Sometimes, some people just don’t understand a woman who has a mind of her own. It’s a random topic to post about but I’ve noticed this pretty much everywhere I’ve been (even in the UK which is pretty liberal and progressive), a woman/girl who speaks her mind is not always going to be a favourite amongst people.
I don’t know why this is the case but it just seems like people get threatened by opinionated women. It’s so much easier to chalk down a woman voicing her opinion to so many other reasons than the fact that she’s self assured, thinks for herself and knows exactly what she’s talking about.
I feel particularly inclined to talk about this because I’ve grown up around strong, opinionated women. The women in my life have owned and run businesses internationally. These women have quite literally had the babies and gone right back to work to make sure everyone around them is taken care of. They’ve been there to pick up the pieces when we fail or fall down and further more push us towards believing in ourselves and the ability to be more than society thinks that you can be.
I grew up with strong women who tell you how they feel and think and don’t feel the need to apologise for it. The world is a better place for having these women and so I feel the need to stand up for these women and tell them that even though you might feel sometimes alone in voicing an unpopular opinion or one that the patriarchal society doesn’t always agree with, you’re not alone.
I love differences in opinions. That’s how we grow and see more of a different perspective than what we know. I think this is one of the greatest aspects of travelling. Seeing things through other people’s eyes. Some of the worst arguments I’ve seen are from people who are angrily agreeing with each other. The rage overrides the fact that they are in unison and they’re blind to the fact that they stand for the exact same thing. I genuinely feel like travel does help you in some way avoid being in situations like this. You learn tolerance and you learn to try to see things through other people’s point of view. Seeing how other people live might make you feel lucky sometimes but it also makes you appreciate the fact that your reality is not always everybody else’s but I digress… This is not about travel, it’s about making sure that people, women and men alike, who have come thing important to contribute to society, do so without feeling like their voices will be silenced or unheard by others just because they’re minorities within their circles.
The points below are particularly pointed at these strong, opinionated women (relatively, us guys get it pretty easy!) 🙂
1.) Don’t expect approval. You won’t get it. You will always be spoken for by your works and your strength of character, and as long as you are fair to everyone around you, this is all that truly matters. The very fact that you will stand up for what you believe, no matter how much that confuses people, and therefore make the world a better place by sharing your thoughts and providing us all with a balanced point of view, will be your legacy that will be remembered forever. Don’t let anyone make you feel less or smaller for it.
2.) You will, more often than not, be made to feel bad for it. Don’t let this get you down. Refuse to let someone control your thoughts or opinions. If you truly feel something is right and fair and just, stand up for it, even when you stand alone.
3.) Rely on yourself for your sense of self worth. You will find people along the way who will guide and help you in the right direction. Celebrate these people. Just in case, however, that some of these people don’t have your best interest at heart, remember that what they think isn’t worth donkey poop, it’s what you think and feel that truly matter.
4.) Where possible, try to meet stupidity and ignorance with kindness, it confuses the hell out of these people.
5.) You are female. Never, ever, apologise for it. You are the source of life and yet you are so much more than your gender. This is a big f**king deal. Remember that.
Again, I know this is one of these most random non-travel posts I’ve had up here in a while but if at least one of these points speaks to you or a situation that you’ve found yourself in, regardless of gender, then that’s a very good thing in my opinion. ??
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