Source: Darling Magazine
Looking back over my teens and twenties, I realized that many of my close friends happened to be strong, successful women. I don’t know if I was drawn to them because of how inspiring they were or if our paths just collided that way, but one thing I know is that their influence in my life has helped shape me into who I am.
Aren’t you always fascinated by what makes people the way they are? What is it that successful women do differently that sets them apart? I think the best way to find this out is to surround yourself with them; people who are just being amazing at life, and who will encourage you to be amazing at it, too! There’s a lot to be said for humbling yourself and gleaning from someone who’s living out their dreams already; their wisdom is invaluable.
Learning how to celebrate other women’s successes is a beautiful quality and something that will benefit everyone involved, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes, instead of feeling inspired we can feel insecure, or even jealous. We’ve all been there, and it’s an easy trap to fall into. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t beat yourself up. It’s what you choose to do with those feelings that really matters. Try countering your negative thoughts by acting in the opposite way; this is powerful and can help you to form new habits.
Having women in our lives who are going after something big, who are believing in who they are, and who are using their strengths encourages us to do the same. By embracing their achievements we can let their stories become models for our own successes.
Here’s why I think we need successful women in our lives:
They inspire us.
Often successful women are full of innovative ideas. They think creatively and don’t let themselves be limited by what others say can or can’t be done. They’re good for exchanging ideas with, and can give us valuable tips that could have taken us years to learn. Usually, these women are doing something they’re passionate about and naturally want to share their inspiring stories with us. They take risks and expect us to, as well.
We become like them.
Who we surround ourselves with is a good indicator of who we will become. Women who are good at what they do often got there by surrounding themselves with others who were already achieving. These type of women will most likely push us to be our best and to accomplish more than we might on our own. Whether our dream is to become a CEO of a large company, a nurse, or a mother, we will be a benefit by being around women who are living it out already.
"Who we surround ourselves with is a good indicator of who we will become."
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They understand us.
Every successful woman started somewhere and has probably been where we are at some point in their journey. They might just know the next step we need to take. High achievers have usually learned a lot about the work-life balance and may be able to offer advice and wisdom that we can apply to our own lives. They often understand the struggle and challenges involved in getting where we want to be and can offer guidance.
They motivate us.
In order to move forward, we need to have motivation. Women who are successful are often action-oriented, which can give us just the kickstart we need. They are natural problem solvers and can offer practical solutions to our challenges or situations.
They see what we will be.
Women who are succeeding generally have high expectations of themselves and others; when people expect a lot from us, we tend to live up to it. Having women in our lives who see the best in us can be a huge factor in our success. These type of women can often see talents and skills that we might not be able to see in ourselves and can help to draw them out.
From my experience, there is a richness to opening ourselves up in vulnerability to those who we are inspired by. Their confidence and passion is contagious, so let’s start an outbreak of women who believe in their own greatness.
"Confidence and passion is contagious, so let’s start an outbreak of women who believe in their own greatness."
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Who would you consider to be a woman like that in your life?
This piece originally appeared on Darling Magazine.
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