Sitting in a darkened room listening to a speaker talking, the feel of the soft red chair underneath me putting pressure on my nether regions, the smell of bacon sandwiches around me – a much needed breakfast.  I am at a conference centre and I am celebrating the company I work for.  The rain has been pouring down for quite some time with the wind howling at my bedroom window when I reluctantly awoke earlier this morning.  And now having driven through the horrible pouring rain, I have arrived at this place and the process of filling us with enthusiasm has begun.  I am enthusiastic though this job actually exists on the periphery of my real life.

I start to think about why I am a pharmacist.  On the face of it, my parents guided me to it as they tried to ensure that I had a profession that paid well.  I am grateful for that but I am not a person that can just do the same thing over and over just because it pays well.

Yes, I have had to do that to make sure my family is fed and I will do it again if our current income sources change.

However I also need to be passionate about something in order to keep doing it and to keep doing it well.  Beyond being obedient to my parents, beyond it being an income source, there is something about being a pharmacist that appeals to the very heart of me – It is the ability to help people in their health.

That is what drives me, not just in pharmacy but also in other aspects of my life.  This blog is a result of that as well – my desire to help anyone even just one other person.

What of you? Why do you do what you do?

I am all about women and girls.  I want you all to be empowered.  We are the next wave.  We, if we can really take hold of it, have the ability to make a difference to those all around us.

As though by fate, I have been blessed by three daughters so they are my first concern when I talk about empowering girls and women.  Very easy to say but not always easy to work out on a day to day basis.

When I think of what I am working towards – strong, independent, loving women who are able to stand firm.  Girls who confidently work towards any goal they choose – I am inspired but… that is the future.  I am stuck here in the present.

In the present, there are dirty nappies, clingy children and more.  In fact there are days when being a Mom does not feel great.  You might be bored or dissatisfied with your life at home at times.  Then I exhort you to take a moment to really consider who this little person could become because you are changing their nappy today.

If you are at work, maybe you feel like a number, you do not enjoy your work or you feel out of place.  Do not despise the days of small beginnings! Ask yourself    “ where do I want to be in the future?”.  Dream and make a plan then do one little thing each day towards your goal.  Rome was not built in a day.  If you would commit to trying a little something new each day, you might be surprised where it will go.

Maybe you are stuck working a job you no longer enjoy?  Make an escape plan.  Do not just keep doing the same thing over and over.

Now step away from the crowd and make a plan.  Answer for yourself “Why do I do what I do?”