Wow. I can’t believe it’s been one year since I launched this blog and jumped into the madness of all it entails being a blogger. Still not sure if I am used to even calling myself that. I haven’t been the most consistent & present writer, I admit. And I know my content isn’t finely focused at the moment. I feel scatter-brained often, with ideas floating all over my Google drive, waiting to be published. However, despite all these floating thoughts and ideas, there is one thing I’m proud to say I’ve been able to keep consistent with. And this one thing just so happens to be one of my favorite parts of this blog: Woman of the Month.
My goal with this monthly feature was to share the stories of women whom I believed we could all learn from. Women who are strong, beautiful & authentic. Basically, women who are badasses! I wanted the world to know who they are and all they represent. And I’ve absolutely LOVED connecting with each of the women I’ve interviewed, and have really enjoyed getting to know them deeper. I’ve felt honored to share their stories with you.
It’s wild to think that I know each woman in a different capacity – from family & friends, to meeting on social media, to never meeting them in person! Whatever the capacity, they are ALL absolutely incredible and inspirational humans!!
So, this post is a tribute to this past year of blogging and to the women who were a part of it all. A collaboration of their words of wisdom and advice to all women out there. I hope it can be a sweet reminder for you, readers: that you are capable, beautiful, known, and so dearly loved. May these words bring you joy & hope today, xx
“You can tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” 💗
Ciara Rose Burke:
“Never settle or follow the crowd, and never change for anyone. There are too many people out there trying to be like everyone else.” If you like singing, art, acting, etc. go and do that. Pursue your own interests. You don’t need to make yourself interested in something you are not passionate about. Stay true to yourself.
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Dr. Brooke Schampers:
She tries not to see mistakes as failure, but rather a learning experience: “I remember to breath and see things as they are – the facts – rather than making up a terrible false story in my head. I always remember that although I wasn’t able to save one patient, there are hundreds of others that require my help and I can’t give up just because I had a bad day.”
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Rachel Mistry:
“Stop comparing yourself to others; you’re exactly where you need to be!”
Kathleen Johnson:
If you’ve been thinking of quitting your day job and starting your own business, or even want to get a side hustle started, Kathleen’s advice for you: “Get the help and find community! It’s tempting to want to do everything yourself, but you’ll burn out too quickly. You end up not actually accomplishing anything because you get distracted by smaller details. Keep the big picture in mind and focus on getting your service or product to a really high standard. The rest will come around.”
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Kiley Schottenfeld:
Never give up on yourself. “Even if you’re crawling on your hands and knees, keep crawling. Find grace and grit in your heart and spirit and never ever stop trying. It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to take it easy. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to press pause. It’s never okay to call yourself weak and it’s never okay to accept defeat. You are stronger than you know, remind yourself of all you’ve overcome in the past, and all that you still have to live for. Keep going. You’ll make it, warrior.”
“A true diva is graceful, and talented, and strong, and fearless and brave and someone with humility.”
– Beyoncé
Lani Calloway (previously Helm):
“You are as good as you allow yourself to be. I know there are plenty of women (and men) who think like me; I know I’m as ‘smart, capable, etc’ as everyone tells me, but only when I step out of my shyness and lack of confidence do I actually allow myself to be. I had so many dreams that I was afraid to pursue for fear of failure, but after finally stepping up and pushing myself, I really have convinced and shown myself than I am more than what I believed. You are too.”
Kiersten Schmidt:
“When I was 21 years old, I fully understood what my purpose is in life. I had asked the good Lord and He had told me: ‘You are a inspirational person in life and to those around you, you also are a teacher all at the same time, and you’re not afraid to let your light shine. You talk about your disability and encourage moms and dads that their son or daughter is going to do great things. The best part of all, you include Me in your life. It’s a very special gift.’”
“The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.”
Nicola Easterby:
“You have been created beautifully unique; and to live your fullest life, you need to embrace who you are and not compare yourself to others!”
Jill Magee
“Everything starts and ends in your mind. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. By learning to be self aware, we can then learn to practice self love. You can not fill up other people’s cups if yours is half empty!”
“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas
Ciara Kelly:
“First, everyone has chapters they don’t read out loud. Meaning that no matter how awesome social media might make everyone else’s life seem compared to yours, it’s probably NOT the case. Social media is a curated highlight reel of people’s lives, the best bits shared, not the duvet days, the tears, the pain – or if they are, minimally so in comparison to the better days. Wherever possible, avoid comparisons with people you follow on social media. Secondly, your weight does not define your worth.”