A colorful, flawed life doesn't disqualify you from being be a queen. If anything, it's earned you the title.
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Do you refrain from talking how you really feel, secretly worrying you'll be judged or worse, abandoned? It's baffling that we're still working hard to loosen the tight rope around our vocal cords. Don't we just want to be loved and accepted for who we are, but end up twisting ourselves into pretzels for approval instead? Why do we minimize our feelings, valuing opinions of others more? What makes us so desperate that sometimes we even allow ourselves to be abused?
For me, it began in childhood. Then I married a man who abused me. And so the story goes .. It's a vicious cycle. Waking up from this bad dream we've not only tolerated, but helped to create, we begin breaking old patterns. A quiet voice inside us whispers "I deserve better". We then, take a stand to fight for ourselves. We set healthier boundaries. People only treat us the way we allow them to. We throw out the old rule book, rallying to our new cause. Things start to shift internally. We discover self-love, and strength we didn't know we had. We now, can stand in deep waters, shouting to the world "I MATTER"..
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Taken while walking on the island of Venice. A little piece of heaven on earth.
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I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul
"I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy
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