We’re about 6-weeks into Fall Semester 2019. I am accomplishing my goals, I am receiving high grades, and I am giving 110% every moment of everyday. I feel happy, proud, and strong.
Yesterday, I came across a HerCampus article published from the VCU chapter titled, ‘It’s OK to Settle Down Early (And What I Mean by That)’. The VCU student-writer, Kristin Pippin, takes the reader on a journey of her personal conclusion; that being a strong woman does not mean she has to be ‘single’ and being a committed relationship does not make her weak.
Over the past year or so, I created this image of THE ‘strong-woman’. For my Scandal lovers, I call this the Olivia Pope image. The woman who doesn’t need a man to be successful. The woman who does it all by herself, because as long as she wears her white hat, she can end her night with a bowl of popcorn and a fat glass of red wine.
The other day I stood by my kitchen table with my four best friends arguing that for me to open up to someone and begin some sort of relationship, to me, takes away my power. This would remove any chance of me being successful and reaching my goals because I would be dependent on someone else.
When I look at my role-models, especially my female role models, this isn’t the mindset that they have, yet I feel beyond focused on proving my strength through individuality.
My freshman year, I walked up to one of my older soccer teammates and asked her how she defines a strong women? How do I become one? I remember her explaining to me that being a strong woman is not just defined by one moment and individually, we deicide how to be one.
Each goal I create and intend to achieve always has some sort of end result that will help someone else. I think my next goal for this year, beyond helping others, this time is to help myself. This goal is intended for me to realize that I do not have to do everything alone to prove my strength as a woman.
This is a goal I hope every single female out there can have and as a complete culture we should have. Because plain and simple, a woman’s strength should not be defined by her dating status.
Image: Olivia Pope – Wikipedia