OK - I love supporting fellow women, changing the narrative for women and helping girls lift themselves up to own their greatness. So, I love International Women's Day and think it should be something we keep in mind always.
But for today, there are simple, fun and reflective ways we can get all kids to support IWD and own the magic they have within.
Let's begin with 5 ways to support others right now.
Wear Purple, Celebrate Women! Simple. Just add to the conversation by wearing the colour that represents women across the globe and celebrate all the women (including yourself if you're a girl) in your life.
List, draw, or collage all of the women that inspire you and note why. This can be a family member, friend, athlete, celebrity, someone you don't know but love their story. We often look at the one's that inspire us and see where they are at right now. I encourage you to look deeper into their history, discover the path they wen't down, really dig into why this person is an inspiration for you. Maybe you'll discover something that you can relate to in your life right now.
Lift another woman up. When we give our love and support away, it lights up the world. So think of someone in your life that you want to show support to. Maybe it's a simple compliment; you could be spreading their message with others; or even doing something that shows them you care.
Identify ways women still struggle today. Sometimes we need to take a step back and notice that equality is not reality. Despite advancements in women's rights, there are a lot of places we can do better. Note a few ways you're seeing society keep women small.
Decide how you can make a difference for women. All small acts of support for women make a difference in this world because collectively they will change the future. So, think of one way you can make a difference to support women in the future. It could be that you help women speak out, you raise funds for women's rights groups, or even call-out when you see discrimination against women take place.
And now, over to you girls. In order to make a shift in this world you need to OWN YOUR MAGIC.
What does this mean? It means that you need to talk to yourself like you would your bestie, lead with love, empowerment and compassion, and stand up for who you are in this moment. This takes girl power, and it rocks!
How can you do that today? Try these three steps:
Evaluate how you are talking to yourself. Do you lean into thoughts of self-judgement, doubt and fear of what others will think of you? Are you often listening to the crowd or following your own path? Or are you standing in your power, sending yourself compassion, and empowering yourself by owning the person you are today. My biggest note to all my girls is that everything you need is inside of you right now - you just have to know it and own it. And that starts with mindful awareness within. Don't judge where you're at. Take note of wherever you are at as a place to bounce off of. And if you need to flip self-talk, look at the places you need support. You can start talking to yourself with power today. Maybe another woman in your life can help guide your way.
Ask yourself what you want or need to do right now? Take a breath and focus on you, your needs and find a small way to honour exactly where you are at. This is a power move! Let yourself do whatever feels good, and get into the flow of it. Maybe you need a walk, or to listen to a fav song, or to spend time with another awesome girlfriend. Do that thing that lights you up!
Reflect on the feeling and honour yourself again. Now that you've done an activity that brings you into yourself, think about how great it made you feel. Sit in this feeling for a moment and decide how you can do it again tomorrow. Every day we honour our girl power we are bringing our personal brand of big energy into the world - and owning who we are is how we make impactful change.
So the message today is this: Be YOU, remember the women before you, support the women ahead of you, and honour yourself no matter what.
