In Case You Forgot… You’re Still a WOMAN.

Becky Elizabeth
Nov 5 · 3 min read

I walked into my best friend, Jenn’s house ready to head to the North End for dinner. I made my way down the hall, where I found her in front of her bathroom mirror. She was standing upright in black high-heeled shoes and had her hair wound around a curling iron.

“Hey!” I announced my presence and waited for her to look in my direction… She glanced over, gave me an up and down, and with a look of displeasure, she firmly stated her opinion on my appearance without so much as a greeting.

“No…. Just NO.”

“What?” I looked down at myself and then back at her. I had chosen a pair of khaki capri pants and a casual cotton top with brown flip flops. You know… the one’s you can get on sale at Old Navy for a dollar? Jenn rolled her eyes and continued, “I’m not allowing you to wear that. You don’t look like you’re going to dinner in Boston… You look like you’re ready to head to work at Dunkin’ Donuts. Go in my closet and find something else to put on.”

I was only slightly taken aback my her brutal honesty. We had only been close friends for a few months, but I was already used to her keeping it real. Jenn speaks her truth. Always. I sauntered into her room and started rummaging through her closet. It was my first time borrowing Jenn’s clothes. I was impressed with how much there was to choose from. And lucky for me, we happen to be the exact same size, right down to our shoes.

I slipped on a pair of black leggings with high-heeled booties and an off-the-shoulder top. I stood up, straightened my posture, and looked at myself in her full-length mirror. I stepped back so I could see my whole body… And smiled.

An unfamiliar feeling came over me… For the first time, maybe ever, I felt beautiful.

Suddenly I realized I liked the feeling. I took a deep breath in my nose and tousled my hair as I let out a sigh. I didn’t even know that the desire to feel beautiful had existed inside of me. Prior to that moment I had thought I was okay with feeling “regular.” It hadn’t bothered me that I wore frumpy clothes, or that I never did my hair or make-up… Not consciously anyway. But suddenly that changed. Feeling beautiful did something to me.

Pride and empowerment started bubbling up inside of me, and I knew instantly that I was on the cusp of great change.

A few weeks later Jenn took me shopping. We scoured the racks at Marshall’s, TJMaxx, and Nordstrom Rack. We spent the entire day trying on countless outfits, and wrestled with ourselves over what to buy and how much money was a reasonable amount to spend. By the end of the day I had completely spoiled myself, and I went home with an entire wardrobe.

My transformation was underway. Acknowledging and taking action on my desire to feel like a woman, shifted my perception of myself within this world. I started carrying myself differently, because I had started to own the magnificence of my womanhood.

Taking pride in myself has positively impacted every area of my life. You see, it’s not about the clothes. Or the make-up. Or the hair. It’s about the feeling. Since changing my perception of self, I can wear sweatpants with a messy bun and no make-up, and still feel just as beautiful as when I’m decked to the nines.

True beauty resides within, but wearing that beauty on the outside, however that looks and feels best to you, can help you take ownership of it. Do you even know how stunning you are? Do you realize how many people look up to you? I’d be willing to bet it’s way more than you give yourself credit for…

Ladies, listen… We have mistreated ourselves long enough. This is absolute truth. And there’s no moment more suitable for starting to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated, than now.

You’re a God damn Queen. OWN IT.

Namaste.

Becky

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