In July (2024), I started my Master’s Degree, a program that I had been contemplating for a number of years and actually had been accepted to in 2019, but due to personal circumstances at the time, I could not move forward. Move forward five years, I resubmitted my application and was accepted again.
As I embarked on this program, with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, I started to move through the first trimester and found the old programs that had been first planted in childhood and reinforced over time started to be reactivated. Thus, I came to a crossroad of giving up and going back to my comfortable, everyday reality, or I could be brave and choose to push through the glass ceiling to progress, change, grow and evolve.
After taking a few days to contemplate my options, I decided to break through the glass ceiling and bravely and confidently recommitted to stepping into a new world of opportunity. My thought process was that I would not have been given the opportunity of a Commonwealth-supported placement and a spot in the Master’s program if the powers that be did not see and recognise my experience, skills and knowledge. Coupled with the fact that my mentor, husband and friends were encouraging and supporting me all the way, saying words to the effect of “Kate, you have got this”, “I am so proud of you, you’re doing this at mid-life, I don’t know if I could do this now” and “You can do this”.
So, I took a deep breath and chose to believe in myself when the harmful and toxic comments of yesteryear started to resurface and sought to cut me down before I really started to achieve my goals. So I took a deep breath and took positive action steps forward, which consequently resulted in positive feedback from lecturers, the writing of Career Counselling: Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling Blog (on Blu Ripples Website), producing an accompanying YouTube video of the same name to help others who like me may find themselves in a similar situation, and providing some self-care insights based on my Self-Care Awareness, Action and Planning Workbook and accompanying Self-Care Card Deck.
So, if you find yourself struggling right now, take a moment to breathe and reflect on what you truly want to do. Do you want to give up an opportunity that has been given to you, yes or no, and how would you feel either way (consequential thinking, discussed in my Self-Care workbook)? Most importantly, ask yourself are you going to give your PAST who spoke and acted in cruel, harmful, toxic and or abusive ways the power to keep you down, or are you going to push through, process, grow, evolve and achieve your dreams – proving to yourself that yes you can do this, yes you are worth, smart and deserving.
For the Original Blog Article and accompanying YouTube Video, click on the links below:
Copyright 2024 Katherine Foster (Author)
KATHERINE FOSTER
Katherine Foster is the Author of “Self-Care Awareness, Action and Planning Workbook” and “Self-Care Awareness, Action and Planning Card Deck”. A highly experienced nationally registered Australian Counsellor and Career Development Specialist in private practice (Blu Ripples pronounced Blue Ripples). Katherine draws on her lived with experiences and professional background to provide practical, authentic, empathetic, down to earth and meaningful insights in her publications, and videos. Her goal is to empower and support others through periods of stress, crisis and transition and to build a community of like minded individuals whom engage and support each other in a positive and meaningful way thereby transforming the challenges of life into a positive legacy.