Three Women that Overcame Adversity and Lived By Their Own Rules Successfully

Mae West as she was best known by was born Mary Jane Mae West in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1893. She like so many women before and after her know how to use "sex" to sell themselves.  It seems this is the universal way of getting attention.  Any woman or man will tell you "Sex Sells" anything. Unfortunately many in the entertainment field do not know where the "image" begins and when to stop it.  By this I mean, Mae West was a "good" Christian girl who did not drink, smoke, curse, or sleep around.  This not to say she did not have lovers of HER choosing when SHE wanted to, but she did not let men control her life and career.  It was said she had a very male dominating father and learned to be in control of herself and life by imitating him.  She first married at 17, but then left him to pursue her career in entertainment not divorcing him until 23 years later although they had not lived together for decades. (She did not have children.) Her 'mistakes' did not stop her from pursuing her career in entertainment. She moved on with her goals in life successfully. She was not timid and was considered one of the first feminists, and men loved her.  Now if you listen to men today, many do not like feminist or so they say.  Why did men love her? You can listen to Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her on YouTube.

Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell was the oldest, with four younger brothers. When her father died she helped raise them and went to work as a model to help bring money into the house.  She later would claim she was a kind of a "tomboy" as a child and never was afraid of men.  This Hollywood actress chose what type female character she would portray and would not portray timid women.  She may be remembered most for the film, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" starring her and Marilyn Monroe.  But I read recently she was the headliner and Marilyn was supposed to be the supporting actress. I believe because Marilyn went on to use "Sex" to sell her image and became a "Sex Object" pin up girl, MM was later better known for the movie. Jane Russell became a pin up girl but did not put much stock in it. She liked to act.  Jane was discovered by Howard Hughes from some photographs she made while modeling.  He looked for new faces for his films from time to time and he found her. None of her model pictures or her costumes in any of her films had her in a bikini, Jane refused to wear one.  Jane thought that much did not need to be seen to enhance any female characters she played.  She also was Christian and ran a Christian Bible study in Hollywood. She had a botched abortion in her teen years that left her unable to have children but she did not let this stop her from becoming more, doing more with her life. As other strong women she took this stride and did not let this define her, she moved on with her goals in life successfully. 

Katherine Hepburn was a strong Hollywood star who called most of her professional moves and when her career was waning she thought of a way, using her own money to put into production her movie "The Philadelphia Story" a remake of Grace Kelly's movie, “High Society." This revived Katherine's career.  (I have both movies, I think Grace Kelly played the part better) Katherine, however, is my favorite personality of the two on a personal life level.  (Katherine chose to NOT have children knowing her focus was her career not the needs of a child, good thinking) Katherine Hepburn was no saint, she lived with Spencer Tracy for years. Spencer wanted a divorce to marry her but could not because his Catholic wife would not divorce him. This wife would not let Katherine go to Spencer's funeral even though Katherine had nursed him the last years of his life before he died.  Kate moved on with her goals in life successfully.

The thread of admiration I have for these three women is that each of them, no matter what life circumstances were, did not let these circumstances get them down or hold them back.  These three lived by their convictions, their focus, and NEVER GAVE UP their goals in life. They kept their backbone intact as they navigated the sharky waters of Hollywood and the public.  This confidence is one I would like to see all women have today.  Tears and whining, "It's not fair" does not move a man ahead in the world and it will not move a woman ahead either.  

Susan B. Anthony did not cry and whine, "It was not fair" that men had the right to vote, own property, own his children, and even beat his wife, (Yes that was on the law books) among other things, she set out to change the laws. I see if we women are to move ahead in our private lives, whether we choose to be a stay-at-home mother or a career woman, we best stop crying, determine boundaries, and start moving in a positive direction with an uplifting voice to make a change.  

The continual cry of the VICTIM calls for someone to rescue, and if someone does not rescue, then anger sets in and helplessness sets in... In time bitterness will become a complete shutdown that leads to stagnation of life. This is why Byron Katie teaches that VICTIMS are the angriest people on earth. To get past anger, we must get past VICTIM thoughts, we must take responsibility for our life and everything thought good and bad.  

If we want things to change then we must find a way to change it. I do research and read autobiographies to see what other people had to overcome. I learned that personal challenges these people had hurt them, but they chose to keep going, keep going, and they never gave up.  As women, we need to wake up and see our power, claim it, stand up in peaceful resistance but with a voice as one.  I truly believe women would be surprised how much the majority of men will respect us as a result. (In America)  

The Dali Lama believes "The salvation of women in the Eastern world will come from the women in the Western one." 

We will influence the world, we already do.  America is a great place to live.  I personally like that we have no royalty here lording themselves above us.  We are not commoners here, we are equals here in the USA.  (A reason many people come here)

Here, now, women can be educated, work outside the home, have careers, we can be respected, we can vote.  It starts with me.  This next generation of women coming up have education, businesses of their own, are globally minded, confident, some I read about and some I have met are so exciting to me. These women are going to raise powerfully kind children and repair the broken family so prevalent everywhere. 

Just to learn to be happy, slow down, take one day at a time, enjoy a significant other and take care of the children you bring into the world first, is all we can do here for our short lifespan.  We are getting better, we are doing this, we are changing the world, keep going, keep going, NEVER GIVE UP.