This week I had the good fortune to attend The Million Dollar Women Symposium in Salem, MA.  Surrounded by hundreds of successful female entrepreneurs, I absorbed the collective positive energy, knowledge and inspiration of so many amazing women.  I was inspired not as much by their level of success, but by their ability to overcome failure.  Despite the diversity in their stories, these women shared a common theme – perseverance in the face of adversity.  Each of them spoke about having met with an obstacle or setback that brought them to their knees.  And each had the guts to stand back up.

Despite what the rest of us might wrongly assume, the road to success is smoothly paved for no one.  Navigating our journey – both professional and personal – takes perseverance, determination, and courage.  Self-esteem – like success- requires that we employ these qualities to truimph.  If the road we’re on does not call for us to overcome challenges and elevate our inner strength, we simply aren’t growing.  The comfort zone is nice, but it’s meant to be a temporary respite, not a reserved parking spot.

The women who have achieved recognition as ‘Million Dollar Women’ are courageous women with high self-esteem.  They have been afraid and unsure like the rest of us.  They are not fearless superhumans.  Rather, they are ordinary women with an extraordinary desire to succeed; women who have decided that the fulfillment of their dreams is more important than fear.