When we blog we throw stuff out there for anyone with a computer the world over to read. Unless our readers sign up to follow us or make comments, we never really know who they are. I am making this post with the assumption that most of my readers are other women.
Aside from not knowing many of our readers, how well do we know ourselves? If I asked you today what kind of woman are you? What would your answer be? If I asked you again in a week, would your answer be the same? How about in six months or a year? What if I asked your family or your friends what kind of woman you are. What would they tell me? Would their answer mirror your own or would you be surprised by what they say? I would be willing to bet that every person I asked would tell me something a little different.
I would be equally willing to bet that my friends would be surprised by what I would say about them. I have one friend who I have always mentally attached words like classy and elegant to, but I bet if she knew that she would be really shocked and laugh. She would do it in a classy and elegant way too.
I have another friend who is completely scattered all the time and slightly clueless about how people take the things she says, but I am fairly certain she thinks she is quite organized and glib. I wouldn't change her in any way though, she is charming and fun just the scattered, clueless way she is, and it's part of why I like her.
I have yet another friend who thinks she is fat. I would LOVE to have a posterior like hers. It's not super skinny, but it's the perfect shape in my opinion. She looks so good in jeans, and don't really think she has any idea how many women would trade with her.
I just read an article in a magazine with a famous woman who I have disdained in the past. Slowly but surely over the years she has earned my respect however. This last article clinched it. She was talking about self image and how hard we are on ourselves because of what we think we should be and what society thinks we should be. She proudly proclaimed that women should be proud of who they are, and their assets. I agree with her.
It got me to thinking about how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. Do we have a clear picture of who we are? Even as self aware as I am of all that I am both good and bad, I would be willing to bet I would be surprised by what the people in my life would say.
We have a bad habit of pointing out our flaws first. Why are we, as women so hard on ourselves? Even when we have negative points, are those necessarily bad? Like my friend above...I supposed you could consider beings scattered negative...but is it really? Or does it just mean that she has better things in life to think about than organizing her paperwork and her handbag. She still gets everything done and can find her keys in the end.
Maybe my other friend should realize how classy and elegant she really is. Maybe we need to all stop and take mental and physical stock of our attributes instead of our perceived flaws once in a while.
So in celebration of all my female readers, I invite all of you reading this to leave a comment and tell me one really great thing about yourself. Even if you have never left a comment before. I want to know that great thing about YOU even if I may never really know you. Maybe it will help you get to know yourself a little better in the process. Maybe if you tell me one thing now, you will be able to tell yourself another thing tomorrow.
It's time we as women are proud of our good points, and who we are...both physical and mental, and start putting our best proverbial foot forward instead of our flaws.
4 comments:
This is a great post, and a grand idea. Honestly, I was going to come back to it...after giving it some thought, but thought better of it and am now going in. What about me is wonderful?
Hmmm...I am unabashedly, unapologetically myself; in love, in war, in parenting, fashion-I make my own rules.
I so enjoyed this post. You are so right when you say our opinions of ourselves change constantly but this has always remained true - I am a woman who gets up in the morning to do what she has to do, to feed the children. Please try and read Oriah Mountain Dreamer's "The Invitation", I'm sure you would love it.
Thanks for the food for thought.
Pat xx
This is, indeed, a great post:)
Ny opinion of myself often changes, mostly according to how much of my art I sell. I realize that art is not the sum of my whole being, but it is a pretty large chunk. I consider my openness and honesty an asset, but not everyone appreciates it.
Kelly, I find your blog oddly compelling, it's the first one I visit each time I enter blogland. I guess you give me plenty of food for thought and this post is no different. One wonderful thing about myself? I'm emensely practical......in a lot of ways, but you would probably describe me as "scattered", as the mundane doesn't inspire me. The house is a dump which drives me to distraction if I'm after something and can't find it but I can happily ignore it while I'm engrossed in something creative :)
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