“Still I Rise” a poem by Maya Angelou speaks to me in a way that gives me hope. Hope that irrespective of my circumstances or how people perceive or treat me, I will persevere. I will still rise. I will achieve my life’s purpose.

My partner sent me this photo recently. While I had a little chuckle at his creativity, it really got me thinking. This is a photo of fermenting “dosa” batter. “Dosa” is a crispy pancake made of rice and “urad dal” (a kind of lentil) blended and left to ferment. It’s popular in South India. It’s the fermenting that makes it special.

No, this isn’t a cooking lesson! Stay with me.

For this fermenting to take place, you need the right conditions. My friends, who have lived in the UK for many years have had me believe that fermenting is impossible in damp and cold weather. We had to either buy the batter ready-made or go to a South Indian restaurant if we wanted to taste this dish ever again. South Indian restaurants are far and few between, our neck of the woods.

We discovered that the heat/ energy from the blending combined with wrapping the container with cling film created the perfect environment for the batter to ferment and rise. And rise it did, triumphantly! It turned out perfect.

I’m sharing this with you as a reminder that with the right support and conditions for growth; anyone can thrive. We can in our families, communities and workplaces help create such an environment that results in all members, citizens and employees having equitable opportunities to thrive, to have choices to live the life they truly want.

Let me leave you with these lines…

No one can be kept oppressed forever, dormant desires lie waiting to be awoken Suppressed and latent below the surface. Waiting for a stimulus – a word, a question, an image…anything, something to disrupt status quo. That’s when we will rise to claim our rightful place.

If you are joining us at the “Still I Rise” self discovery/ leadership event, then we will be exploring this in detail together. https://bit.ly/Still-I-Rise 

And if you are not and want to carry on this discussion, do get in touch.