GOLD
Sometimes, people tell you that you can’t do something — not because you’re not allowed to do it, but because they legitimately think you won’t be able to. This happens so often, in fact, that many people have risen above and beyond the limits they have set for themselves just to be able to prove everyone wrong. The majority of these goal-transcending people are women.
In the past year alone, women have far exceeded every man’s expectations: The Women’s March (a march for equality that took place around the world), electing numerous women into political positions, including Danica Roem, the first openly transgendered woman to be elected and seated in state legislature, and now the countless number of brave women who are speaking up against sexual assault and harassment.
These mass movements have paved the way for younger generations to be able to rise and succeed in the future. The aim was to change perceptions about what is possible for young women and girls to achieve, and to inspire millions of them around the world to demand that their voices be heard. Our challenge now is to make a future in which every girl has the chance to take up positions of leadership – whether politically or otherwise.
When someone tells you to “go for gold” they aren’t saying it just as a figure of speech. Going for the gold means pushing yourself beyond your own limits and expectations. It means you are not settling for anything less than perfection. You have the power to be your own Beyoncé, be the girl on fire and be the golden girl you know you are.
A new year is coming, and with it, a time for us to make changes more than the “new year, new me” tactic we always use. Empower others as you empower yourself; believe you are made of gold, and show others that they are made of the same vibrant spark. Change is coming, and the world better be ready for the new age of Golden Girls that is coming with it.