This article written by Bhanumathi Narasimhan, sister of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

As women on the path to success, we expect to feel a sense of achievement when we see that we have reached the top, where we wanted to be. How does it look from there? Will the world around you look beautiful? Will the journey to the top be pleasant and memorable?

For so many women who I have met, this journey has certainly not been easy. It is not always a journey of mutual support, upliftment and friendliness. Instead, you have to be careful about who is conspiring to push you down. There are many challenges, not just due to gender bias, but also because of unhealthy competition and jealousy from other women! This kind of journey can be very stressful and takes a toll on our body and mind.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that one who manages all challenges that life gives is successful. But what skills do we need to be able to do this and succeed?

Commitment: One failure can lead to another success later. We should not be deterred by failures.

Time: It is not sufficient to just invest money to nurture or develop anything. We have to give it our personal time and attention.

Setting an example: A successful woman doesn’t just show you the way, she also walks the talk.

Teamwork: Make others feel involved, inspire participation and contribution.Silence: Nurture quietude and calmness.

Reflection: Sit quietly at the end of the day, looking back at all the day’s activities, seeing where we made a difference. Reminding ourselves of the successes, it can inspire us to do more.

A woman has to balance her family, relationships, work, interests — all of these and more on the road to success. When you realise that you are multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, you can multi-task. This realisation comes when you are in a serene state of mind, achieved through meditation.

The meditative woman is successful. Click To Tweet

When you meditate, the task that you performed in four hours earlier gets done in two hours. It is necessary that you give prime time to yourself, to relax yourself, to realise your potential to do better. Otherwise, you limit your capabilities. When you meditate, you realise the expansion within you, that limitlessness within you.

The meditative woman is successful. Belongingness, commitment, connectedness — all these qualities are a byproduct of meditation. Gurudev often says, “Success means strength, an unshakeable smile that nobody can take away and a courage that does not diminish. It does not mean having a big bank balance. There are some very rich people who do not have the strength of character. They don’t have a sense of belonging or love. They are unable to appreciate the subtleness of life.”

True success extends to both the material and inner realms. Are you enjoying the little things in your life? Have you observed the glistening dewdrops in the grass lately? The birds chirping, the sparrows drinking water, the eagles circling overhead? Have you cleaned your window pane, watered the small plants in your garden? Have you observed the lucky bamboo with two more leaves, enjoyed the craftsmanship on your carpet, made a new salad dressing, experimented with your sandwich? These are the signs of a successful woman living every moment to the fullest.

I believe that a woman is the heart of the family as she keeps everyone together. A woman is the heart of society . When you empower women to succeed, you are enabling society to prosper.

Happy Women’s Day!