The following quote was taped on my wall for many years. It helped me in my transition to a new life in Austin (where I moved without even a job waiting for me) and through graduate school, internship, and the credentialing exam. I was rummaging through old folders and found it. Perhaps it is time for a renewal of purpose.
Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. A woman should conceive of a legitimate purpose in her heart, and set out to accomplish it. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object…; but whichever it is, she should steadily focus her thought-forces upon the object which she has set out before her. She should make this purpose her supreme duty, and should devote herself to its attainment, not allowing her thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. Even if she fails again and again to accomplish her purpose…, the strength of character gained will be the measure of her true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.
–Dorothy J. Hulst
It is good, very good, but there are a lot of “should”‘s in it
Yes, I agree. It’s more directive and prescriptive than I like. I believe it’s from a book titled As a Woman Thinketh, which was a re-write of As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. She published it using the female pronoun in order to make the work more accessible to women. As if women need more “shoulds” in their lives! As if any of us do…
thanks for this reminder, I don’t focus so much on the shoulds but on the directive to focus onthat which is important. So often as women we are entreated to focus on others, outwardly, externally. The effect is to suppress and stifle any goals that a woman might be holding…close to her heart. The difference is that men are not discouraged from outward goals, external accomplishments or spiritual ideals. The dichotomy is often more than enough to silence any thought of accomplishment for a woman….just my thoughts….
thanks for the reminder….always good for her to remember that the goal not always need be outwardly focused. Women are socially trained to notice and respond to the signals of others. We are not always encouraged to focus on inward goals whether they be concrete physically or spiritual goals. I don’t so much see the shoulds and shouldn’ts, but the entreaty to attend to that which is important to her…