I accept that I am an individual person, with my own ideas, my own opinions and my own way of being.
I push myself every day to reach for my goals and to become a better version of myself. I strive to set myself apart from the crowd and to pursue my passions in new and creative ways. But I also understand that I’m not going to be the best at everything that I do and that I should never strive to outdo the people around me.
We live in a society that places a great deal of value on individualism and competition, which leaves many people believing that the true mark of success is only earned by working one’s way up to the top of the food chain. In my opinion, all of this focus that we place on outdoing one another is extremely detrimental to our own happiness. I’m sure I speak for many people when I say that I would rather focus my energy and effort on finding allies rather than creating enemies.
Our society seems to expect that as women, it is inevitable that each of us will acquire feminine foes over the course of our lives. According to almost every mainstream coming of age film out there, teenage girls are bound to compete with each other over boys, social status and physical appearance. Pop culture and media further suggest that this female against female competition carries over into adulthood, with women competing with each other over wealth, careers and family life. It’s sad that these types of misconceptions are so strongly perpetuated throughout our culture. Because the reality of the situation is this: behind every successful woman is a group of other successful women who all support one another and lift each other up.
One woman’s success can only help another woman’s success. A strong and capable woman realizes that she doesn’t have to compare herself to other women in order to feel successful and worthy. A strong and capable woman understands that her value is determined by her own actions and the respect that she gives to others. To focus on competing with other women is to hinder your own ability to acquire happiness.
I firmly believe that women ought to support, to encourage and empower one another to reach their full potentials. I highly respect other women who are very different from me because I acknowledge that if we all had the same views and values, life would be incredibly boring and dull. I love talking to people who challenge me and who push me out of my comfort. Aligning myself with people who are different from me allows me to grow and to learn about the world around me.
Just because another woman doesn’t share my exact views or perspectives does not make her my enemy; it makes her my opinionated equal. We all know firsthand how hard the life of a woman can be, so it only makes sense that we build each other up rather than tear each other down.
I want to offer a shout out to every woman who is confident enough in who she is to offer genuine compliments and smiles to other women. I want to celebrate successful woman who are constantly reaching behind them to pull other women upwards with them. I want to thank those who strive to empower others because they understand that we are stronger together.
I don’t view other women as competition. I believe that every woman belongs to a greater sisterhood and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.
Sometimes women forget just how much we can inspire one another. No one gets us like us.
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