I would like to take a moment and honor all those women around the world making a difference today on International Women’s Day and every day.
For every time you stand up and speak out, every time you fight for justice, every time you expose the truth with integrity, and every time you stop remaining silent.
I’ve been known to be a Mama Bear more than once in my life. This is when we women are most likely to stand up, when it comes to defending and supporting our families and children. I even have a reputation for it among my daughter’s friends and parents, a story told and retold….
You remember the time when…mild, soft-spoken Dyanne, sitting quietly most of the season, flew off the bleacher seats into the face of an opposing player for blatantly disrespecting the home team with her foul-mouth in front of all the parents. Apparently more impactful because no one would have ever thought me capable of such a thing.
I called the Athletic Director the next day to report my behavior. I know, Mrs. Bradshaw (my name at the time), I heard about it last night. The student has been disciplined, he said, my behavior vindicated.
Provoked, yes, defending our often -disparaged team (we did beat them that day, by the way, in a play-off), yes, but fighting for principle and respect.
How many times do you do that, wish you had said something and didn’t?
I know, it’s hard and often easier being the voice for someone else than it is for yourself. It took me years to get from the incident above to breaking my silence, and becoming more authentic, first finding my voice in the pages of my journal and then building up my courage and bringing it out into the world, learning to take a stand for myself and for all women, hoping to create vision and change and make an impact.
So, my wish for you today and every day, is to find your truest, most authentic voice and use it with confidence and courage. I promise, self-love and self-respect will follow. Then you can go out into the world and be the woman you were meant to be.
On this day, International Women’s Day, I honor all women around the world, whether it’s in your own home or protesting out on the streets, using your voices, risking your lives, fighting to be respected, recognized and valued, to be educated and choose your own destinies without being subjugated.
I bow down to your bravery and feel immense gratitude for what you are doing to change women’s lives everywhere.
What would you most like to say? Post in the comments below.
With Love,
PS – Now’s the time to join our Soulfire Sisterhood FB Group and share your voice in real time
