I want to start with this: You are beautiful, and you deserve the best.
Sometimes these ideas seem a little matter-of-the-fact. Like, yes, I know that I am worth it. Yes, I know that I deserve the best. However, sometimes they can slip easily from the forefront of our minds—we can forget that these things are true in the midst of certain situations or certain people.
I'm writing this to remind you to never forget that you are worth it, you do deserve the best, and you're absolutely, exquisitely, uniquely beautiful. And you should never let anyone try and tell you otherwise.
The reality is, as women in today's society, we will face discrimination. Yes, we have come a long way, but there are still undoubtedly people and groups of people in our world today who are not respectful women, or even simply do not believe that we are of equal intelligence or capability. As women, we still have to battle against this. Granted, for some of us these circumstances are not an everyday occurrence—something that one might come across every once in a while or once in a blue moon. That being said, there are also others who battle with this type of treatment every single day of their lives, and they need to hear this too.
I am a woman. I am strong. I am smart. I am enough. I am capable. I am intelligent. I am an equal.
So how can we stand up for ourselves the moment we are feeling put down, even if it is in the slightest or discrete way?
Say something. If the person, male or female, has made a comment that is rude, untrue, or a generalization that is not okay with you, say so. "That is not true, and it is hurtful." "I do not appreciate that comment." "I do not deserve to be treated in such a disrespectful way." These are all examples of powerful responses to someone who is consciously or unconsciously demeaning.
That person might try to turn the blame back on you. They might say something like, "Oh, you're just overreacting." Do not accept the blame if you know that you don't deserve it. You have value, and you should not let others put you down like you do not.
Above all else, remember: You have worth.
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, then you have chosen the side of the oppressor." —Desmond Tutu
"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back." —Malala Yousafzai
"As soon as a woman gets to an age where she has opinions, and she's vital, and she's strong, she's systematically shamed into hiding under a rock." —Sarah Silverman
"Here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." —Unknown
"I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story—I will." —Amy Schumer
