Are you a mom who gave up her career or education to raise a family? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Thousands of women go through the same thing every year. The idea of attending interviews and knowing that you missed out on a lot of on-job learning or that you’ve been out of the system for too long may put you off from going back to work or study.

Although plenty of factors may keep you from going back, it’s time to look at reasons to go back to working or studying. A lot of people have found motivation in TED talks. Check out a few of them that might nudge you to get back in your groove.

Anne-Marie Slaughter: Can we all “have it all”?

Anne-Marie Slaughter is an accomplished international lawyer, foreign policy analyst and a political scientist. She dissects the question that we all ask as women – ‘can we have it all?’ She talks about how family should be valued just as much as work. Just because you put work first, family does not automatically come in second.

There are things that raising a family can give you such as patience, empathy, creativity, and adaptability. Her talk will inspire you to effectively use https://smude.edu.in/smude.html the skills you’ve learnt to leverage yourself at work or during your distance education program.

Stefan Sagmeister: The power of time off

Stefan Sagmeister runs a successful design studio in NYC. He creates identities, commercials, websites, apps, films, books, and a lot more. He talks about how he gets bored at work just like we all do. So he works for 7 years and takes 1 year off on a sabbatical. This break completely rejuvenates him and he returns to work with ideas that he would have otherwise never had. As a woman, your break too has given you an added advantage, it’s time to use it. You have an edge that you don’t even recognise!

Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit

Angela left a high paying and demanding job to become a math teacher in an NYC public school. There she realised that what makes you excel is not your intelligence, but rather it’s your grit and determination. She says the way to succeed is to stick to your future, not for a week or a month, but for years. Knowing that all you need is grit to succeed, leaves you with fewer excuses and more motivation to get back to working or even take up a distance education course.

Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls

Leymah is a peace activist responsible for leading a women’s peace movement in Liberia. She has also won the Noble Peace Prize. Her TED talk is about her own experiences growing up, the difficulties she has faced and how she has reached where she has. Her talk is inspirational because it teaches you that anything is possible if you unlock your inner greatness – don’t let anything hold you back!

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

Shawn has the best job – a happiness researcher. He is also an author, speaker and advocates Positive Psychology. His talk is about how it’s not reality that shapes us, but the lenses through which we view reality. In other words, it’s not our circumstances, but rather how we view the situation that can take us to new heights. His humorous take on happiness, is sure to leave you with positivity and courage to take the steps you need to get back to work or even a challenging course like an executive MBA. Knowing that you control your destiny is a powerful driving force.