It was International Women's day yesterday and a lovely time to remember how far women have had to come in order for us to live the life we have today. It was a time to congratulate and praise women for their achievements and the role we play in each others life as well as acknowledge the support we receive from the men in our lives. It is also a time to raise awareness of issues women continue to face around the world today. Because there is always so much more that we can do.
Todays post can not cover all the above, but simply speak of The Woman who Knows, of what real beauty in a woman means to me and the sisterhood that we could create to help transform our communities.
Celebrating each other
Celebrating each other as the women we are can happen every day in our lives and when we look closely we will see that we are already surrounded by many positive connections which we take for granted. Awareness and gratitude of this will surely warm your heart. A conversation with a colleague or friend, a meal with the women in our family, a girly shopping trip, a contagious giggle, a shoulder to cry on, an encouraging smile. Sisterhood and connection is constant.
I have so many sisters in the world who are very different to me. It is not about us being the same but about us 'seeing' each other for who we are, loving and accepting one another and working with what wonderfulness we already have. When I think about sisterhood with more focus and for a greater good I instinctively know this can be powerful.
Women do not need to conform to an ideal that has been engineered by men. This is ridiculous. Women need to continue to connect with each other and acknowledge what is within their true nature. So let us make it clear in our heads...
Beauty and self-image
Beauty is not just the girl with the flat stomach, the good skin, the curved figure, the blonde or brunette, the long haired, the short haired, the trend setter, the girly girl, the popular girl, the career woman, the working mum, the western girl, the city girl, the white girl, the non-religious girl, the 'abled' girl or the young girl.
Beauty is all those girls BUT also the stay at home mum, the big girl, the shy one, the girl with bad skin, the loner, the gardener, the one who knits, the tomboy, the skateboarder, the engineer, the teacher, the plumber, the dancer, the scholar, the politician, the activist, the older one, the frail one, the 'weird' one, the vegan, the deaf girl, the blind girl, the Indian, Cambodian, Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Bengali, Pakistani, Mexican, Californian, Kazakstani, Croatian, Polish, German, Italian, Spanish, English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Greek, Cypriot, Turkish, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Egyptian, Iranian, Jamaican, Nigerian, American, Brazilian, the hippie, the Muslim, the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the Buddhist, the Atheist... I think you get my point.
Beauty is YOU.
It is your smile, your walk, the way you laugh, the way you cry, your feelings, your expressions, what you say, how you say it, how you feel and what you do. It is your heart and soul. This is your essence, your real beauty. Believe in it and do not be afraid to share it. Women forget this. Well, we know how to share our outer beauty well because we live in a world that focuses only on that. Of course our bodies are these wonderful vessels which we should cherish but our minds are the most powerful part of us that needs to be expressed. It is with our mind that people connect with not our bodies, despite the hype we constantly see of the 'perfect' girl. An intelligent, strong, confident and inspiring woman is just that no matter what shape or form she comes in.
No doubt, as do men, women love to feel accepted, loved, appreciated and adored. But sometimes we seek these things in the wrong places, often waiting for others to validate what we should know but have forgotten.
The written piece below is for all of us who forget and who need reminding of what we and other women are about. It is for us to remember that whoever we are, whatever we look like, wherever we are from and whatever we believe in...
We are beauty. If we can see this in each other the world can be a more loving place. If others can see it, then great. Ultimately if you believe in it and feel your beauty this is all that really matters. You will naturally shine and you will be infectious!
This is an expression of how I felt a while back. It is for those who are not 'seen' in the work place, at home or in their communities for the amazing beings that they are. It is about our instinct, intuition, heart and spirit. It is about experiencing pain and overcoming it. The words flowed strongly at that time and think this is a good time to share it.
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The Woman who Knows
The Woman who Knows can see the doubt, confusion and uncomfortable feeling you have in your eyes. She notices the coldness from your heart and wonders why you can not really see and feel what lies beneath her. You may not be able to see her beauty or achievements because you still have not lifted the veil of fear, pretentiousness, illusion and ignorance from your human eyes. But she knows that deep down you are love and you too have a desire to be that love. Yet you have forgotten what this means.
A real woman knows. She always knows because she can feel it. She is a lifeline, a peace giver, she is a protector who has been mistreated, misunderstood, mistaken and ridiculed.
It is from her you once came. She deserves your respect.
Honour her,
her body and
keep all women safe.
Without women, the feminine nature may well be forgotten. If it is forgotten who will you come to for a helping hand, a creative idea. Where will you rest your head at night, feel the warmth of her love and hear the sweet words she mutters to you, soothing your soul. She is the encourager, the motivator, the reminder of all things feminine and the loving one.
She is not ignorant to the fact that we are all on different paths learning lessons at different times so she encourages herself to leave it and let go of the frustration she feels sometimes when she notices that the opposite of love is being projected to her.
We are who we are, She is who she is, so you embrace it or not. If you do not, that is also fine. The truth is no woman needs others around her who can not see her essence. Ironically you remind her of who she truly is and who she does not want to be.
The Woman who Knows has no need for you to like the authentic and strong person that she is because you may not be able to comprehend what it means to be mindful in this way.
The Woman who Knows knows the journey she makes and values the whole of her being. She is not just the stories she tells herself. She is not just the image she projects to the world. She is more than this. She is a beautiful spirit entwined in this human experience. A woman's nature does not need to be tamed because it will always call to her, from her inner being, to rise up, to be who she was meant to be.
The Woman who Knows stands strong in the wind, her hair flowing, becoming tangled symbolising the paths she had experienced previously. She is patient, she can do this, she has done it before, untangling the knots and untangling life's difficulties one at a time.
The Woman who Knows chooses to be herself because it creates happiness in her heart and for her loved ones. Her hope is always love for everyone. Only a bitter woman does not want goodness to shine through. Our true nature is not bitter. But sometimes we forget. Sometimes it may have gotten too much for us.
She knows the path can be hard and some people do not see her for what she is. Her potential is greatness and her essence is more beautiful than she can ever imagine.
She is impenetrable, so stop trying to break her. It can never work. What a simple and elementary statement yet it is always surprising when others persist. Even when you see her laying on the ground, at her lowest, be sure she will rise up, be stronger and will walk away from those who can not see her for the rare diamond that she is.
When you see her beauty and aching for the same realness and self love that inhabits her being then maybe you too will begin to know what The Woman who Knows has realised.
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A sisterhood is already here, waiting to transform the world. To remind us that women do not need to be more of a 'man' to change the world, but they just need to be themselves, in this moment, to shine their light without fear and connect with each other positively.
LOVE is the only way for great happiness to unfold daily in our lives. When there is no love there is no happiness. Women with women and women with men must work together, play together and love each other. Sisters, brothers, lovers and friends. Whatever your connection listen to each other, understand and respect the differences that lies in us all.Then move forward together to create a new breed of boys and girls who will become the men and women they were meant to be, real men and real women who will see each other with love, respect and deep admiration for their role and purpose here on this earth.
No one said the journey will be easy, but it will be worth it.
