The Real Reasons That Make You A Strong Woman

With March being Women’s History Month, I wanted to pen a few thoughts about what it means to be a strong woman. I consider myself a strong woman. When I think of what made me who I am, my corporate accomplishments don’t come to mind. Despite many proud moments, they only play a small part in the overall me. 

It’s my experiences in life that made me who I am today. Some defining moments that I would like to share with you include:

• Leaving home at 21 as a young student to come to a new country and face the unknown. 
• Building meaningful connections that I can rely on as part of my support system.
• Learning a new perspective on life while I took a break from IT to become a Montessori teacher for a few years.
• Hitting rock-bottom with Postpartum and building myself up to be able to make decisions again.
• Facing personal relationship crises and gaining infinite amounts of self-awareness along the way.

So when I think of what has made me who I am, it’s the experiences gained during difficult times. Experiences from being taken advantage of, from dealing with mental health & from falling multiple times, and learning to stand up again.

We see successful people and want to be like them. We admire the confidence, authenticity & vulnerability that they portray. Qualities like these come with wisdom born through the pain experienced. It comes from the realization that the only way to move forward is to embrace the experiences and share their authentic self with the world. 

Not every strong woman has a huge support system. They don’t always have sisters and girlfriends that have their back. Many of us aren’t born in households that have high expectations of us. Our families may be happy with us just having a job, being a wife & a mother. 

To push past such norms we need motivation both intrinsic and extrinsic. We need to surround ourselves with people who have crossed barriers themselves. These may not be huge ones but tiny ones. 

We need people who will take the chance on us. People who uplift one another wholeheartedly. A community of friends, family & co-workers where we feel welcome and supported. To be able to approach someone knowing they will have your back. 

The term strong is relative. It doesn’t only apply to people who are the most influential or ones with the highest titles. It starts small. You are strong for ways you don’t realize. For helping a parent through a crisis, for learning how to bike for the first time as an adult, for overcoming age-old beliefs, and for facing your fears. 

When you are thinking if you are ready for that next big opportunity, I hope you think of the complete you. Please share with this community what makes you so strong.