What are you unapologetic for?
Is it your strength, your loudness, your passion, your nerdiness??? Whatever it is there is, sometimes those gifts inside us aren’t celebrated by the outside world. You might be able to relate to feedback telling us to bring it down a notch. I don’t know about you, but at times I have felt shame about one of my strongest strengths. I don’t love that.
I am an unapologetically STRONG woman! As I am writing this, I am literally reminding myself, “Yes you are, you might not be there 100%, but that is the direction you are going!”
My gift of strength has not only got me through hard times, but it has also opened up opportunities and saved my family as well. But before we go into that, where did this shame begin? I remember a 6th grade teacher bringing me into the hallway and pretty much telling me to pipe down. I don’t remember what I did (there is a good chance I was being disrespectful in my strength), but I do remember how I felt in that conversation and how it wasn’t okay to stand up and challenge things.
As I became an adult, I was also drawn to leading a project or a committee or whatever it was. I remember taking the DISC personality test and my result was that I was a “D”. That is “D” as in DOMINANT. I remember my heart sinking and thinking, “I don’t want to be a “D””. I remember other ladies, who I looked up to really embraced their “D”. I wanted to, but I always felt that I was the “man” in romantic relationships, or the “bossy” one, or that it just wasn’t appealing to be considered a “strong” woman. To this day, I still hate being called “Boss” and I think that is why.
The beauty of getting older is wisdom.
Finally being able to accept yourself and see the beauty in who you are. So today, I am unapologetically a STRONG woman. Where my strength has taken me and proved to be a wonderful trait:
- Knowing my boundaries or “friendly fences”
- Taking over Pacific Perks when my “was-band” had challenges with MS and could not continue to be a part of the business.
- Parenting – Showing my girls how being real, vulnerable and themselves is fun!
- In my leadership… It doesn’t have to be “bossy”. It can be collaborative, inspirational and has the ability to grow others around me.
- In my friendships – I am amazed at the friends I have today that are amazing, talented, kicking ass, strong women that thrive. I will take that group anyday!
- I have expectations of the people that are in my circle. That is another thing I won’t apologize for. Life is short, be with people that bring you up!
Being around a strong woman isn’t for everyone.
I still struggle, as I am in a new transition in my life where my person was not able to celebrate my strength. I believe it rocked their self-esteem. And that has to be okay because each of us can’t be liked by everyone, but at the end of the day, we need to like who we are.
At 51 years old, I do like who I am and I make a choice daily to let all the good absorb into my skin and let the people or things that were never meant to be in my life, walk away.
I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY STRONG ;o)