Withstanding the opinions of others is at best stressful and at worst debilitating. Many of us are crippled by the masses of people who do not allow us the freedom of our own opinions and the exploration of our own personhood.
To some extent, some women are still vulnerable to the words and opinions of others about how they are. It is for this reason you see young girls imitating the ills of society, they want to be perceived as "cool", they want to have a million followers on twitter, they need others to validate the reason why God created them and would do just about anything to seek the approval of other humans. If we are going to be effective individuals as women, we must develop the ability to embrace ourselves.
A positive self image is not arrogant. It is necessary in order to procure a healthy relationship with others. People who have low self esteem are too obsessive to enjoy others. They cling to others like a vine to a wall. They need others to stand and that need is compulsive and draining.
To be graceful and endure certain things in this world as a woman you need to fall in love with yourself. We are not born in relationships. We are born empty handed, there are no hands to hold but our own. Most of us are single birth babies who spent time alone from the womb to the crib. We played alone in the crib. Alone is where we start and essentially it is where we end. Job says he came here naked and returned naked, it is true.
If there is any relationship you should be clingy to, it is a relationship with God, it is essential to have a healthy spiritual and emotional life as a woman. If your relationship is not fortified with God and yourself, you go into all kinds of relationships for the wrong reasons, both platonic and intimate relationships.
Jesus Christ says that the greatest commandment in the word demands that we love our Lord with all our heart, mind and soul, the second greatest commandment is that we love our neighbour as we love ourselves. But how can we love our neighbours if we do not learn to love ourselves? How can we give to someone a gift that we do not value or believe to be significant?
It is important to balance your life. To be balanced is to have and maintain all elements in their proper proportions. Instead of dwelling too much on the opinions of others, try developing all parts of your life. If one area of your life is deficient and exaggerated, you will be imbalanced.
Set out to be a woman of excellence, be armed with a road map, have a blueprint for living, don't wander the earth aimlessly and hoping to be found by people who will end up trying to please.
Know that you are winner, you are a diamond, you have started as a coal but with determination, hard work, patience and God by your side, you would become a jewel. You are an exquisite wonder to your generation and the opinions of others can't stop you from shinning.
Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day the good Lord created.
