Summary: The expression ‘Once Upon a Time’ may conjure up thoughts of a time when things were different, perhaps better, or at least simpler. Generally, these are times fondly or romantically remembered but not always. Once Upon a Time suggests a state of suspended history that we can look back on. We know from stories of childhood bedtimes that there is always a hero or heroine who saves the day and rescues the defenseless. Ultimately and reassuringly, the good guys win. The witch melts, the dragon is slayed, and the kingdom celebrates once again. But wait! Why is the damsel always in distress? Why is she always beautiful but helpless? Why isn’t she riding in on a charging steed to save the day? Why? Because the stories are fictionalized versions of women’s potential, value and priorities. REWRITE! YOU are both the prisoner in the tower and the protagonist. You save the day, and you rescue you – yes, YOU! You are your knight in shining armor. You are the only one who can write the happy ending. You are the one who decides how you emerge from this year. It is your privilege and your responsibility to write a new script for the future – the next chapter of your life, a new role, your encore. You may call it a pivot, reinvention, a new direction. Whatever label you choose, what happens next is up to you.
