“You playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so others won’t feel insecure around you. As you let your own light shine, you indirectly give others permission to do the same.” –
Marianne Williamson
Women inspire me and always have. I have an admiration for the resilience, tolerance and compassion of women in a world that gives them a really tough time and in which their voices are so often turned down and where their needs and desires are frequently shut off.
As a young girl I remember how often I bit my tongue, curled my fingers into my palms and dug my nails in deep to stop myself speaking out. I literally forced myself to be silent out of fear of being seen not as the “good girl” I was told would be valued in life but as the “bad girl”, the one with attitude, the one to repress. So instead of telling my truth and my story, I kept it inside me. I closed my throat chakra, swallowed down the bitter bile of fear and closed my longing, desire, dreams and ambitions down and double padlocked them inside my heart.
Ahhh yes!… the “bad girl”. The one who refuses to conform to societal stereotype. The one who challenges dominant doctrines and authority. The one who will not be kept down and quiet. The one who shines her light and refuses to dim it just to make others feel less insecure about themselves.
Ahhh yes!…the “good girl”. The one who bends over backwards to please others. The one who follows what her family wants for her, be it a chosen profession, marriage partner, carer or role player. The one who smiles and is always serene. The one who fits the mold and obligations and duties. The one who kindly dims her light to as not upset anyone else by outshining them.
It has taken me until the young age of 50 to tell my truth and story. It has taken me half a century to shine my light, step out and be me; the real me. And I am damn well not going to rain it in or close myself down just to fit it any more. It took me seeing the trust in my own daughter’s eyes when she told me about hearing her father talking on his mobile to a lover, to make me shake off the coils that had held me back and stand up to roar “No more”. It was at this moment that I finally knew I had a choice and my choice was to break free and allow the real me to stand tall and proud rather than cower on the florr to be beaten and repressed and to conform.
For all the girls and young women out there who are or have been shut down and obliged to become the “good girl”, here are my questions;
***What will it take to set you free?
***What do you dream of being and how do you want your life to be?
***Will you shine your light and share your gifts with the world?
***Will you be a role model for the generations of young girls to follow you?
For all the women trapped in the “good girl” role out there, here are my questions;
***What will it take to break your chains?
***Who are you inside you and what do you want from your life?
***Will you be the empowered woman who helps empower other women?
***Will you teach your daughters and granddaughters to speak their truth and to dare?
I have no regrets about the small, safe life I chose to live for most of my adult life so far. There is no point in having regrets or looking to the past. I choose to take the lesson, grow and know that I am at last living my truth, telling my story to bring hope, wisdom and inspiration to other women and by doing so this reformed “good girl” is changing lives for the better.
My lovely, close your eyes, breath and listen to your heart…what is it calling for? Can you shine your light? Can I help you?
As always I would love to hear your comments and support you to shine.
Leave a Reply