Happy Women’s Day!
Lessons from a 29-year-old sister, daughter, new wife, and young woman simply trying to navigate this life thing.
On this Women’s Day, there are a few things I’d like to share that I thought could empower the next woman, purely based on my own life experiences:
I just turned 29 almost a month ago, and I’m currently in the final year of my first degree after basically attempting it twice before. I’ve dealt with physical, mental, and even spiritual health challenges in between, moving countries, heartbreak, and loss on this journey, and at first, I used to think, “It’s taken me so long” or “Maybe I’m too old for this…” and sometimes worse, but now I know for sure I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. All things are working together for my good.
My circumstances are not the same as everyone around me, and comparison truly is the thief of joy. My journey is not going to look like someone else’s. I’m not yet where I want to be, but I'm happy I’m not where I used to be. I’m a self-published author of two books, I married the love of my life, I’m about to finish my degree after not being able to get to this point for almost 10 years, I have a family that loves me so much, I’m endometriosis and fibroid-free, and I’m a sexual assault survivor. I survived.
Inner peace is priceless. Yes, having a lot of money is great and allows for all the amazing experiences and material things (which aren’t bad at all; I myself enjoy nice things), but it doesn’t mean much if I’m not okay within myself. I’m not 100%, but I’m not where I used to be.
Your purpose doesn’t have to be GRAND and ambition is going to look different for everyone. I read somewhere that someone once said, “The more I healed, the less ambitious I became,” and I felt that. Not everyone is going to become a billionaire, not everyone is going to become president, and not everyone is going to be world-famous and touch the lives of millions of starving children. Simply make a difference where you are and chase YOUR dreams. Always remember that there is room for all of us, so don’t feel like there are too many chefs, artists, content creators, etc.; just go ahead and pursue what you want to pursue.
Love shouldn’t be hard. I’m not sure how to explain this, but I’ll try. Relationships, specifically romantic ones, won’t be easy, and they won’t always be rainbows and unicorns, but they shouldn’t feel like a heavy load all the time. I married the love of my life, but we were separated for 6 years, and I was devastated and crippled for maybe 5 of those years. I would’ve never imagined we would even speak again, never mind get married, Through God’s grace, a lot of difficult conversations, a willingness to work, and building a friendship we’re here now, officially married for 9 months, and everything just seems so much better and easier with him.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I think this one is self-explanatory, but just a reminder that when those intrusive thoughts creep in and you feel inadequate or like you don’t belong, know that you are amazing, unique, enough, and made not only in His image but in His likeness too.
Never give up. Believe me, that one took a while for me to fully grasp, but I’m determined now. I make plans for the future, I set goals, I fight through the pain, low moods, and so many other things, but every day I tell myself to literally take it one step at a time, one minute, hour, or day at a time. Sometimes things still look quite blurry, but I promised myself to never give up. It helps a great deal when you have people around you who won’t give up on you either.
Live authentically and do the things that you love. Life has so much to offer, don’t spend it being mean, miserable, and complaining all the time. As much as there is chaos, find the beauty in it and make the most of each day. Don’t pretend to be anyone else, and just enjoy life. Now I enjoy solo dates, resting when I need to without feeling guilty, spending time with people that don’t drain me, and choosing me and life unapologetically.
Allow yourself to be soft and to walk in your feminine energy. It’s okay to be treated gently, with love and care.
Believe in yourself. You've got this.
God’s got you. “El Roi, He sees you.”
I’ve been shaped by my life experiences, but I've also been fortunate enough to be influenced by some pretty amazing women that I will always look up to for their bravery, strength, courage, femininity, and love for themselves and their drive.
We salute you and we honour you.
Happy Women’s Day!