To all the women on the journey of life,
whether you are single or taken, young or old, a mother or waiting to be one, a student or a girlboss:
At times, you might feel small. You might feel lost in a sea of “others”. Everyone around you seems to be moving in the same direction, and this makes you feel like there is a standard beyond your reach—so you start putting unrealistic expectations on your head like a crown of thorns. And now, the burden is weighing you down.
The world is now full those whose shouts are untruthful, marking every woman with labels of attractive lies and of false worth. But, if you listen carefully, there is a voice that whispers a secret that can free you from this burden.
Not many women know this, but we are wired uniquely as females, designed to crave for beauty and to feel deeply. We long to hear the approval that we are most beautiful just as we are, but there is a truth that surpasses that: You are most beautiful when your beauty arises from within. The secret to a long-lasting, anti-aging beauty is a complete inner joy. The kind of joy that does not find its source from surrounding circumstances, but the kind that is found deep within you.
And the path to that inner joy is this: a propensity of the heart that always endeavors to be kind to oneself.
Being kind to yourself helps you stand your ground in the fast-moving pressures of this world. Being kind to yourself stirs in you the courage you need to acknowledge that you are strong, and that you are able to pick yourself up again and move forward towards your dreams.
Your dreams—they can be overwhelming at times, no matter how old you are. But hold on to it, keep it in your hearts and prayers. There is no telling who you will become in the future if you just keep pressing on, even in the crowded sea of “others”. In the meantime, do not just wait for that dream to be visible, because dreams sometimes come in small packages, and they are often already in the palm of your hands. You have just got to recognize and work on them.
Selamat Hari Kartini!
Let’s get to work, ladies.
Love,
Axioo
