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books
Does Society Overlook the Courageous Acts Real
Women Make Every Day?
Whether you love
her or hate her, Senator Hillary Clinton has proven
her mettle as one tough cookie. She's faced
adversity time and time again; as First Lady to a
philandering president and now as she makes her own
bid for the White House. As Americans are
faced with the option of electing the first female
president, the debate about women, courage and
their ability to handle adversity takes on a more
urgent tone.
"In my mind there
is no debate," says business columnist and
acclaimed life skills coach Sue Mackey.
"Throughout the ages women have confronted
challenges and overcome adversity to help the
people they love and to protect their
families. I don't think courage and
resilience are traits that are relegated solely to
one gender."
Mackey, author of
the new book, "Women Navigating Adversity:
The courage they didn't know they had," believes
that society often overlooks the courageous acts
real women make every single day. Perhaps
that's because so many of us define courage by such
narrow constraints, using the word only when a
person is threatened by physical danger or
violence. Mackey believes we need to
re-evaluate that definition and consider the
fortitude required to face the oppressive, bleak
and traumatic situations that many women endure in
the course of 'normal' life.
"Women all around
us are facing tremendous challenges in their daily
lives," says Mackey. "Whether they're
juggling children and jobs on their own, struggling
to climb out of acute poverty, escaping perilous
and abusive relationships or trying to prove their
worth in male-dominated fields, women from all
walks of life are persevering in the face of
seemingly insurmountable obstacles."
 While
the national spotlight tends to focus on 'female
firsts,' such as the fact that for the first time
in American history, our nation has a female
Speaker of the House, Mackey thinks we would be
well-served to take a closer look at the impact of
the tough problems average women face every
day. That's why "Women Navigating Adversity"
profiles 12 real women who've faced and conquered
enormous burdens. For example, one woman
suffered heart-wrenching personal tragedies with
the death of two children, another struggled to
conquer crippling health problems, and another
teetered on the brink of utter financial ruin while
her husband began to spiral into an abyss of
depression. The women are honest and gripping
when describing the ordeals that they lived through
and readily admit at times they didn't know how
they'd survive. But they
did&emdash;reinforcing Mackey's goal of reminding
readers that we don't know how strong we really are
until our resolve is put to the
test.
"No one is going to
deny that women in top leadership positions had to
overcome adversity to get where they are," says
Mackey. "And that is truly something to be
proud of. But we can't overlook the battles
that many women&emdash;our mothers, daughters,
sisters and friends-- face day in and day out,
often behind closed doors without a team of people
in their corner rooting for them. We should
look to them as portraits of courage and
determination. I think we can all learn from
their experiences to enhance our own ability to
assess a problem, work out a solution and stay the
course."
Mackey believes by
sharing the struggles of 'average' women, it helps
the rest of us understand that our feelings are
normal when we're faced with problems. "When
we're faced with life-altering problems or issues,
it's normal to initially feel stunned and to think
'I can't believe this is happening to me,'" says
Mackey. "I want people to understand that
there aren't always instant solutions; that's why
courage is a process. And tackling adversity
is not a one-time event; it takes many steps to
climb above, around or under that
obstacle."
For a review copy
of Women Navigating Adversity: The Courage they
didn't know they had, by Sue Mackey (2007; Book
Publisher's Network,129 pp. paperback, $18.95
price), or to interview the author, contact Rachel
Damien at 727-443-7115, ext. 206 or email
rachel@emsincorporated.com
Please include your name, publication, and mailing
address with your
request.\
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