Being raised by a strong woman often means you yourself are strong.

Not everybody gets that start in life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find and carve out your own strength.

It simply takes a little longer, and harder work.

If you’re a strong woman, all you need to do is look at the woman who got you up and dressed each morning.

The woman who taught you to fight for what you want, and to love with all your heart.

Real strength came to you, for you.

Strong Girl? Here’s The Reason

There is a truth that needs to be spoken, before anything else, and here it is:

Strong girls exist in this world among the not-so-strong girls. Not everybody was lucky enough to be raised by a strong woman.

That battle for them, is one they face every day as figuring out who they are becomes harder than it does for others. 

Strong girls who were raised by a strong woman will emulate what they witnessed in early life.

The teachings of resilience and empowerment. The lessons of getting up when you fall down, and never letting anybody walk all over you. 

Strong women lead their lives with a healthy blend of pride, grace, dignity and power. 

So now, as you reach into your own power, you can look back at the strong woman in your life who raised you, and raise a glass to her. 

Dear Mom, Thanks For…

1. Inspiring Me

Inspiration comes from a mixture of being taught, and observing. 

Did she have a job that you absolutely loved? Was she the best teacher in how to strive after what you want, without fear that something might go wrong?

To inspire is to lead the way, and open doors that you may have otherwise assumed were bolted shut, not meant for you. 

How did she handle herself? How did she go about her business? What did you learn from her habits, or attitudes toward life?

Thank you for inspiring me to be the best version of myself, and to never give up.

2. Teaching Me Resilience

What would the strong woman in your life do when times were difficult for her?

How did she cope when challenges scattered her path like volcanic ash? Did she fall down and never get back up again, or did she dust herself off, and keep trying until she got what she wanted?

Life can sometimes feel like everything is against you, and nobody wants you to win. It’s what you do in those moments that can change everything that’s coming next.

You can slam those doors shut that I mentioned prior, or you can choose to take a step in, even when you feel afraid, and say, “I’m here, and I’m not going to give up.”

Resilience is taught, and it does take time. But once you have it in your pocket, you will have it forever.

Thank you for helping me to realize that giving up means giving in. 

3. Listening

All the times you needed an ear, one was lended to you. All those moments you had important things to say, she was there to validate and respect you. And if you needed practical advice, that came gently, and for free. 

There was never a time she was too busy, or uninterested. What you had to say was always important to her, and she made time to not only listen, but understand you. 

There’s no price tag on that, and those memories have stayed with you throughout your entire life. 

It made you strong, and it made you value listening, and be that person for the people you love.

Friends, family, people at work – they all know what a good and strong listener you are because you were taught it organically while being raised. 

Thank you for lending your ears and refusing to judge what I have to say. 

4. Accepting Me

For whoever you are! It doesn’t matter what passions you have, as long as you’re happy and content to follow them and stick to the moral codes you were taught along the way. 

Acceptance is the foreground of any parenting. You might have visions of what or whom you want your child to be.

You want to live vicariously through them, or make sure they had all the opportunities you never got as a child. 

Does that mean by default that they have to do the things you didn’t get to do, even if they don’t want to?

Sometimes, parenting is about letting your daughter grow into the woman she was meant to be. You give her all the encouragement she needs, but she does the rest by herself.

We don’t own our children, we just get to watch them be who they are. 

Thank you for loving me for who I am.

5. Empower Me

Every girl needs to be empowered. In a world where you look at most leaders and CEOs as all male, women need to be able to stand their ground, find and use their voice, and be seen and heard for all the right reasons.

We work best when we work together, and we all work best when we allow empowerment to boost and inspire our souls, not our egos. 

Empowerment can come from offering opportunities to stand up and be counted.

To remind your daughter that she matters when she feels she doesn’t. To provide her with the tools she needs to feel she can succeed.

Thank you for teaching me that I make a stand when it matters.

6. Showing Me How To Fail

Failure is not a full stop, it is just a comma. 

Teaching your daughter that failure is just the beginning of how you find your success makes all the difference in their life.

It means they don’t view everything they do as needing to be perfect. 

Mistakes are how we learn – in fact – they’re blessings in disguise. We can reflect on them and think about what we can do differently next time.

Teaching your daughters this is vital for their growth and learning. 

Thank you for showing that that failure is simply the preface to success. 

7. Teaching Me Boundaries

Boundaries are where your expectations end and others’ expectations of you begin.

To allow people over your boundaries means you’re giving them more than you told yourself you would.

You’re letting them take advantage of your good nature, and once it happens once, it’ll happen a thousand times.

At the cost of what?

Your daughter’s wellbeing and sanity.

Boundaries help her realize her worth. Teaching her how to apply them with a whole heart is the perfect foundation for the rest of her values. 

Thank you for helping me define what I will, and what I will not tolerate. 

A Person Meant For You Will Do These 3 Things!

In life, we all want to know that the person we’re with is meant for us.

Nobody wants to waste their time building a foundation that’s only destined to be knocked down.

We don’t have that kind of energy.

Do you remember a situation where you felt this?

It is beautiful to see a person before you with whom you wanted it all to work out.

If you want clarity, I have carefully crafted three things you need to look out for to ensure you know a person is good for you.

I don’t want to talk about money. I don’t want to talk about promises.

I don’t want roses, or chocolates, or a movie date. (Well, the chocolates I … No…. Forget it).

Kissing Too Many Frogs

Some might see the fun in kissing frogs, but others not so much.

What do you think about it? Putting yourself out there and searching for

The One is not as easy as the movies make it. 

There’s usually no meeting up the top of the Empire State Building,

and no meet cute where doves are released and a nice soothing song is playing in the background. 

When you do meet that one meant for you, it will be confirmed only in time, and you have to trust time as a process in general. 

Needing to Raise The Bar

So with all those frogs you have kissed, there has to be a time you meet the prince or princess. 

As we all look for various traits in a person, it’s equally imperative to ensure they match with you in terms of values and morals, too.

So the following three things will be where you start in defining your forever with somebody. 

Let your one true love reveal themselves…. now!

These 3 Things Will Reveal A Person is Meant For You

#1 Connection

The big one.

Connection.

There’s little to no point in attempting a relationship with a person you don’t ‘feel.’ 

Tell me now through the power of thought teleportation that you have tried this.

Some of you may have even really convinced yourself that this one particular person has it all.

The wondrous way they make you feel, the way they make you laugh, the sex.

But what about when all of that is taken away? What is there left? 

Connection is when two people feel drawn to each other, and use that as the center of where everything else grows.

You consciously want to be together, and like moths to a flame, you were drawn to one another for more reasons than just those that scratch the surface. 

Connections can look like:

• How you communicate
• Allowing each other to be vulnerable
• Expressing gratitude; being grateful for the little things
• Kissing or hugging
• Conscious respect and trust

Some things go a really long way.

If you’re looking for a person who is meant for you, you need to look out for a connection that lasts, and not one meant to wither away quickly. 

It is in the permanence of connection you will see the permanence of love. 

#2 Want To Understand You

What does understanding mean to you?

I’ll give you an example.

Sally had a hard childhood, where one parent was incredibly overprotective, and the other was abusive.

She constantly felt batted between neglect and coddled.

Most days were filled with an underlying anxiety of, “What’s going to happen today? What mood will my dad be in?”

Some of those moods consisted of coming home from work with candy for her, and hearing from him that she is the light of his life.

Other days, he wouldn’t even speak to her. If she tried to engage, he would shout and criticize. 

Sally grew up wanting to make a change in her life, but never really knowing or having the tools to do so.

As time went on, she knew she wanted to meet somebody the opposite of her father. 

Sally met Robert, who was a quiet man. He sometimes struggled to find the right words, and he was the kind of man who would go about life without the need to brag, or buy the most expensive things.

He was happy, and content with what he had, and he wanted to find somebody special to share it with. 

When Sally met Robert, they enjoyed each other’s company. Over time, Sally told Robert about her childhood, and Robert spoke about his (not perfect for other reasons).

It was a moment of true understanding that connected them further.

This understanding came from Sally listening to what Robert had to say, and for Robert to understand that Sally’s childhood left scars.

Robert didn’t want to re-open those scars. Instead, he wanted to be the person who nurtured them.

He understood that Sally needed support from time to time, or reassurance that helped Sally feel validated. 

This is exactly what I mean by understanding.

The conscious effort to take the person you’re with, and understand that they’re made up of a million tiny pieces.

Life can get complex, and understanding only means finding a person meant for you. 

#3 Let You Be You

Acceptance.

I accept you for you, and you accept me for me.

Nobody is trying to change anybody, and neither person is attempting to manipulate them into losing themselves. 

Isn’t that what life and love is all about? I know for me, that’s where the real magic is. 

When you can authentically be yourself, you remain free to explore what goals and hobbies you have.

You get to hold onto what’s important to you, and what you feel strongly about.

None of it is called into question, or criticized.

This is what I mean when I say somebody is intended for you.

They are in no way displaying any signs of toxicity. They just want to see you happy and enjoy it when you are. 

Settling For Less

Some of you out there may be settling for less. Getting stuck into the habits and routines of ‘good enough for right now.’ 

I wanted to raise these three things as a standard that everybody should set for themselves.

With all three components, you know you’ve found somebody you’re meant to be with, and I feel that’s something we all deserve. 

Too often, these become lost in the fight for short-term attention or temporary gratification. 

No relationship can sustain such shallow waters, so for anything more.

There needs to be more awareness of who you are and the type of person you want to match physically, emotionally, and mentally.