Championing Inspirational Women!
Today, I'd like to celebrate a few of the women who have inspired me:
Malala Yousafzai
-The young girl who stood up to the Taliban and won. They shot her in the head but she miraculously survived. She went on to become the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Prize. She has written several books, and has won too many awards to list. A documentary about her life came out in 2015. She continues to be an activist for children and women.
Margaret Thatcher
-Politically, for conservative women, Thatcher is the ultimate hero. I wrote a profile on her on this blog. A couple fun facts about her:-By her teens, she said politics was in her bloodstream
-She became a member of Parliament on October 20, 1959, exactly a week after her 34th birthday
-The Soviet Union meant the nickname, "Iron Lady" as an insult, but Thatcher took it proudly
-She was the first woman to become Prime Minister of Great Britain at the age of 53
-She was the first woman ever to head the government of a major country in Europe or America
-She chose her 22 member cabinet in 2 days
-She got 4-5 hours of sleep a night
-She won re-election in 1983 by a landslide, 144 seats, the largest margin since 1945
Condoleezza Rice
-She is extremely intelligent. She was the first woman to be National Security Adviser and the first female African-American Secretary of State.-I've gotten to hear her speak in person twice and she is fascinating. She has written 3 books so far. She would've made an outstanding first woman president if she had wanted to pursue that course.
Eleanor Roosevelt
-I've spent a lot of time studying the presidents and their wives. I still have more studying to do, but as of now, Eleanor is my favorite. I wrote a profile on her and on the documentary, The Roosevelts.-She achieved an incredible amount of success after overcoming an incredible amount of hardship. She was a champion for those who sometimes couldn't fight for themselves. My favorite book of hers talks about facing your fears.
-This quote by Diana Dixon Healy does a fairly good job of summing up her life:
There was once a young woman, born in 1884, who grew up in the old aristocratic society of New York City and its more exclusive environs. She conformed to her caste's attitudes toward minorities, women, marriage, and her place in the world. Yet by the time Eleanor Roosevelt died in 1962, she was known as the First Lady of the world and the champion of African Americans, Jews, women, the young, the poor--virtually all who ever needed a champion.
Maya Angelou
-As I have pursued my dream career these past 2 years, the women who have inspired me beyond belief are this woman and the woman coming up next.-Just like Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya overcome a lot of hardship in her life. One big difference is that Maya was born poor but worked hard to eventually become wealthy and successful. While she was doing all of that, she inspired millions with her words. She has written many books. I've read quite a few and am working on the rest.
-I respect, admire and love this woman.
Dolly Parton
-I've known who Dolly Parton was my whole life, but I only used to view her as a country singer with big boobs. I had no idea who the REAL Dolly Parton actually was.-It turns out she had big dreams as a little girl and never gave up on them. She, like Maya Angelou was born into poverty, but that didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams and never giving up.
-She had to fight tooth and nail to become successful, but she did. She is not only a singer, actor, and performer but a brilliant entrepreneur.
-I read her memoir, Dolly and was inspired.
