To no surprise, I have come to realize that I have many amazing women in my life. Women that have overcome incredible hardships or are going through them as we speak. Women that chose a life of security that comes with tons of commitment, honor, love, energy and respect in times when you just want to give it all up and walk away. Women who know exactly what they want and refuse to compromise, struggle for recognition, money, respect from their peers or the men in their life. Women who want to be seen and go through the agony that comes with it, who are building their own business and coming up with amazing ideas along the way. Women who work very hard to stay true to who they are, even if that means giving up on things that are very valuable to them. I guess those are all synonym descriptions for something that inspires me tremendously: to be strong. For the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about these women because I myself was recently labeled as ‘strong’ by some of them. In a struggling time when all I do, I think, is survive and move on, I am not experiencing this as strength but just mere necessity. So what is human strength exactly? Without wanting to diminish the wonders of these women, I can’t help but think that we, in the end, just do what we are bloody supposed to do. And yes, it hurts at times but if we want to go on this life, we just do it, as Nike would say. Just do it. Is that strength?
I’m currently reading Hannah Arendt’s biography for the second time. Of course in her study of politics, “power”, “force”, and “strength” lean towards different ideas as the kind of individual and mind blowing female strength I am currently witnessing around me. According to Arendt, “power” in social connections is a direct result of the ability to act collectively and in cooperation as human beings in an effort to influence or convince, while “strength” is the individual counterpart. In certain people, strength, convictions, or charisma provide them with the necessary leadership qualities that ensure success and large followings. This as opposed to “authority” which can be thought of as a specific commencement of power, she says. It goes hand in hand with a skill set, specific knowledge, information and experience. Mainly the latter is translating my actions into anything that resembles strength and providing me with the proper guardianship in matters of the heart and mind. In my case, experience is key and for the large part I accredit my personal strength and survival to it. Which makes me even more I’m in awe of the girl power I am surrounding myself with which strength may not be based on the same premise. So more power to you, ladies.