

5. Stay out of fear – Stay in faith.

• Have faith in yourself. Believe in yourself
• Grow as far as your greatest fear.
• Your biggest fear makes you uncomfortable to be able to reach that big success. Success we seek will only come when we move through the fear.

6. Learn from inspiring people and surround yourself with people who are there where you want to be.

• Invest in training, education, coaching – Invest in yourself.
• You are the average of five people who surround you the most.
• Master mind: Having a group of successful entrepreneurs with who you would learn and share.

7. Not everyone will support your success. Don’t get distracted by criticism. Holding back hurts no one but you.

8. Time: we all have 24 hours but how one utilizes it is what makes one rich.

9. Marketing yourself is more important than mastery of your skills.

• There are many masters of your trade better than you but are not commercially successful because people don’t know them.
• If you don’t know how to get word around you wont be able to get clients.
• Important to understand how lead generation from offline and online prospects can be converted to buyers and then to repeat buyers.

10. Make decisions not from where you are but where you want to be.

Sarika Bhattacharyya, Founder of Biz Divas and Altavis has over 12 years of experience in Financial Services industry having worked with firms such as Merrill Lynch and ICICI Bank in the field of investment banking and wealth management. She is passionate about entrepreneurship development and believes in financial independence for every woman. She lives in Gurgaon with her husband and 5 year old son. She can be reached at sarika@altavis.co.in

Business Coaching for Women:

• Inner Game Coaching – Your willingness to play big (your mindset) is 90% of your success or failure in business. Client Attraction mentor, Fabienne Fredrickson, shows you how to play a bigger game so you can be of service to the world in a much bigger way (and multiply your income doing it.) Watch the Play a Bigger Game Videos now and get rid of the blocks that are holding you back from being the amazing woman achiever you can be.
• Business Growth Strategies – Become more successful in every aspect of your business and your life with an online membership program with 5 categories in business and personal success for you to choose from. The best part is each course is programmed especially for YOU based on your answers to an assessment. Each category contains hours of video lessons from Brian Tracy, and an Action Guide to help you put these powerful ideas into action immediately. If you follow the prescribed formula, you’ll be on your way to a better life and more profitable business.
• Free MP3 Download: How To Get A Success Mindset Like Oprah & Bill Gates With One Easy Formula – Ever wonder how Oprah went from a poor upbringing filled with abuse and abandonment to becoming one of the richest and most famous women throughout the world? Or, how Bill Gates went from being a college dropout to becoming one of the wealthiest men in the world? Download this FREE Teleclass where business growth expert, Debbie Bermont, reveals the Business Success Mindset Formula they use which led to their financial wealth, and which you can follow NOW. Get the ONLY six mindset principles you will ever need to know and apply to your business if you want to create a financially successful business. The Business Success Mindset Formula works for EVERY business type, in EVERY industry, in ANY economy and for EVERY level of business.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I would like to begin by defining what ‘integrity’ really means, the term being so loosely used in discussions and often confused with morality. As per Wikipedia (where I found the most appropriate explanation) the word “integrity” stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete).

In this context, integrity is the inner sense of “wholeness” deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others “have integrity” to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

The above explanation essentially conveys that integrity originates from within; that is, from one’s very sense of being. A person with integrity acts and behaves as per her core beliefs and values in all circumstances irrespective of the situation or the opportunity presented to act in contrary.

So I do not quite understand when people say ‘I work with professional integrity’ and how is it different from personal integrity. If we consider the above explanation, then some random acts of honesty or only in some areas of life do not amount to integrity. Nor does the concept of being principled most of the times holds good.

Either one has integrity or one doesn’t. The sense of integrity can never be occasional!

The sense of honesty mirrors itself in a person’s actions as well as words.  The consistency of one’s character in all kinds of situations gives one integrity and makes one trustworthy. Trust originates from consistency… when there is predictability in one’s behavior in any given situation.

Therefore Yudhisthitra, the son of Dharma himself, who lived his whole life with integrity, lost his credibility with one small lie (or rather, a deliberate attempt to misguide Dronacharya) when he participated in spreading the rumor of Ashwathama being dead, during the battle of Mahabharata. He failed miserably in honoring the trust that his guru Dronacharya had reposed in him.

If we deliberate on integrity among women, we will realize that the relevance as well as prevalence of integrity is in no way different from integrity among men…. except for the ramifications.

Life today is indeed tough and integrity as a virtue is tougher than ever to practice. Women are equal victims of the changing value systems and are increasingly falling prey to temptations.

I am reminded of a good friend’s remark once when I was shocked at her turnaround, “Pratima, for you things are either black or white; but it does not happen that way. There are grey areas too”. And I had furiously reacted, “things have to be black or white, otherwise it’s just being an opportunist!”

Over the years I have witnessed more and more women echoing her views through words or deeds and I am no more shocked to witness the acts of dishonesty.

Interestingly enough we have improvised and are using polished words instead to cover up the malice. Phrases like ‘it works mutually’ ‘convenience’, ‘being smart’, ’being proactive’ often convey the intentions behind !

The desire to get ahead is so strong that the little unsporting push here and there is all a part of the game. Values, ethics, integrity are taboo words not to be discussed at home lest the children may get confused and lag behind the neighbor’s child.

We are raising champions, and not children any more. Success at any rate is the new mantra. Do our children have enough role models around to emulate the traits of integrity? How will they learn that integrity is a trait to be practiced and not a fancy word reserved only for articles?

And this is the ramification that concerns me. Parents are the biggest role models for children where character is concerned and a mother’s role is still bigger, she being at the core of the family.

Not to downplay a father’s role; a mother by virtue of our social structure is usually available more for the child and has a deeper connection psychologically as well.

Given her influence over young minds, she has to acknowledge this fact and cautiously guide her child to the values. This may be the reason that nature has endowed her with resilience and strength and exercising integrity is more within her powers.

Coming back to where I began, integrity originates from our very core. And haven’t we, the women, stopped looking within… haven’t we lost connection with our own selves?

We have become so paranoid that we have lost faith in our own abilities. Nature has crafted women to be a superior species. (Menfolk, don’t raise your brows!). Isn’t the gift of child bearing and rearing a proof ?

Over the last few decades, women have made a big leap from their old repressed state to that of power. However, in doing so, we seem to have lost touch with our inherent strengths.

Keeping aside the burden of expectations, our fears and insecurities, if we look inside at the person we truly are, we will discover someone we approve of …a person we would love to be with.

It is our very essence and we can reach out to it by a little effort. The journey to integrity is not easy…but we women never had anything easy!

© Pratima N is a social entrepreneur who lives in Bengaluru. See her work at iEndeavour.org

Permission is required to reprint this article.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

This is when your branding campaign will be put to the test. Indeed, when businesses are competing for what remains of the market, you have to double your efforts at making the brand enable your business to thrive.

What is also essential in these times is to never discount the impact of quality and improving value statements. These are important factors that hold promise to deliver more to clients and keep your business afloat.

Are You Recession-Proof?

Branding seems to lose its vigor during recession. People tend to buy base on logic and needs, rather than impulse or perceptions. Therefore, you have to maintain or improve the kind of value, property, and benefits that your product promises its consumers.

This is something that you must not lose focus on in your branding and marketing efforts, but its significance become more evident during times of recession.

If you want to add more value to your brand to make it better able to withstand the challenges of a suffering economy, here are areas of your branding system that must be given focus on:

• During recession, most businesses would tend to cut back on their marketing efforts and investments. On the contrary, this is the time wherein you need to strengthen your marketing efforts.

• Create more aggressive marketing programs to be able to capture a bigger share of the market.

• Assert yourself on consumers largely affected by recession by offering better value on your products.

• Your advertising campaign must highlight quality, economic benefits, and real benefits as opposed to appeal to their superficial concerns.

Helping Your Brand Survive The Recession

When recession has hit the consumers, buying becomes a less desirable practice. This will largely impact your business’ efforts and this is made worse by the intensity of competition amongst various similar businesses.

Try using the following practices to keep your business thriving:

• Never change your brand identity

Doing so will reduce the trust you have built on the customers and will also ruin your reputation. Merely try to restructure the messages you are trying to deliver but make sure that it stays within the context of your basic brand identity.

• Do more thorough market research

Utilize this time to appeal to your customer’s needs by performing more thorough market research. This will produce an impression that you are concerned about their needs and are seeking for ways to deliver that.

• Add value to your products or services
  

If your business’ products are mostly high-end, do not simply revert to dropping prices. Instead, try improving the value and quality of your products so that customers will have a better quality spending habit.

• Be open to potential new customers

In times of recession, people are in the process of re-evaluating their spending habits. This is your opportunity to come into the picture and offer your business as a possible solution.

• Ensuring brand stability

Consumers change their buying patterns during recession, but business owners must remain committed with their branding strategies. However, you do have to make slight and appropriate changes though, such as increased sensitivity to this new buying attitude exhibited by consumers.

During times of recession, you have to stay committed in helping your customers attain quality service and products that add more value to their money. This is your winning formula.

And with increased dedication to your business brand, you will also increase the loyalty of your patrons.

© Naaree.com

Business Coaching for Women:

• Free Teleseminar: Is Your Brand IN or OUT? – Learn 5 Essentials To Create Designs That Really Work and Attract Your Ideal Clients. Are you embarrassed to hand out your business card? Do you feel like your ideal clients don’t “get” you? Are you frustrated by your inconsistent brand that’s a big mess? If you’re struggling to get noticed, reach more clients, get hired, and make money, then this is for you. This special report is especially for entrepreneurs who are uncomfortable with or embarrassed about their brands – who don’t want to give out their business cards, or are afraid for anyone to see their outdated website. That’s keeping your business small – and preventing you from going to the next level. In this free teleseminar, you’ll discover how to tell if your brand is OUT, and what you can do now to get it back IN.
• Business Growth Strategies – Become more successful in every aspect of your business and your life with an online membership program with 5 categories in business and personal success for you to choose from. The best part is each course is programmed especially for YOU based on your answers to an assessment. Each category contains hours of video lessons from Brian Tracy, and an Action Guide to help you put these powerful ideas into action immediately. If you follow the prescribed formula, you’ll be on your way to a better life and more profitable business.
• How to Find New Clients and Business: Sales Prospecting for New Business and Clients – How often do you find yourself saying: “I wish I knew how to find new clients and business”? It’s what separates the great businesses from the mediocre. This eBook covers many strategies – referrals, cold calling, getting to decision makers, elevator pitch, internet marketing and much more.

Image: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

It’s reached the point where we feel that we either have to be a bimbo or a bitch to succeed. But we don’t have to be either. We just need to be human beings with the ability to express our unique gifts and talents.

1. Cultivate Self-Love and Self-Esteem

One of the most important things a woman must cultivate is her self-esteem and the ability to love herself. If your self-love and self-esteem are strong, you can bounce back from almost anything.

Having a healthy self-esteem gives you a positive outlook in life and this is reflected in your performance on the job, in your relationships and in the way you live your life. (Shameless plug: We offer a free self-esteem course on Naaree.org)

2. Know that you ALWAYS have a choice

Most Indian women have this sense of hopelessness because we feel we have to make everyone happy, but ourselves. But remember that you ALWAYS have a choice – even if it is one that the people in your life do not agree with or believe is selfish.

As one of my teachers, Abraham- Hicks, says, “If you’re not selfish enough to connect to Source Energy (your Divine nature), you don’t have anything to give anybody anyway.”

Which brings me to the next point…

3. Nurture your Divine connection

As women we are definitely more intuitive and have the ability to easily connect to our Divine source of wisdom and well-being.

The ones who gave the most, like Mother Theresa, were also the ones who were most connected to their Divine wisdom. You have the same potential to share your unique gifts with the world – all you need to do is to start cultivating your spiritual life and listen to your inner guidance.

4. Cultivate empowering beliefs

Your life is a reflection of the beliefs you hold. Even if you say that you want to succeed, if your subconscious beliefs don’t match your desires, it will not happen. You need to become conscious of which beliefs are holding you back and clear them from your system.

As geek-speak goes, “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. What you put into your mind, you get out. If you fill your mind with endless negativity from soap operas, commercials and the mass media, your life will become a replica of what you see there.

If you want to have empowering beliefs, only expose yourself to inspiring thoughts. Read inspiring books, subscribe to inspiring newsletters, stop watching TV (yes, it can be done) or watch less of it.

5. Be mindful of the company you keep

I read somewhere that you are the average of the 5 people closest to you in every area of your life. If you want to be more successful, hang out with people you admire and want to emulate, not with those who are in the same boat.

Success can be scary and the journey to the top can be lonely. Find a mentor and ask them to coach you. Spend your time with people who elevate you, not those who pull you down.

A very good quote I read recently is that “Your companions are like the buttons on an elevator. They will either take you up or they will take you down.”

6. Never apologise for your success

Your family and friends might not support your goals and plans. Learn to draw strong boundaries with those who you cannot avoid. Explain to those who offer “well-meaning” advice that, while you appreciate their input, you would like the freedom to make your own mistakes.

Never put yourself down or underplay your achievements just to make the other person feel better. As Marianne Williamson said, “when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

7. Take care of your body

Many Indian women stop caring for themselves after they have kids and reach middle-age. But the way you look tells the world a lot about your self-esteem.

You don’t have to go overboard and spend thousands on beauty treatments, because looking good is an inside job. If you feel good about yourself, you will naturally take pride in your appearance.

8. Invest in yourself

Invest time and money in learning and growing. Take courses, learn new skills. It will make a huge difference to your success, whether you have a business or career.

If you run a business, you will attract better quality clients who are also willing to invest in their own businesses. The logic is that “why would anyone invest in someone who is not willing to invest in themselves.”

9. Have fun

If you asked me the purpose of life, I would quote my teachers, Abraham-Hicks, who say that, “The Basis of your life is Freedom; the Purpose of your life is Joy.”

If what you are doing does not bring you joy, ask why that is and what you can do to change it. Perhaps you want to do work that is more meaningful (many women do), even if you earn less money in the process.

Do whatever nurtures your spirit, whether that involves travel, hobbies or just spending time with friends and family who you can have a good laugh with. Don’t take life too seriously.

10. Seek help when you need it

If you have faced serious problems in your life and need professional help, go to a qualified psychologist or an energy healer.

Better yet, learn to heal yourself. We all have the ability to do it and it’s just one more way to take care of yourself.

Click here to download the PDF – 10 Ways to Step Into Your Feminine Power.

This is an excerpt from the ebook, “Step Into Your Feminine Power And Rule Your World: 24 Empowering Ideas for the Modern Indian Woman”  authored by Priya Florence Shah, and also available on Amazon Kindle.

© Priya Florence Shah is publisher of Naaree.com™, and Founder of the Naaree™ Academy for Indian Women Achievers.  She is passionate about inspiring and empowering Indian women to look beyond their limitations and live their best lives.

Women’s Empowerment Resources:

• Powerful, Passionate & Fabulous – Use this awesome EFT session by Margaret Lynch to tap into your foundation of power and boost your confidence.
• Free Call: 5 Essential Qualities of an Inspiring Woman – What are the most important qualities of an inspiring woman and what does it take to embody these in your life? Join us for our free teleseminar where we share the 5 essential qualities of an inspiring woman and how you can draw upon your one-of-a-kind gifts to make your greatest impact in the world. The world needs your unique feminine flavor to help balance the masculine and bring about greater love, peace, compassion and abundance for all.
• The Art Of Tantra For Women: Ignite The Goddess Within – This class will teach both the spiritual aspects and sexual techniques of Tantra. You will learn ancient Tantric techniques that will amaze your lover and yourself. This is a frank conversation with some experiential components that will awaken your senses and dispel the myths that are keeping you from experiencing the bliss that is your birthright. We will also discuss men’s bodies and needs and new ways to pleasure your partner and yourself. This class will change the way you make love and experience love.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Priya Florence Shah

Bookmark It

Hide Sites