The Empowered Woman.

I wrote this on the international empowerment of the girlchild day. It just didn't feel right to post it until today.

Have I mentioned how proud I am of being a woman? If I have, I don't think it was enough. Not that the gender doesn't come with flaws of its own, it certainly does. But, there are many that rise above the flaws. I hope that one day soon, I can be counted amongst women like that! I wrote this article to celebrate womanhood. To help women everywhere recognize and identify their worth and to help men understand the worth of finding a good woman.

The strength of a woman constantly amazes me. Here, I'm not referring to physical strength but to mental, inner strength. Women have been blessed with the power to build a nation. So great is a woman's influence that she can either make or marr a man. Many a woman has built and pulled down. It takes a strong woman to sustain and preserve what she has built. An empowered woman is that woman who uplifts everyone on her path. It is that woman who understands her influence and knows how to wield it. An empowered woman is that woman who lets nothing get in her way or shrinks back at the first glimpse of an hindrance. She is confident in her ability to conquer. An empowered woman is that woman who immediately, sometimes painstakingly, rises up after every fall. She never admits defeat. Instead, she regroups and tries a little harder the second time. She never gives up on a dream no matter how small and eventually, no matter how long it takes, she achieves it.

An empowered woman motivates and supports her man. She is that woman a man turns to when he hits a hard spot. She makes all his problems seem miniscule. When she talks, a man is smart enough to listen. She comes up with creative ways to solve his problems. An empowered woman is that woman who doesn't abandon ship the moment it starts to sink. Rather, she tries all she can to save it. If that doesn't work, she tries to save the valuables in that ship and carries them to a new ship. A man who is lucky enough to have found an empowered woman has no doubt in his mind that she will stick it out with him. He trusts her judgement. He trusts her to catch him when he falls. He leans on her, heavily. He counts on her. She brightens his day and eases his worry. With her by his side, he becomes invincible. And so the saying, "behind every successful man is a woman" bears fruit. I've always felt the saying should be modified to, "behind every successful man is an empowered woman". The word 'empowered' is repeated to remind you that I'm not talking about just any woman.

An empowered woman builds a career, is an helpmeet to her man, makes a home and raises her children(sometimes, not always in that order). Her life is balanced. One part doesn't suffer because of the other. She goes an extra length to make her home a haven for her kids. While she might not be perfect and might make mistakes, she's not afraid to own up to them and then learn from them. She is a confidant and a pillar of support to her son and a friend to her daughter. Her daughter looks up to her and her son compares every woman to her. Her husband praises her and her children adore her. She is loved by many, envied by a few and admired by all. This might come across as a bit cliché, but the word "impossible" doesn't exist in an empowered woman's vocabulary.

She is generous, hardworking and comes with a heart made of gold. Her compassion and kindness makes her endearing. Every woman should strive to emulate her. It is not enough to be just a woman; to have a pretty face and a perfect figure, all that, should be an added bonus for the empowered woman. A wise man said,"true beauty is within" and it is. So great is inner beauty, that it shines and radiates. So attractive is this beauty that it makes one finally understand why some very fine specimens of the male gender end up with average women. Your essence should carry an attractive odor. A fragrance that draws people to you like light draws moths.

The good news is that, even if you are yet to achieve the status of an empowered woman, it is not too late. You can begin the journey to empowerment now.

You should stand out from other women no matter how your path or journey has been thus far; I know I want to!

Empowered: acting with confidence and power.

#CelebratingEmpoweredWomenAllAcrossTheGlobe.

Adupeola