Every year when International Women's Day comes round, there are many stories published of women juggling successful careers while raising young children, grateful for the "village" that helps them become what the media hails as the "women who have it all".

I used to read these stories in earnest, looking for hacks and inspiration to achieve similar success as a woman facing the exact same challenges - trying to achieve professional success, raising two children, and being a good wife and daughter.

Perhaps it was the increased focus on mental health issues in the media, or that I have found time to reflect upon my own experience, but I began to wonder if such stories are indeed inspiring, or if they instead set an impossible benchmark for working mothers out there.

After all, not everyone has access to a "village" and, therefore, an inability to have it all may exacerbate a mother's guilt, create resentment and cause her to feel a lack of achievement.

On the surface, I looked like I had it all, but the grind to get there resulted in a deep sense of hopelessness that I came to realise was depression. Thankfully, months of psychotherapy enabled me to achieve clarity of purpose and helped me realise that I am good enough.

It would perhaps be more inspiring if the media could publish stories of working mothers who work within the challenges that life has thrown them, and have them share with others where they find sources of strength to carry on. These stories may be less newsworthy but are surely more real.

It is my hope that we can find a new narrative that "every mother is a good mother", "every mother tries her best" or "don't be afraid to be good enough", because there may be a dark side in trying to attain the "holy grail".

Tracy Ang