Younger me refers to every girl out there who feels her voice is too small to be heard in this huge world. But trust me, you are more powerful than you know to bring the change. It is a reminder for you to learn that being a girl is a strength, it gives you the wings to fly high thus enabling you to navigate through the storms and limitations imposed by the society. There will be several moments, may be ten times or more in a day, when you will doubt yourself or will be questioning your worth because of how you look but just hold on, your worth cannot be judged or counted upon such baseless assumptions made by the society, just know that eventually and gradually you will start to love your mind and spirit, not for the fact that how they look but for what they can do. There is no love greater than self love. As we grow up there will be a invisible fencing around you, a lot of societal notions and norms will be imposed, you will be told to “act like a lady” or to lower your voice, your laughing to way of talking, dressing, every aspect of your life will be questioned, judged and you will be asked to correct it, what? Yourself. You will be taught empathy, resilience, tolerance, affection and what not but don’t forget to value the beauty of your inner strength. The moments of silence where you will feel invisible, will eventually culminate and shape the fire in your heart. Remember every single rule that gets imposed on you, helps you become a full power girl who knows her worth.
Finding the correct source for guidance might be a difficult task but learn to pave your path, leaving no stone unturned, a path paved through books and moments of brave, self discovery. It’s you who needs to built your identity piece by piece, believing the fact that your passion, your curiosity was not “too much” and that your voice is not meant to be hidden or remains unheard. Another thing to understand here is, that the journey of growing up is not about becoming perfect, perfection is nothing but an illusion. It’s about identifying, knowing and accepting your flaws, its about becoming real, being who you truly are. Just know you are never alone, there are so many young women leading, teaching, creating and rewriting the narratives of what it actually means to be a girl in today’s world and that’s exactly where you find comfort knowing that girls around the world are moving, stepping in the arenas, spaces they were told did not belong to them.
Here, you need to realize that the world won’t always open the doors for you but then that doesn’t mean you can’t build your own. There will be a day when you will speaking and the audience will be quiet not because they are ignoring your presence but because they are listening, valuing your thoughts and opinions. Your articles will get published, you will be mentoring other girls, thus you are going to be the voice you needed to hear. That’s where you will understand the real meaning behind the concept and meaning of sisterhood. You will eventually learn that empowerment is not just a word but a lived emotion that is lived almost everyday. Just remember it’s totally fine to not have all answers. It’s fine to shout out loud, to feel uncertain, to take your time. There’s no rush for being the person you are becoming or trying to become. Remember it’s a long journey where the only thing that matters is your belief in yourself. Growth is not always loud or visible but can be silent, just the same as roots underground gradually become a full bloomed tree. Again, it’s okay to face setbacks. There will be voices loud enough to tell you that you are too emotional, too soft or too bold. But you need to find strength in these words. Let’s redefine the concepts like leadership, showcasing that it can be a wonderful blend of compassion and power at the same time. Here I want you to know that you need to forgive yourself for all those times you felt you weren’t enough. Remember, you always were, you still are. It’s just that the world was not ready to experience the kind of fire you have. But don’t dim it bit burn brighter.
Here’s something for every girl reading this-
● Fight for what’s right, even though its hard
● Never let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big.
● Ask questions.
The future your tiny eyes have imagined or the dream you saw as a little girl is waiting, having your name written all over it.
