Dear Young Women of This Generation
When everyone seems to be doing the same thing, it's easy to assume that it's the right thing to do - but sometimes that's not true! To be honest, that's hardly ever the truth. I once heard someone say that the right path is the one less
traveled - and they were absolutely correct.
We all are obsessed with our phones, and social networks (such as Facebook and Instagram) have our full attention for majority, if not all of the day. That's not entirely the issue. The issue is what we see on our social networks and the impact it all has on our every day lives; especially young women. Seeking temporary attention from the world has taken precedence over long term respect. Traps have been set for all young women to degrade themselves in a way that says "my body is what makes me worth paying attention to and without someone lusting after me, I am worth very little." And I see girls fall for this trap every day and they believe the worse lie ever told to them: All you have to offer is your body. The less empowered a woman appears to be, the more powerful a weak man feels; and it's the weak men that encourage such disrespectful behavior. It's none of my business, or anyone else's, what a woman chooses to post on the internet - as this is somewhat a free country. But I genuinely believe that there are some women that carry themselves a certain way because they have been mislead and misused, and this is me attempting to clear up any confusion. It's time to tell the truth. The brutal truth. There's no amount of "likes" that will give you the self-esteem you need to genuinely like yourself!
No matter how hard you try, or how long you keep it up; someone else's opinions or feelings for you will never substitute what you're meant to feel for yourself. Until you pull love from within your heart for yourself, a void will always remain. Don't look to the world for acceptance, go look in the mirror at your beautifully flawed reflection and begin working on learning about, listening to, and loving yourself.
A man who describes your beauty as "sexy" desires you, rather than values you.
The difference? Being desired means that someone believes you can temporarily benefit them physically and sexually. Nothing more, nothing less. And once their craving is satisfied, they move on to a new "sexy chick". Being valued means that someone believes they can benefit from you intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and eternally. There is no end to being valued because they know you'll never run out of jewels to offer. You have value. Therefore, you need to be valued.
Being aware of your beauty is an amazing thing, but boasting is unattractive.
Most men worth your time will be turned off by an arrogant attitude. Don't post a picture and hashtag every feature you adore about yourself as if the people looking at it didn't already notice them. Don't take compliments lightly - be appreciative. Don't brag about how you're perfect - let someone find perfection within your imperfections we all know exist. Yes, you're beautiful. But so are millions of women who are a lot more pleasant to be around. Learn to master humility, Queen.
The way we carry ourselves has everything to do with what we will accomplish and how far we will go in life. I want to see all women be taken seriously and treated with the respect each woman deserves; but we have to first respect ourselves. I'm pleading with the young women of this generation to protect and preserve your body. Elevate your mind. Love your imperfections and embrace your flaws. Take time - a lot of time - to get to know yourself. Set standards for those who want to get to know you. And most importantly, make a distinction between your personal life and your public life. Keep your personal life in healthy condition by maintaining some privacy - away from the internet - and live your public life gracefully.
I believe that once we all look in the mirror and see a Queen looking back at us, we then can create a world that celebrates the inner beauty within us all so that generations of women to come will see the same reflection.
