Inspirational Women

Some of the women that uplift me from typical inspirational women’s lists are JK Rowling, Princess Di, Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, and Amelia Earheart. They all showed fortitude, for a few of them in the face of real danger. But the others, too, for standing up to unimaginable obstacles with such courage and persistence. Another would be Elyn Saks, oh, and Kay Redfield Jamison, two of the authors I wrote about in a previous post. I find them heartening because of the mental illness obstacles that blocked their minds, but they found ways around the madness to inspire others with their accomplishments. Marya Hornbacher also ranks high on my list for her intrepidity.

In my life, I’ve met two women that are undaunting and inspirational for different reasons. Ms. Mathie, I don’t want to use her first name to allow her some privacy. She was the perfect friend, almost motherly, to all the females she encountered by instilling a go-get-em spirit when asked for her advice on what paths to take in life. “Obstacles were meant to be knocked down, if not by us, then who else?” she’d say. “Never let fear stand in your way.” She worked sixty hours a week with such optimism and determination, and always there with extra energy to cheer on whoever needed it.

Next is Linda, Director of Project Managers. She went from a few years in corrections at a federal penitentiary for running an international drug ring quite seamlessly to architectural drafting to estimating to supervising drafters and estimators, to practically running the entire company she landed at after drafting school. Another sixty-hour workweek devotee as well as nurturing parent and faithful wife, Linda jumps forthright into chaos with boundless energy. She made mistakes, got caught, took her punishment, altered her lifestyle, then excelled at everything she touched prior and to this day.

It takes a strong woman to be able to demand and receive respect from two dozen grown men in the construction industry who all thought they knew better than she did. But with the CEO’s belief in her management and technical abilities due to her obstinate excellence, she’s let nothing stand in her way. And all that plus coming from a broken home in a drug-ridden neighborhood, she saw no barriers to making her life a success. I’ve always wondered what she could’ve achieved had she came from a stable childhood home. Thinking of her and them all inspires me to get up each day, overcome my mental illness, and strive to do positive.