Compose your life with power and ease

Allow me to name my current blog after my mission: Be a woman and act like one. Compose your life with power and ease. Do these words resonate with you? What do you visualize when you read these words? Well, I don’t know unless you share your thoughts with me, but I can tell you what my intention is, and please feel free to argue with me!

I am not a figure in the feminist movement, but I support the movement of women who want to live their femininity in all areas of their lives. Many of you who know me and follow my work can see my mission reflected in every piece I write. My book Be a Woman and Act Like One, Succeeding in Business and Life, published this year as in addition to my monthly blogs that I have been writing for about two years, represent what I am standing for – the feminine way of life. I want to support women on their way to success and simply in living a happy life.

Living a happy life is like the composition of a symphony. Every tone is essential and adds to making it a masterpiece. You are the composer of your symphony of life and you decide on every part. There are no “should have’s”, “but” or “whys,” only I Will and I Want. The composition of a masterpiece involves struggles and some painful moments, but the result is overwhelmingly beautiful and gracious.

You might ask now: how can I become a composer of my own life? My life is full of stuff, I am wearing too many hats, I feel overwhelmed and overworked, I am on a treadmill day by day and I can’t see a way out. “I hear you” and I can see what you are going through. This is not an exceptional situation, but a situation many women find themselves in. The way out of this vicious circle can be summarized in one word: leadership.

Develop your leadership skills and take full charge of your life. In my public speeches, I often talk about this topic and there are many surveys that confirm the position of women as I view it. Leadership skills are a set of emotional and social skills that distinguish you from others. These are skills like assertiveness, problem solving, relationship skills, etc. just to name a few. These skills can be learned and contrary to cognitive intelligence, there is always room for development when it comes to these skills. There is just one thing that many seem to forget: to become a good leader for others, you must become a good leader for yourself. You have to start by knowing about your feelings and motivations before you can lead others.

Women have it all and want it all. They have the leadership skills that are needed to be successful in business but they often decide against entering the corporate world to climb the career ladder. The number of women in the US in senior positions is quite low compared to the number of men. Instead there is a visible trend that shows more and more women starting their own businesses. Why struggling with the so called glass ceiling? Why deal with male competitors? I do it my way which leaves me room to have it all – career and family.

This trend reflects a new self-confidence among women. It is their answer to the glass ceiling and it shows leadership. This is what I am talking about when I motivate women to be the composers of their lives. It does not matter if you start your own business, climb the career ladder in a corporation or take a well-planned career break, the main aspect is that you do what you want to do and what makes you happy.

Women must get better in listening to their own needs instead of constantly pleasing others. Women must give themselves permission to enjoy. Women must learn to express what they want and make it happen. Women have the talent, the education and the power to compose a masterpiece. What they still need is the courage to get it done.  Once they overcome this barrier, they can compose the symphony of their lives in a way that many others will follow and love to play a crucial part in it.

Please support me on this mission to motivate and support women on this path. Forward this link to all the women you respect or love or both and let us create a movement for women starting among friends. I look forward to your comments. Let’s get the ball rolling.

Be a woman and act like one and compose your life with power and ease.

About Hertha Wolff-Arend

I am a business coach and writer located in Paso Robles, California. I am the author of the book Be a woman and act like one. Succeeding in business and life’’ and I write a blog for women with the same title. I give motivational speeches and offer leadership and personality trainings to women. I also work with business owners and managers to support them in their leadership skills and personal development. As a strategic consultant, I also help companies with their communication and marketing strategy. Born and raised in Germany, I spent most of my adult life in Europe. I have a German university degree in languages and economics and I worked for many years in the advertising industry as one of the few female managing directors in Germany for major international advertising agencies such as Young&Rubicam, TBWA and Bates. My client list consisted of mainly blue chip clients, where I was responsible for their communications strategies and the development and execution of the advertising concepts. Just to name a few clients: Lufthansa, Danone, Kraft Foods, Bosch, Singapore Airlines, Ericsson, Campbells etc. In 2004 I relocated with my husband and son to California. I graduated from New Venture West in San Francisco as a Certified Integral Coach and started my own coaching practice in 2007. I am fluent in German and English and have conversational skills in Spanish. Aside from my dedication to work and family, I am a passionate dressage rider. I am devoted to supporting women in business, with a focus on women in the lower and middle management who are aiming at a career in the higher ranks or who want to develop their own business.
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