A strong woman is one who practices what she preaches!
Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 19, 2020. It has since been updated.
For so long, strength has been associated with fear. How many times have we warned ourselves to stay away from strong people because they could be harmful. But the reality is, people who hate or harm are not strong, they are weak. They are weak to face their own demons and dark emotions, and that's why they channelize it in various negative forms. This is not being strong! You are strong when you know how to forgive, love, hope, and support. All of these things can be stressful, but strength is when you do them anyway.
A strong woman is not one who will intimidate you with her perfection, she will, in fact, motivate you and tell you that no one is perfect; we are as good as we want ourselves to be. She will not use her success as a bar to measure your excellence; instead, she will encourage you that if she could do it, you could too! She will show you hope and optimism without expecting a return because she does not draw her strength from rewards but from her inner self. She will make you believe in the good things in life. She can get mad or hysterical at times. If you hurt her she could leave, never to return. She could show you that she does not need you because she is self-sufficient. And the one thing she will never do is lose her independence!
Therefore, here are some things that a strong woman does differently from the others which makes her a cut from the rest.
The one thing that is of paramount importance to a strong woman is her self-esteem. She does not allow anyone to hurt her dignity just because she loves them. Yes, she is generous and forgiving but she has a threshold too. Once someone crosses a line, she will never entertain them and will walk off without falling from grace. Not just that, respecting herself means respecting her body and mind too. She is comfortable in her body but makes sure she keeps it healthy. Her mind is a beautiful place and she works hard on herself to keep it that way. She stays away from toxicity and keeps spreading positivity.
Giving in to pressure and complying with oppressors is not something she has taught herself. She does not know how to run away from situations that need her to stand up and speak. She knows that her voice can make a difference so she makes every word count. And she can do it because she has learned at a very early age that no one comes to save anyone, it's us who can save ourselves and others in need.
Many of us make goals and also work to achieve them. But unfortunately, a lot of us give up when we start losing. She is not that. She never stops trying to achieve the goals she sets for herself. Winning might not always be possible, but that's the difference between winner and achievers - winners work to win, achievers learn from their procedure and try to achieve a bigger feat. Achievers are not complacent, even if they win they don't stop the hard work.
Princess Diana had once said, "I think every strong woman in history has to walk down a similar path. And I think it's the strength that causes the confusion and the fear. 'Why is she strong? Where did she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it?'" Many a time people maliciously label her destructive because of her strength knowing that she is there to support people. Even after all hindrances and judgments she loves and supports the people around her. She is kind and enables people to achieve what they want. She faces challenges but does not stop helping people because that is who she is!
Financially, emotionally, mentally. At a very tender age, she has learned to depend on no one but herself. No one has ever shown up to save her and she does not expect anyone to save her even now! Therefore, she manages her own finances and takes care of her own needs, whatever they may be. As she is thoroughly aware of her emotional needs she never settles for less and if it means not having a partner and being alone, she is fine! She also does not need anyone to validate or make her feel good. Her reward is the person she has become.
Not taking responsibility for one's own actions is not a sign of a strong person. After all, she is a human and she makes mistakes but she does not like to involve in the blame-game. Blaming destiny or her friends will mean running away from her own reality and that is unacceptable to her. She is not a sore loser, she knows how to take criticism and turn it into her greatest motivator. She takes responsibility for her own actions and learns. She is also a problem-solver; when in an adverse situation she does not complain but she finds out a way to emerge unscathed!
Disclaimer: This article is based on insights from different sources. The views expressed here are those of the writer.
