It’s hard to feel empowered in a world that doesn’t treat women equally. Without hindering the growth the world is making at equalizing rights, this article is aimed to help women feel a little better in this cruel world. Remembering the following habits helps me feel a little more empowered. Although these actions are difficult to fully practice, they do help in the smallest of amounts.
Accept Humility
Acting out of shape due to humility is what people like to see. But what people like to see even more is people shrugging off humiliations. Putting yourself out there despite potential embarrassment is inspiring and shows courage, confidence, and strength. Putting myself if the face of humility has grown me into the women I’ve always wanted to be. Even Forbes leaders agree that more women should aspire to accept humility: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2017/04/24/5-ways-humility-is-keeping-women-stuck-and-afraid/#703a9ca7568c
Never Give Up
Everyone faces setbacks no matter what seems to be presented to the public. Don’t let five, ten, or a thousand failures stop you from accomplishing what you want. Yes, that guy over there may appear to have become successful quicker than you, but you too will eventually get there if that’s where you want to be. If running countless miles in high school cross country taught me anything, it taught me that the only thing holding you back is you. You are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to.
Refuse to Accept Stereotypes
A couple days ago, I was explaining to a friend that I wanted a hockey jersey for Christmas, then was told that “there’s four jerseys for women to choose from” on my choice of team’s website. This simple conversation really resonated with me. My thought and response was, why do I have to choose from the women’s section? I want a men’s jersey because it would be more authentic choosing a men’s jersey from an all-men’s team. Not only that, but men’s shirts are comfier. This is a perfect example of rejecting stereotypes. Don’t buy from the women’s section if you don’t want to, wear unlimited makeup if that’s what makes you feel confident… rejecting stereotypes will empower yourself and let others know that labels are only a suggestion.
Practice Yoga and Meditation
There’s nothing like turning your head upside down and releasing steam. Downloading the Fit-Star Yoga app and Simple Habit app was one of the best decisions I have ever made because downloading these apps affected me in such a positive manner. Not only did the first session of each app completely relax my mind and body without the use of medicine, but it continued to help me after every session. Dedicating at least 15 minutes between the two apps out of the week to yoga and meditation nearly eliminated the anxiety from my life, and it has also helped many others as well: https://www.doyouyoga.com/5-inspirational-yoga-success-stories-45752/
Surround Yourself Around the Best
Peer influence is a huge factor as to why people are the way they are. Sometimes this is hard to avoid, but it’s not impossible to change. If you don’t want to be the person you currently are, find someone who you do idol to be and start being more like them. Between elementary school and college, I switched friend groups at least every three years, but I’m proud of where I am today and strive to become more of who I want to be every day. Don’t know where to start, but strive to be successful? Entrepreneur offers 4 types of people to surround yourself around: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/276050
Be Yourself
Most importantly, just be yourself. Accepting humility, never giving up, rejecting stereotypes, practicing yoga and meditation, and surrounding yourself around the best can all help you build yourself into the person you are. Just by following one of these four suggestions can lead into something unbelievable. Charlene shares her story of just being herself here:
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