Make Yourself a Hero

I've been thinking about the concept of "Be Your Own Hero." We were given fairy tales in the Western world, and maybe in your area of the globe, in which a 'hero' came along and saved the pretty girl who was in peril, whether it was a dragon, wicked stepmother, witch, sorcerer, hungry king, or anything. As young female youngsters, this ingrained in us the belief that we required an outside influence to save us from anything life threw at us that we couldn't control.

We were never taught as children that we had our own unique power to employ in conquering the challenges that life threw at us. We never imagined we'd be able to stand up against anyone or whatever sought to damage us, kidnap us, mistreat us, or sell us into slavery of some sort (work or marriage not of our choice). In the viewpoint of our culture, we were merely female children with no worth.

We were taught how to act and what would happen if we didn't obey our society's rules. We were taught how to 'act like a lady,' as well as how to dress like one. When we were permitted to talk, we had to keep our voices down and not shout. Our activities were limited to learning about women's issues, cooking, cleaning, sewing, washing clothing, maintaining a feminine appearance, and housekeeping. If a female desired to do 'boy things,' she was seen to be strange and unattractive. And she's frequently shunned by the other females, neglected at parties, and excluded from other activities.

All of our instruction as young women was geared at assisting us in 'catching a man,' ideally one from a wealthy family with some social standing in our town. There was fierce rivalry for the men who were regarded worthy of marriage, and it wasn't always pleasant. Backstabbing and outright falsehoods were commonplace. Even your best buddy had moments when you didn't know who to trust.   

Now that I've reached the age of wisdom, I can look back on my history as well as the present. What I see are more of the same tactics that I witnessed as a child, all aimed at keeping us under control in some manner. Yes, things have changed in many regions of this globe, but women are still considered second-class humans. We need a guy to make our lives whole, to save us when we're in crisis, and to provide for us, according to our cultural demands, which I was subjected to.

As we strive to navigate the society we must live in, women are progressively changing. We have battled for our liberties, at times paid a high price for them. However, with each victory, we acquire the confidence to go on to the next difficulty that is holding us back. We go ahead as a community, finding our voices and speaking out about what we need, sometimes alone, and sometimes together.

We discover that there isn't going to be a hero to save us. As we battle for individuality and authenticity, our early conditioning is difficult to break. We quit employment that don't fulfil us personally. We end relationships that are unsatisfactory and damaging to our self-esteem and hearts. We pursue our own interests and abandon those that were predicted to lead to success. We learn who we are and reborn in our own image, no longer willing to live a fake life in someone else's image.

We choose to be free and follow our own path in life. We get the bravery to speak out for ourselves, learn how to deal with life's challenges, and stand in our inner power. We won't put up with anyone who can't love us for who we are without feeling compelled to change us in order to feel better about themselves. We learn to live on our own, certain that no matter what happens to us, we will be OK. We rise stronger, more determined to live life as we choose with each hardship, life lesson, and being knocked to our knees again and again.

We make the decisions about when to say 'no' or when to say 'yes.' As we go about our daily lives, our hearts become our navigational systems. An unsettled stomach or that uneasy sensation in our solar plexus chakra are signs of bad actions. Wonderful decisions provide us a good mood and bring us tranquilly in our bodies. We keep learning, learning, learning. We keep pushing on, believing in a higher power and hoping for brighter days ahead.

The way we feel in our life is an excellent indicator of our success. We rejoice in our victories and lament our defeats. We are kinder, more loving, and more willing to share what we've learned with other women so that they, too, may travel through life with a greater understanding of who they are and why they're here. We become powerful women, and once we've experienced what it's like, we don't need a hero because we've become the hero in our own life. We stand in solidarity with all other women on this lovely planet we call our Mother, standing tall and proud of our personal achievements.