By the time we’re young adults, starting out in a new industry, we’re already hearing about how difficult – or impossible – it is to “have it all”.
The thing is, with such vast differences in cultural ideals, it’s impossible to create a universal definition of what “having it all” really means – whether it’s getting married at 18 or nailing seven interviews for a lounge assistant job.
One thing that stays consistent across cultures, though, is our hunger for shared experience and guidance from people who have walked the paths we want to walk.
There are obstacles, as there always seem to be – from cultural biases to privilege by location and relationships that don’t work out the way we wish they would…
But the impact of seeing powerful women go ahead and set the job out in front of you cannot be understated.
Ranmalie Jayasekera credits this very force with helping her get to where she is today, but it didn’t happen without a lot of hard work and a little bit of burnout.
After leaving the marriage she entered into at 18, Ranmalie was determined to shatter the life path set out for women in Sri Lankan culture – in a good way, of course.
The obstacles she faced on the way – including the second-hand mindset she received from those above her on the ladder and the physical symptoms of her anxiety and cognitive dissonance – didn’t stop her from giving voice to her struggles.
She even managed to cultivate empathy for the people who mistreated her and focus, instead, on those who offered her support – and now, she has a story well worth sharing.
In this episode of the She Burns podcast, Ranmalie talks about how her early life experiences and role models shaped her, how she let go of her fear and the powerful combination of big dreams and self-love.
So what’s this episode really about?
- The power of creating a support system
- The magic of honesty and integrity
- Why loving yourself is so important in setting strong boundaries
- How to think your way through the barriers and excuses you create for yourself
- How envisioning – actually asking yourself what you want – can change your life
Why you should listen
Every woman who has ever left a challenging situation without a safety net knows the fear of the unknown – of stepping out of your job or your life as is in the hope of something better. Ranmalie Jayasakera has been there, done that, and still managed to build a career and a life that serves her, and her advice will set you on course to do the same.
Links
You can quote me on that…
“I always wondered, like, wait a minute, I want to get an education, I want to get a new place, I want to get a nice job, I want to go up the ladder…but it wasn’t something that I saw that much in my country. But [because] there were powerful women in my life that supported that mission, [I] saw that it could be different. [I] saw that the world was a little bit bigger.” –
“One of the things as women, I think we need to do is pay it forward, get the tools that you need to be able to be a good supervisor or boss, and pay it forward for women who don’t know how to do it and need to learn.” – Hannah Austin
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