by Irene C. Dasalla

Created on: September 08, 2008

Celebrate Who You Are

I love being a woman and every aspect of who I am. I cannot imagine myself being anyone else than what God has created me to be. I am happy with myself although my life is nowhere near perfect. I believe that the imperfect situations in my life are the catalysts that help me bring out the best in me, and on the same token help me appreciate and embrace who I really am. Each day brings a new set of challenges, and each day I remind myself that these challenges are here to harness my natural strengths.

One key ingredient in celebrating who we are is to feel good about yourself. It's a very simple concept, yet it's a little complicated to implement. I have been watching fashion makeover on television, and how these fashion experts help women not to transform but to help them discover and enhance their beauty that they already possess is just an astounding revelation. Experimenting on clothes and accessories, and figure out what works and what doesn't, in my opinion, is a fun way of expressing my individuality as a woman. Whether we like it or not, we are judged by how we look on the outside. As a woman, I want to present myself as a competent professional, and at the same time a confident woman. I work in a male dominated field and when I started dressing up with my newly found confidence and inner happiness, people started noticing. Keep in mind that not all people will celebrate the new you. Others will celebrate with you while some people will ridicule you. Disregard the negative and take in the positive comments of the true people who believes in you. An advice to the ladies, if you look yourself in the mirror and you love what you see, and you feel good about yourself, do not let others tell you otherwise.

Another ingredient in celebrating who we are is to be true to ourselves. Letting others manipulate us in doing something that we do not want to do will leave us powerless. We are created as individuals blessed with independent minds, and we hold in our hands a power to be in control of our lives. Many of us may be in a situation where our emotions are being maneuvered by others and it is started to become evident that these people are driving us to the curve; it is time to rethink our position in our relationship with that person. Let us not be afraid to speak our minds and challenge what is presented to us. If we surrender our voice and just obediently follow just because we do not want to hurt other people's feelings and sacrifice ourselves in the process, to me, is surrendering our individuality. If we do something that does not resonate with our true nature, we will know and let us use our instinct to make wise decisions that will, in the end, benefit us.

One last ingredient that I believe is crucial in celebrating who we are rest. Women tend to do a lot of things at the same time. We have a never ending to do list that we impose on ourselves. We have to take the time and give time to ourselves once in a while. Just like one of my good friends advised me - pamper yourself like no one else can. Believe me, it's one of the best advice I have ever received. Treat yourself like a queen and when you do that, others will notice that you value and respect yourself that others will start treating you like how you treat yourself.

Being aware of our true nature is worth celebrating more than anything. Discovering who we are is not a one time process, it is a constant discovery that each day brings to us. Do not run away from it, instead embrace it. We are a unique creation and let us rejoice of the fact that there is only one us in this world.

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