‘You have always been the place.

You are a woman who can build it yourself.

You were born to build.’

– Sarah Kay, from her poem The Type.

I discovered Sarah Kay from her TED talk and she introduced me to the world of spoken word poetry. I always return to this poem; to remind myself I am enough and always have and will be. I’ve shared it with several women in my life and would encourage everyone to watch the following performance of it:

https://youtu.be/qYAiYMlOCI4

Being a ‘strong independent woman’ is a 21st century catchphrase I’ve always struggled to embrace. Often, portrayals of what it means to be strong and independent appear in GIFs of Beyonce, suggest to-do lists are conquered, stilettos are easy to wear and it’s just about ‘putting yourself out there’. To some extent, the latter is true. What isn’t shared is the tears, the people around you who hold you up on difficult days or through several weeks, the loneliness, the search for self motivation and the self love when motivating yourself is punishing you too; when you’re working too hard and forget to breathe.

Kay opened my eyes with a simple metaphor. Being born to build. Self sufficiency isn’t easy. It’s a beautiful chapel of experience built over time and from a myriad of materials. Self sufficiency comes from accepting you will need help, but by no means do you need to forget yourself.

————————————————

The rules for 3 days, 3 quotes:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.  – Thank you Brandewulf, it was interesting to delve into myself and choose three quotes/pieces of writing which have inspired me or moved me.

2. Share a post each day for three consecutive days (3 quotes total)

3. Explain why you like the quote

4. Nominate three bloggers to play along (I chose to do two a day).

Whether the wonderful people below play along or not, check them out:

1. Christine Ray from Brave and Reckless. This lady is incredible, inspiring and a force to be reckoned with on WordPress. It would be wonderful to learn about the words of others which have stayed with her over the years.

2. Ward Clever. He always allows us an insight into his musical inspiration, so I’m pretty sure he has some cracking words to share too.