This world is full of people who will tell you what you are, who you are, and what you can do. It’s full of people who will do anything they can to tear you down, full of those who will try to live your life for you. We only get this one life, though and if we don’t wake up and be who we’re meant to be, we’re doing the entire world a disservice. This world is meant to have YOU in it. Everything that being YOU entails. We need it, all of us. It’s time to become, to be. Here’s how:

Woman, Who Are You?

“ Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give in. Don’t ever stop trying. Don’t ever sell out. If you ever find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off. But never ever, ever give up.”

-Richelle E. Goodrich

As women, we’re constantly putting our power in the hands of others. We commit ourselves to the ideals and ideas of others, whether they be about what our bodies should look like, how much money we should make, what we should do for a living, and even how we’re supposed to raise our children. When we don’t measure up to the people others want us to be (or even to the people we, ourselves, believe we should be), we suffer.

We self-judge and reject the qualities of ourselves that don’t line up. We think if we can just be better, do better, then we can get to that happy awesome place we’ve been waiting to reach. But, here’s the thing: the world outside hides no treasures or great epiphanies that will get us where we need to be. 

There’s nothing outside of who you already are that will save you, that will elevate you, that will bring you the wisdom and power you need to make it. You are the one you’ve been waiting for. You are the heroine of your own story, your own journey.

You have the power to have the life you’ve always wanted; you’ve just been giving that power to others. And it’s time you stopped. Commit to being who you are, right now, and take that power back.

Woman, You Are Made of Magic

“Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The single most disruptive force in your entire life is doubt. Doubt will keep you from your power. It is a destroyer of dreams, of ambitions, and even of relationships. All of us have fear, insecurities, but we can’t live there. We can’t allow ourselves to. If we live in self-doubt, we’ll never be able to make our dreams come true. It’s impossible.

You need to remember who you are. You’re a powerful badass, capable of anything. Live in that feeling. Fake it if you have to, but live in THAT feeling.

Remember, the universe will only bring you what you put out. It doesn’t respond to wants. It responds to what you already have. If you’re living in self-doubt, it will prove you right. If you’re living in confidence, it will prove you right.

Woman, Nurture Yourself

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform.”

-Diane Mariechild

When was the last time you nurtured the woman inside of you? When was the last time you pampered yourself? It isn’t selfish to do this. It’s necessary, vital even.

If you don’t take the time to honor yourself and all that you are, you can’t fully give to others. It’s about balance. There are so many sides of you: soft, gentle, caring, hard, strong, ambitious, passionate. All these things need nurturing.

Nurture the warrioress within. Nurture the feminine, soft side. Nurture your passion, your ambition so you can stand tall in all that you are.

Woman, You’re a Phoenix

“You’ve seen my descent, now watch my rising.”

-Rumi

The phoenix is one of the most amazing mythical creatures ever created. Her rising from the ashes isn’t what’s so impressive. It’s that she accepts her fate, knowing that the fall is necessary in order for the rise.

We must allow ourselves to feel the pain and sorrow that comes with a fall. We can’t just stuff them inside and move on because handling those emotions is part of the lesson we need to learn.

Accept the negative, feel it, embrace it so you can overcome it. This is what gives us the strength to move on.

Woman, Revel In Your Sensuality

“If sexuality is one dimension of our ability to live passionately…then in cutting off our sexual feelings, we diminish our overall power to feel, know, and value deeply.”

-Judith Plaskow

One of the best things about being a woman is our sensuality. Yet, society dictates to us what that’s supposed to look like. It asks us to repress this side of ourselves. We were born to be sensual and divine creatures. It’s within our nature.

As women, we get villainized for being too sensual, not sensual enough, and everything in between. And it’s ridiculous. It’s time to embrace this side of yourself. There’s power in a woman who revels in her own sexuality.

There’s power in a woman who loves her own body. If no one has told you this, allow me to let you in on a secret: you don’t need to apologize for being sensual, for loving your body, for being sexual, for not being sexual. How you embrace your sensuality is part of being who you are, and there’s nothing wrong you.