“Women who understand how powerful they are do not give into envy over meaningless things; instead they fight to maintain the beautiful bond of the sisterhood. These are the real women who know that we need each other’s love and support to survive in this world.”
-Bindu
I think that women are amazing creatures. We have the power to have babies, which just blows my mind. We can juggle a job, kids, homework, dinner, grocery shopping, etc. You name it and I think women can do it. But where is our our solidarity? We no longer build each other up, but have begun to focus on tearing each other down. “Did you hear about Linda? I heard she gives her boys french fries!”. “Well, I heard that Kelly didn’t even try to breastfeed and just gave her baby formula!” What is this all about? I truly think that this cutting each other down only perpetuates our own insecurities. When we find that people are talking negatively about a choice that we, ourselves make, we begin to question our own judgement. We are all doing the best with what we know. I encourage you to hold back the judgment that bubbles up when you see or hear about a woman making a choice that you might not make yourself. I encourage you to spend your energy, instead, on looking for ways to empower your fellow sisters.
5 strategies to begin building each other up
- Help a new mom out. Provide words of encouragement for any new moms in your life. There is the cloth diaper camp, the organic diaper camp, the exclusive breastfeeders, the exclusive formula feeders, the at home moms, the working outside the home moms, etc. Who cares?! Our world is a beautiful because it is so diverse. Let a new mom in your life know that you love her and whatever she chooses to do is okay because she loves her baby, and you do, too.
- Support each other in public. The other day I was in the grocery store and my 4 year old started screaming and refusing to leave the store. Another woman commented, “Girl, we’ve all been there.” That simple comment helped me feel better. I understand the craziness of a preschooler, but her simple words encouraged me. I didn’t feel embarrassed or judged. I felt supported.
- Support a woman in your life. Write a thank you to a woman who positively impacted you. Bring a cup of coffee to a new mom at work. Tell a woman in your life how much you love and appreciate her.
- Stop gossiping. It’s not necessary to tear other women down in order to build yourself up. Think before you speak. If what you are about to say is just spreading gossip about another woman, stop.
- Speak up. Establish a policy of zero tolerance in your life. If the people around you begin talking negatively about other women, stop it. Change the subject or make it clear that you no longer wish to spend your time tearing women down.
Let’s shift our focus to supporting one another. As Diane von Furstenberg said, “We all have a Wonder Woman inside of us”. Unleash her and begin living your best life. Spend your time encouraging and supporting the females in your life as we are all amazing and powerful beings.
If you’d like to improve the way you think about yourself in the world give me a call and we can begin your journey of healing together.