Swapna grabbed a pencil to underline a couple of sentences in the book she was reading. Having herself experienced what the book said, it struck her as absolutely true!
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
‘So true!’ Swapna said aloud, reminiscing the fruitful years at work before she quit her job. Several events had led to her quitting – her daughter Aditi being hospitalized, an unsupportive boss, and the lack of support from her family. Her father’s untiring quibble was ‘Why are you struggling with both office and home, Swapna? Quit your job and enjoy this precious time with Aditi!’
After a few years of staying at home, Swapna returned to work part-time when a great opportunity came her way.
She savored every bit of her new stint, right from the palpable energy of the buzzing office to the renewed financial freedom. Despite the occasional turbulence, she felt alive and energetic, enjoying the vigor of achieving something difficult yet worthwhile. Which is why she instantly related to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s thoughts on the ‘best moments’ in life.
Like Swapna, millions of women derive fulfillment when they stretch themselves voluntarily to accomplish something in their careers. Accomplished and driven, a career is what they ‘enjoy.’
Why is a career so important for women?
- Fulfills the need to Achieve
Pursuing a career provides women a sense of relevance, purpose, accomplishment, self-worth, and confidence. It offers them the chance of being recognized for their craft, competence, and immense potential.
- Provides Financial Security
For women especially, financial security reduces vulnerability and economic uncertainty. Financial resources provide them a measure of resilience and independence while also empowering them. And considering the materialistic world we live in, financial security certainly contributes to respect from others.
- Assists Self-Development
New and relevant skills learned by women in their careers help them evolve, enhance and cultivate their identity and personality. Over time and with greater achievements, women inspire their children and those around them.
- Helps Understand the external world
Pursuing a career enables women to understand ground realities, helps them network and build useful social connections, attunes them to understand, interact, and work with different kinds of people, and expands their sense of discernment and empathy.
As Csikszentmihalyi aptly states ‘Alienated children in the suburbs and bored housewives in the homes need to experience flow1. If they cannot get it, they will find substitutes in the form of escape’.2 Studies state that pursuing a career reduces depression in women and enlarges their life’s experiences.
Yet, simply put, careers are increasingly becoming important for women because it is what they ‘enjoy’ doing.
For more information on careers at KelpHR and to contact us to help rebuild your career, mail your resume to info@kelphr.com and we will revert to you if profile suits our requirements.
KelpHR is an equal opportunity employer.
References:
- 1 Csikszentmihalyi says ‘flow’ is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
- 2 ‘Reality is Broken – Why games make us better and how they can change the world’ by Jane McGonigal
