Thoughts on International Women’s Day #OneDayIWill

International Women’s Day is March 8, and Google is encouraging women everywhere to share their aspirations that day on social media using the hashtag, #OneDayIWill.

The team from Google Doodle reached out to see it I wanted to be part of of the day, but I had to come up with a single aspiration. This, as a friend said, is a problem that happens too rarely. What could I possibly say that would, in one Tweetable sentence, say everything I wish for women everywhere?

I asked friends. I asked my daughter who works at a University. I asked millennials (thinking perhaps they had a better line on this than me). No one's input expressed exactly how I feel. There's no way I could be snarky. This had to be real. 

So, after a weekend of thinking and writing lots of notes; it was time to turn in my aspiration - for women everywhere.

After watching the Academy Awards, it came to me. It seemed like there weren't enough women represented. Where are the women ready to take on the projects that will be honored by the Academy?

I looked within my own world. Lets assume that women are 50 percent of the population. Why aren't there more females in the C-Suite? Where are the mavens, the ninjas and the rockstars? When we look at a list of conference speakers, why aren't there at least 50 percent women? I know plenty of capable, brilliant women. 

The way I see it, its partially our fault. Recently Madeleine Albright was booed for saying "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." In order to reach that next level, to smash that glass ceiling, we need to prepare our sisters for success, to encourage them to take those chances, to do the work, to feel empowered, and to dream big.

It's up to us to cultivate and promote our talents and passions so that we have a chance to fully represent our 50%.

After great thought, I narrowed my aspirations to two, the second was my final choice:

• #OneDayIWill see women leading change, financing projects and taking key roles as leaders in the business world
• #OneDayIWill see a world where women have equal access to vocational and leadership opportunities

That said ... in my heart, I'm still a girl: #OneDayIWill visit Queen Elizabeth to play with her jewelry and her corgis, while wearing tiaras.

Enjoy Google's International Women's Day video below, #OneDayIWill