As many of you know, today is International Women's Day. I'm hoping you've been exposed to lots of inspiring, educational and motivational pieces like I have.
I trawled through hundreds of quotes to find one that summed up how I feel about today, what it means to be a woman, the struggles and the triumphs. I have to admit to you all, there is not one single quote that encapsulates all of those feelings and points. I think this is a really good thing because you are so individual, wether you're a female or male reading this, you will relate to something or some one differently to one another.
One thing I found really interesting whilst looking into these quotes is realising how important they all were, but some were poignant to me than others. It may be my age or situation in life that makes me feel and understand these quotes differently from others, but that's okay.
I feel uneducated and privileged when it comes to feminism, however I have had my own challenges to overcome as a women.
By uneducated I mean I understand, but not to the fullest extent. My sister is such a great example of a women who understands and she is an absolute inspiration to me. She always stands up for herself and others regardless of who she's talking to or being challenged by. She is always ready to educate me when I ask for help or her views and opinions. I look up to her in this respect and I will admit myself I probably need to be louder when it comes to my voice in all of this.
When I say I am privileged I don't mean to say I am wealthy, but privileged in the sense that I have not had as greater struggle as others around me. I am aware of the fight women of colour, transwomen, muslim women and disabled women had have and still have today. I understand the difference between our journeys and respect these women and the many more I haven't mentioned here.
In my workplace I have worked hard to be respected in a position of management as a young woman. I am grateful for my many mentors but I am also grateful to myself for pushing through the challenges. At some points in my career I have been surrounded by a male dominated team. I was lucky in that most of them were supportive of me and my goals, however at times it was a struggle to feel equal. I have been challenged directly and in-directly because I was a woman in a position of management and for me it was hard to believe that would be a reason for the situations arising.
What I think is beautiful is that despite all of the past and current battles each woman is facing, we are all one. Personally I am always learning from the women in my life. Wether they are a member of my family, a friend or even another woman I follow on Instagram, I am always learning.
I did find one quote I liked from Emma Watson - 'Girls should never be afraid to be smart'.
I should never be afraid to show that I am smart and intelligent, despite having been marked as stupid before.
I should never be afraid to voice my opinion, though I may be scared of what people might think of me, it will always be smarter to speak up than be silent.
I should not be afraid to admit I am worth as much as the next person.
I should never be afraid to be smart. Girls, Women, you should never afraid to be smart!
Does anyone else ever feel so motivated and so lost at the same time? One minute I'm insanely inspired and the next I am incredibly flat. I've always had big plans for myself and ever since I was young I've had a very determined - albeit sometimes very stubborn - mind. I believed I could do anything as long as I put my mind to it. For some reason that strong mind hasn't been with me recently and I've been trying to understand why.
Most of my friends are finishing their last year of university in a couple of months and I find it strange to see some of them being able to leave with a job and a full life plan, others with no idea at all. I chose not to go to uni, although I knew I would LOVE the social side, I was very fussy with courses and wasn't into the idea of studying something I wasn't 100% passionate about. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had gone to uni but you can only have a 'what if' story and I'm not sure it's very healthy to do that.
I have always praised my friends dedication to their work and it will be such a huge proud friend moment for me when they all get their degrees! When their graduations come round, I do come back to the thought of wondering what I can show for those 3 years.
Maintaining motivation is hard work in itself and I think you have to have such discipline to do that, so I admire anyone who does! It's so easy to watch other peoples successes on social media and I am so into supporting one another, especially in the creative industry where it is so competitive now. However sometimes I feel like I get so involved in other peoples ventures that I stop watching and supporting myself.
One of my friends Sasha recently told me something and I've been thinking about it a lot recently. She said she could see that I am ambitious and could achieve so much but I need to put myself first. Not in a selfish way or to start disregarding other people and their feelings. Just that it was my time to look after me, do things that I want to, not just to please other people.
After thinking about it a lot, I think she's right. I am such a people pleaser, I try and make everything work for everybody and hate to be told off or challenged for a decision I make. Even if it's the right choice for my body or mind, I still may do the opposite if someone wants me to. Her words resonated with me and I'm so glad she said it.
Being 21 years old I feel like I am at some sort of crossroad where every decision I make now will set my path in stone. That I only have 4 more years to achieve everything I need to or that I'm wasting time by not doing something or other. I know this is a feeling I have seen a lot of other 20-somethings express so at least I'm not the only one! For my next goal I will be trying to live out Sasha's words.
I need to remember that I have already achieved so much in not many years and there is so much time for more! I'm going to start looking out for me. Of course I will continue to look out for others but I will be thinking about how my decisions effect my body and mind. I'm excited to think about my future and what I can make of it. I'm hoping if you're feeling a bit like me, that maybe my words (or Sasha's) may help you remember how much you've achieved, small or big. Remember how important you are and invest in yourself.