Women are strong, independent, hard-working, brilliant, and driven people. We have so much to offer this world, but why do we care so much about what others think of us? Why do we constantly feel the need to impress everyone? Why do we sit around for hours on end talking about men? It’s safe to say, I am definitely guilty of this. Recently, I have been noticing how my girlfriends and I sit around and spend all of our time talking about guys. Imagine how productive we would be without that on our minds all the time? Why is it that we act and dress certain ways to make guys happy? Why, over the years have we wasted so many tears on them? At this point, we should all be making steps to becoming more empowered women.
Being an 18-year-old female, I’ve had my fair share of mean girls. I’ve been called countless painful names and been made to feel as though I was less than the pretty “popular” girls in school. I found myself spending countless years trying to keep up with all those girls. Endlessly trying to dress how they dressed and do what they did, just because I thought it would make the boys like me. It wasn’t until my late high school years that I realized that all of that was insignificant. If someone really liked me, they should like me for me, not what I wore or how much makeup I put on. I started listening to my own music, despite what everyone else said, I wore what I wanted to wear while ignoring comments like “those are knock off boots” (true story) and “you’re wearing that?”. Yes, there were times that I would come home from school with makeup running down my face to my mom telling her how “Becky” said my hair looked bad, or that the boy I liked didn’t notice me. Thankfully, my mom always encouraged me to be myself despite what anyone else says. Reminding yourself that you are more than how other people perceive you is an important step to becoming an empowered woman. Your self-worth is not determined by the price tag on your jeans or the boy that thinks you’re cute.
Being only 18, I don’t have endless years of experience under my belt, and yes, it’s still a struggle to refrain from giving into guys who don’t deserve my time, but I have found that you don’t need others, especially a guy to define you. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one with yourself. And, if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
Three ways to help you become empowered are; be independent, relying on someone else won’t make you any stronger, becoming self-dependent is a great way to change for the better. Speak up. Standing firm in what you believe in is very important, and staying strong to your beliefs makes you strong. Finally, set goals for yourself. Working towards something is what keeps you motivated and eager to change. Working on yourself is extremely important and helps lead to a happier life. You are so much more than how others perceive you. Become that empowered woman you are inside. Because who runs the world?
HCXO, Grace