Hail The Younger Version Of Me!

It’s finally the month of August and we’ll be singing praises to the women in our lives, which is all good but today I’d like to challenge you to celebrate the You that got you here. Yup, the younger version of you who went against all odds in order to achieve the goals and milestones you’re proud of today.

For most of us, we have braved and fought against stereotypes in our families and societies. When life dictated our potential because of the circumstances we were born and raised under – the younger version of ourselves believed for more and a better life. Even though we had only seen it on television.

Nothing is as challenging as paving the way for others, because every challenge laid in that chosen route will be first discovered by you and so will the way around it. This is why I wear my hashtag #IBeg2Differ with absolute pride, because indeed the younger version of me went right through the norms and stereotypes; and there was plenty of judgement, but because the goal was clear, she fought to stay on track.

Her goal was to go across the borders of comfort and stagnation, to reach the other side. The side where her peers were freely chasing their dreams, with excitement and thrill and without the distractions of those who’ve been swallowed up by the stereotypes of society.

One of lessons she taught me, that I still cherish and put into practice is the power of silence. To believe in myself so much that I shut out everything that threatens to feed me doubt in a bid to contaminate the fragile stage of my dream. Going against odds goes hand in hand with good mental strength. Strategy is often how one gets to the finish line; not physical strength.

And what I love most about mental strength is that it’s not visible to the eye. I may look worn out and defeated but it’s all orchestrated as a tool of attack. So if you use it well, you’re likely to succeed just like the younger version of me.