Earlier this week, I had the incredible opportunity to lead a social hour for Women Who Empower's mentorship program. We had mentors and mentees from our recent special round representing various countries present for an hour of discussion.
One of the biggest discussion topics was how we are all trying to take this lockdown into our stride. Mentors and mentees took this as an opportunity to share some of their advice. Here are the highlights:
“Do something that makes you happy… spend this time doing something you’re passionate about” - Nisha Khiani Savara
“This is an exciting time to say yes, do something that will be uniquely yours” - Sally Marrer
“Take some time to learn about yourself… What are the soft skills you can develop? Look for something you enjoy, volunteer in something you’re interested in. What can you offer as a human being” - Giselle Ortega
“Good opportunity to focus on yourself and what’s important to you and what matters. Everyone has a different definition of success and happiness and just be open to opportunities. Work is changing and we don’t know what tomorrow holds. Be positive and be open and you’ll be able to overcome any challenges that come your way” - Anh Lee
“Take this time to do something you’ve wanted to do, watch that show, make sourdough bread, call those old friends... I recommend using this time to notice what has been different with you” - Dianna Bronchuk
“I’ve noticed there’s a lot of new things I don’t know about. So I’ve been going on YouTube and just learning about the world.” - Amanda Lim
Reflection
These pieces of advice spurred a moment of reflection for myself. This time has been what feels like the most tumultuous period of my life. The mental stress caused by constant change has been overwhelming but in a way it’s also been refreshing. I’ve had time to sit still and reflect on the past, present and future. In that same nature, I used these insights to develop some questions to help me in my reflection. I’ve shared them below if you’d like to use them yourself.
When you look back at this period in your life, what do you hope to be able to say? What am I doing that makes me happy? Can I confidently say I’m learning something new or even doing something uniquely mine?
I won’t take the liberty to share my answers; however, I am very grateful to have received the advice and suggestions from all of those who participated in the social hour. During the call, we also mentioned some tools and resources we’ve used during this lockdown to keep learning and connecting with others.
Here are the resources we shared!
Want to learn something new?
Check out this amazing podcast of stories from some of the world’s best known companies “How I Built This” and this great youtube account “Vox Borders” where Johnny Harris tells the human stories behind lines on a map.
Want to connect with others?
Use Icebreaker and Donut to nurture community within your existing teams. If you want to meet someone new check out lunchclub.ai where you can get matched to have virtual meetings with people interested in the same things as you.
Want to learn more about Woman Who Empower?
Check out their great website and join their linkedin group. If you’d like, feel free to reach out to me at my email (agrawal.e@northeastern.edu), I’ve been through 2 of their mentorship rounds and I’d jump at the chance to tell you how much I love this organization :)
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