Bianca W.

the giant space of compassion I hold for others to feel whatever they feel wherever they are in life

For a long time in my life I equated strength with being impenetrable; to not being seen as sensitive because I believed that others would see me as weak or that I would somehow be exposed. I hid the vulnerable, raw, emotional part of me from the world and even from myself in fear that it would be used against me or even worse, I would be rejected or hurt.

That got me pretty far in life and it certainly got me a reputation for being a hard ass but what it did not get me was fulfillment, self expression or any form of peace. A nervous breakdown ultimately forced me to give up the whole “I don’t feel anything” way of existing  and let me tell you……dealing with all of the things I had suppressed for most of my life is what gave me a new definition of strength.

…..Because when you are brought to your knees by your own perceived demons, being a hard ass and trying to push through your pain is not what gives you strength, vulnerability and surrender do.

So, what makes me a strong woman? My willingness to speak out loud about my pains and my “darkness” and my willingness to be vulnerable with myself and with others; the giant space of compassion I hold for others to feel whatever they feel wherever they are in life; the balance of being both empathetic and being a stand for personal accountability; my ability to place myself in another’s shoes; and finally, my dedication to radical self love and acceptance and my ongoing contribution to others.

My strength is not defined by the masks I wear but by the depth to which I can accept my own truth and share it with others.