In a recent study titled, "The Shriver Report," by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress, the lives of modern women were put under a microscope as thousands across the country, men and women, were asked to be candid about the expectations of today's working men and women. More specifically, the number of women professionals has grown steadily since the 1960s, and because they're not going anywhere, it's throwing both genders for a loop. Women are working just as hard, or harder than their spouses, and life at home is under constant negotiation between many couples. Who are these women blazing the trail and how do they measure success?

As reprinted from Maria Shriver's report:

"Women say they feel increasingly isolated, invisible, stressed, and misunderstood.

I wondered what was going on. I talked to the women, and they filled out our questionnaires. I learned women are hungry for something that's missing in their lives—a place to connect. They say they feel increasingly isolated, invisible, stressed, and misunderstood. They say the news media, where I'd worked for 30 years, don't accurately reflect their lives anymore. They say women on TV shows and in the movies certainly don't either. They can't believe how out-of-touch government is with who women are today and what they need to survive. They can't understand how slow business has been in figuring out how to retain, support, and promote women. They lament that many faith institutions want women to be volunteers, but won't give them a seat at the table, let alone a place at the altar. They're terrified how quickly their family finances could be wiped out by a child's catastrophic illness or a parent's Alzheimer's. And they're exasperated that pundits and pollsters continue to jam women into convenient boxes with labels like "soccer moms" or 'security moms.'"

The full report can be read here with a number of related articles below.

In "What Happy Working Mothers Know," it's no longer rare or impossible for women to be top professionals in every field, the breadwinners of their families or negotiating the duties of a home. Unfortunately, as Maria Shriver’s report illustrates, it is, however, still rare for women to receive equal pay or promotional consideration, which makes the balancing act evermore confusing—for both genders. The best thing we can do is to remember to look for opportunities for real happiness is our everyday lives and focus on what's working instead of what's not—it may not pay the most or garner the most recognition—and at the end of the day, if you’re happy with who you are and surrounded by people who love you, you have succeeded."

-Cathy Greenberg, author of "What Happy Working Mothers Know," and w2wlink.com Professional Track author, "Work Life Happiness"