Dr. Cindy Duke: How to Empower Women through Podcast
Did you know that you can actually preserve your voice and live up to a thousand years? It sounds impossible but ever since the recording was invented, you can make it happen. From phonograph to modern smartphones, the evolution of audio recording happened so fast that you can already store it on an online platform. Because I feel the need that people should hear and be motivated by my own story and that of other amazing women and girls around the world, I created the podcast entitled Girl Powered Success and Survival International, more popularly known as GriPSSI podcast.
I firmly believe that podcasts are the beginning of a movement.
Intending to start a podcast, I first acquired a podcasting microphone in 2016. Yet, it took me three years to actually make my first podcast. For those unfamiliar with the term, a podcast is a series of audio recorded messages that people can download from the Internet. Basically, the topic can revolve around anything that you want your subscribers to hear. Because I know the struggles that women and girls, especially those from underserved communities globally, face as they attempt to master this society, I am using the podcast as one of my main forms of media to express my advocacy.
The first question that might cross your mind probably lies on how my podcast can empower women and girls. I thought about it a couple of times already and I came up with four key areas that every woman should remember: survival, self-care, health and balance.
Survival: Keep the dream alive in the face of any storm
One of the common mistakes that people tend not to focus on is their long term plans. In any endeavor, may it be a business startup or a career path, you must place survival, i.e. longevity, as one of your top priorities. Most of us know how to start with all the energy but in the process of achieving the goal, we can get worn down.
When you want to keep your dream alive, you must allow some of your time to reflect and think about your longevity plan. Also, always anticipate uncertainty when you are pursuing your goals. If possible, create a lot of backup plans… you can never have too many!
Self-Care: Practice a self-care routine
Once you have a longevity plan in place, never forget yourself while you are pursuing your passion. It is quite alarming to hear that people often disregard self-care as an important aspect while they are building their dreams. In a published study by the Journal of Consumer Research, the authors reached a consensus that Americans associate having a hectic schedule and stress to prestige and status.
Yet, it behooves me to tell you: If you are passionate about something, it shouldn’t cost you your health, happiness or your life. Success needs sacrifice but it should never be at the expense of your individual self. I personally witnessed how that lesson is essential to one’s longevity plan. Growing up with a single mother, watching her efforts while working as a government employee while operating her side businesses, she would tell me that I should always look out for myself and personal health. While multitasking is a good thing, we must remember that another key area for empowering women is keeping the balance.
Health: Acknowledge the impact of a Healthy Lifestyle on the Future of Your Dreams
Aside from having a carefully planned out longevity plan, you should understand that your health can totally cut you off from your dreams. If machines can experience overheating, humans can also have fatigue. Perhaps, as part of your self-care routine, monitor your lifestyle closely.
Diet can directly affect your chromosomes. Your body needs sleep, exercise and nice, strong blood flow. There might be times where you cannot get enough time to do these things but try to incorporate such activities into your schedule. The survival of your dreams is dependent on your health.
Balance: Know how to balance the different cycles of modern life
Most importantly, you must maintain balance in your life. It would be best to practice managing your time effectively so that you would not miss a single task from your daily goal. Balance is necessary for the survival of your dreams. More so, you need balance to have a self-care routine and a healthy lifestyle.
Using these four key areas above, I hope that more women can better manage their lives and the dreams that they are hoping to achieve. If you want to hear other successful women in their fields, you can always check out my GriPSSI podcast here.
Always remember that life is a journey, not a race. That means making sure you can go the distance, planning for the ups and downs, and taking breaks when you need to recharge. You deserve it all!
