Do you feel like a strong woman?

“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.”  Madonna

I did not want to use the word ’empowered’ in this post as I know some women hate this word. I personally like it and would define being strong as being empowered.  The definition of empower is: “make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.”

I do not think being a strong women has to be unfeminine – we are not trying to behave like a man.  In my view it is being in control of your life, knowing what you want to do and doing it without other people trying to control you.  A strong woman should be ‘free’ to do accomplish her dreams and not be controlled by a man or anyone else.

Are you confident to do what you want to and not what you are being told to do by others?  Can you tell someone to stop when they are trying to control you, have upset you or been offensive?  It is no easy feat and sometimes we do not fight for what we want.

WikiHow says “Being a strong, independent woman means that you are able to find happiness on your own.”  But I do not agree – we are all part of a team – a social, family and work team. Being strong does not mean that we have to find happiness on our own.  WikiHow says a strong women has to put herself first but I do not think this is necessarily true either. I usually put my kids first but that does not make me a weak woman.

But one key issue that can affect women is co-dependency – if we are in relationships where we become too dependent on a partner who controls us and decides what we should do with our life.  This is unhealthy.  Love, friendship and relationships are key to our lives but we must be respected as individuals and not be controlled.

“Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts … good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt. They’re not painful. That’s not just with somebody you want to marry, but it’s with the friends that you choose. It’s with the people you surround yourselves with. “—Michelle Obama

One supposed disadvantage of being a strong woman is that apparently men don’t like strong women!  If you look in the media you will find numerous reports about strong women being unsuccessful in love.  It is assumed that men find strong women threatening.

“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” — Lady Gaga
Strong women do not need to compare themselves to other woman.  We should appreciate that every woman wants to live her own life, in her own way and we are not trying to win a competition.  Even how we would describe ‘strong’ will vary between different women.  We should embrace diversity.

Do you feel strong?  Do you have the confidence to stand up for yourself?  Are you living the life you want to live?  Is anyone trying to control you?

Read More:

Global women – let’s be nice to other women

Global women – what makes you happy?

Global women – should women obey men?

Image credit:  thewordsofencouragement.com