Our identity as WOMAN keeps getting jabbed at, dented, ripped....lost... We need to keep our focus on ourselves so that we don't stray too far away from being WOMAN...and if we do stray, we need to get back as quickly as we possibly can...
Here are some pointers/reminders:
It is in our nature to want to connect. We are most fulfilled when we are deeply connected with people.
It is in our nature to nurture. We nurture through our through love, affection, gentleness, and caring. A woman is not less feminine if she is single or if she is married and unable to bear children. She is just as womanly in form and spirit.
It is in our nature to be vulnerable. But we also have tremendous fortitude built into our nature. Yes, we tend to wall up our hearts to prevent being hurt, victimized, or wounded. We become defensive because we don't want to be taken advantage of. The downside is that in doing this we also keep the good things out. We need to know we have the strength to deal with all the bad things and come out tops!
It is in our nature to want to be beautiful. A reminder: Being outwardly attractive is not nearly as important as being inwardly beautiful. It is important, though, to have a pleasing outward appearance while working on our inner selves - our true, real selves. Our inward beauty comes from our gentle and quiet spirit. And we all have this...just that sometimes we push it deep, deep down to cope with external pressures that are unhappy or of a violent nature.
"You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are."
~ Melissa Etheridge
I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.”
~ Emma Stone
Maya Angelou sums up WOMAN for all of us:
PHENOMENAL WOMAN
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.