Built Like This. Built For This.
Reclaiming Your Power: Why Women Don't Need Permission to Be Themselves
We have not been accepted in our phenomenal packaging, and because of this, we have spent what feels like an eternity questioning our identity, capabilities, and access. Each generation of women is presented with the same obstacles and the same questions, and the results continue to suggest that women have not been given permission or access to simply be.
If we existed in the fullness and diversity of our true selves, we would not embrace a culture of competition or measure beauty by body shape, hair type, or race. We would not be moved by societal or religious standards of femininity. Because of these preconceived, generational misconceptions of gender, the questions remain: Who am I, and what do I have to offer?
My fellow influential women, this is your wake-up call. Permission to be who you were created to be does not require approval from any human being. Asking for—or waiting for—permission to become who you were designed to be is categorically unacceptable.
To put this into context, I conducted a research study on the influence and impact of women in leadership. The findings suggested that the theological and societal origins of these limiting beliefs stem from the narrative surrounding the sins of Adam and Eve. This statement is not intended to challenge theology, but rather to challenge the misinterpretation of the value and identity of women on the earth.
The results of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of women as leaders and further reinforced that women of every demeanor, character, nationality, and age were assigned by God to lead, restore, grant wisdom and order, and serve as examples. The biblical narratives of Deborah, Huldah, Esther, and Mary, the mother of Jesus—along with many other women throughout Scripture—stand as living examples of the multifaceted proficiencies embedded in our design.
When man says we can’t, the Creator says He already did—He did so in the creation of us and through us. If you wrestle with why you do not fit into any particular mold—personally or professionally—understand that your uniqueness is your greatest strength. Be unapologetic about your individuality.
Your resilience, quick wit, flexibility, adaptability, ingenuity, compassion, vigor, intellect, and ability to manage competing priorities are nothing less than perfect for your identity. You operate this way because you were built this way. And if we were built like this and built for this—then let’s DO THIS.
