EMPOWERMENT!

I started this blog a few years ago but it wasn't until recently that I put serious thought into what exactly did I want to write about. Then it occurred to me that one writes best of the things one knows. I've been involved in abusive relationships in my past, of which I will mention only occasionally here. I feel as though maybe things might have turned out differently for me had I been aware of my own power as a woman and as a human being in general.

This is where the subject of empowerment comes in. What is it? Where does it come from? Simply put, it comes from within and stems from the knowledge that you are as equally important and valuable as the anyone else. It is the knowledge that you are capable of accomplishing anything you put your mind to. Empowerment is what buffers you from doubt, internal and external, that you know exactly what the hell you're doing. It's what makes one a doer instead of just a dreamer. Empowerment is self-awareness; it allows you to see things (and other people) clearly for what they are. It lets you see the bullshit for exactly what it is. It's trusting your gut instinct, even when what your intuition tells you seems to make little sense. Empowerment is trusting yourself, knowing that you will always have your own back. It's letting all the deep and different facets of yourself shine through, just like a perfect diamond.

What female empowerment is not, in my humble opinion: Stripping down 'til you're damn near naked, shoving and shaking tits and ass for the amusement of the masses while downplaying any sort of intellectual prowess you may have. That's not empowerment at all, it's self-exploitation. Remember this fine example?

Neither is empowerment about focusing so much on appearances to the detriment of everything else. It's not about how much money you make, what kind of car your drive or what designer labels you wear. It's not about how big your breast (or ass) implants are, how long your hair extensions are, or how expensive your house is. It's not about where you live at all, really. To sum it up, empowerment is about substance.

This blog will discuss a great deal of things having to do with the female element in our society, with specifically women's empowerment as the undercurrent. It's not about being feminist or anti-men, though if I get a fair amount of readers I'm sure there's going to be someone out there barking, "You hate men!" Nothing can be further from the truth, although I do feel that there's a serious lack of self-respect and self-regard in a vast amount of women in our society. And I feel as though no one is speaking forcefully enough about it, so to hell with it, I will.