Well Behaved Women and the Girl Effect

I reposted an image on Facebook that had the following quote: “The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” ~ Albert Einstein

I said it reminded me of this one: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” —Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Someone else said Albert’s comment applies to men also.

This was my response (as is so often the case, my response turned into a short article):

Yes, Albert’s comment very definitely applies to men also.

The being well behaved comment applies primarily to women.

Men have long been admired for trail blazing like Daniel Boone, conquering the world like Caesar, or doing things differently and innovatively like Steve Jobs. Women in the western world have only within the last hundred years or so been able to get a degree in their chosen field (not just nursing or teaching), vote, or even wear pants.

Even in the more progressive west, women in certain religions still have no say, must wear a dress or skirt, and are expected to go along with whatever the men in their lives say. In other parts of the globe, women must cover themselves and their opinion and even their abuse often goes unnoticed.

I salute the women who risked jail and physical abuse so that women could vote. I salute the women in other cultures who have the courage to try to change things.

Here is a GREAT little video about the Girl Effect – what can happen when you help just one of them:

I am blessed to live in a country where I can be me – wearing what I want, saying what I want, and as long as I’m not harming someone or something else (I believe in the Golden Rule) or breaking some law, I can do pretty much whatever I want to.

I can own property and a business. I can travel the world. If I choose a romantic partner, that partner can be any color, any religion, and even any sex. And as long as I don’t let fear and my own limiting beliefs stop me, I can pursue my passions and achieve my dreams.

We’ve come a long way.

Yet there is still a long way to go. Not everyone is on board with letting down the prejudices and hatreds simply because someone looks, acts, or believes things that are different than what they are used to.

We are each a gift from God blessed with uniqueness. Its time to shine our light, and be who we came here to be.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” There comes a time on the spiritual journey where you no longer have enemies. You simply have misunderstandings. Some of those are easy to correct. Others are more challenging.

In the end, we are much more similar than we are different. We all have a deep desire to be loved, appreciated, and accepted for who we are. When we get beyond our own garbage, we realize that when we are mean to another, we feel bad about it.

Every moment of every day is a step along your personal spiritual quest.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy my bestselling book, Peering Through the Veil: The Step by Step Guide to Meditation and Inner Peace.

Have a fabulous day,

Takara

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Takara Shelor
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