Układ(a)ne スタッキング可能. Aoko Matsuda

If I do my duties, will I get a promotion?” Her supervisor responded with amazement: “Women want promotions too?!”

“I believe that in this world full of lies, dreams and desires still exist.”

This book is a set of interesting stories about how hard it is to be a woman.
The first stories touch on career topics — where we are not treated the same as men. There’s a different standard. And if you don’t follow societal pressure, you’re simply labeled a “bitch,” “witch,” anything but a woman or work colleague.
“I stopped smiling. I stopped forcing myself to fit in. No matter what happened, I made a decision (…). And then men started telling me they were afraid of me. They gossiped behind my back (…).”

It’s hard for everyone to deal with — mostly for men, but sometimes also for other women who make your life difficult if you don’t follow the societal script.

I love this quote:

 “Women, just like him — the man — come to the company to work, not to make life more pleasant for other men. They’re not here to fill a position for someone else. (…) Their pleasant appearance or gentle nature is just an add-on. No one has the right to think badly of a female colleague just because she’s not especially nice to him. It’s almost funny how easy it was to forget all of that.”

It’s important to remember that not long ago, things were much worse — there were no women in leadership roles.
And a woman’s job was to serve men. As the author reminds us with a quote from the movie
“If I do my duties, will I get a promotion?” Her supervisor responded with amazement: “Women want promotions too?!”

I think there’s still a lot to do to treat everyone fairly — regardless of gender, ethnicity, or beliefs — but we’re moving forward, and each of us is responsible for not letting inequality slide.

Recently I was at a business conference, and a guy who was recording asked me to blow a kiss to the camera. I didn’t agree. I said, “I’m not a model, I’m here as a director, and I can’t believe you would ask the same thing from a man.” He agreed.
Let’s not be pelicans who swallow everything. Change is in our hands — we are part of it.

I also like this quote:
“Anyone could work. You just had to get used to it a little, think it through, apply some logic, and the work wasn’t difficult. You only needed to try a little. Show even a minimum of determination.”

I fully agree. Everyone can work — nothing is impossible. I’m always surprised when people choose not to work and just live off grants.
It’s a myth that work is “hard.” Running a company isn’t hard. It’s just a lot of work. That’s it.

The author also shows how companies, media, and influencers shape our lives — making us feel like we’re not enough. That only if we buy their products, we’ll be beautiful or full — or just full of fool 😉
“So what — a woman over thirty looks unattractive without concealer? Stop feeding us this nonsense just to get us to buy your products!”

You’re supposedly incomplete without it.
I don’t use any makeup, so maybe it’s harder for me to understand this pressure. But I think again — it’s society telling us to look a certain way. Whether you’re a director or going on a date — you’re expected to dress up and wear makeup.
I never got it. Even when someone told me to do it, I just showed them my favorite poster — the one where a girl looks like she’s been beaten up, and YSL calls it the “festival look.”

But yeah… we do want to feel special. And while you can’t tempt me with makeup, I’m guilty in other ways — just like the character from the book who reads all the reviews, knows they’re fake, but still buys another body balm.

 “That’s why from time to time, I browse those reviews and convince myself they’re written honestly by real consumers.
I’m obsessed with body balms — I have ten different ones at home. Whenever a product catches my eye, I buy it right away 🙂
Has she lost her mind? How moisturized do you need to be, woman? (…)
But you know what’s worst? Her comment comes back to me in the store when I see a product I already have — and still want.
And I think, ‘Another purchase isn’t a problem, right?’ (…) and I reach for my wallet.
Ladies, don’t be fooled! Women are unknowingly becoming cogs in the body balm sales machine.”

Guilty as charged.

I’m completely like the protagonist of the last story. I know my strengths and weaknesses perfectly.

“I’m like Japanese culture — on Christmas I eat Western cream cake, and on New Year’s I eat traditional mochi dumplings.”

I’m grateful that this story ended the book — when Kimiko prays at the shrine, asking for guidance. It was so romantic and cute.

And yeah — I do this too. I’m super realistic and factual, yet every year I go to Japan and visit my favorite Meiji Jingu Shrine to ask for guidance.

“I believe that in this world full of lies, dreams and desires still exist.”

I think this is what makes us women — we work hard, stay realistic, but still hold big dreams and believe in fairies.