FINDING YOUR VOICE

My Gran was my inspiration – between the wars she took in her brother’s family and her sister’s raising them alongside her own on her own as her husband died when their own daughters were 2 and 4. She then helped raise her “grandchildren” even swapping houses with her adopted daughter so her daughters growing family could have more room. She was so caring and kind, yet if you told her that she would just say you do what you have to do. She was the type of person who would borrow money so she could give you what you needed – she would say she was lending it to you but wouldn’t accept it back. And at one time she held down three jobs to cope. She had two phrases/sayings that we try to live by – “We’re all Jock Thomson’s bairns no matter what colour of tartan you’re wrapped in” and “What is for you will not go passed you, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll find it”.

Someone just said to me recently ‘family isn’t blood, it’s someone who is there to hold your hand’. Very true (I’m sure this sould he attributed to someone but I don’t know who).

“As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others”.

This was said by Audrey Hepburn and it has stuck in my head. It’s true, you do need to help yourself, but you should always help others.

There is no better feeling than helping others.

Without a doubt the words I have written as a tattoo across my forearm “Live long, live young.” A quote inspired from SENS Foundation, a charity which aims to bring ageing under medical control in our lifetimes so we can be youthful both in body and mind well into our hundreds and maybe, who knows, thousands. Isn’t that worth living for?!

This is an easy one for me!

No doubt… Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Women.

Enjoy!
—-
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Maya Angelou

I don’t have a female specific influence in my life, that I’m aware of…but one voice that has stood out to me is that of Rupaul. Who cheers on and motivates those suffering with mental illness, body dystopia, body image issues and major emotionally traumatically charged people to be who they are. That people are perfect in their own unique sort of way and that showing the world how you feel on the inside, is just as beautiful as what they see on the outside. Encouraging those who struggle to see themselves as worthy of love, acceptance and being of import is important to the core of who we are as individuals, and we should embrace those qualities, not shy away from them.

On international women’s day we had a Teams call at work. The first time ever the women employees held a get together. Being an only women working for over 30 years in a male orientated department, I’m used to thinking I’m alone. Imagine my surprise when I discovered many other women in the company had similar feelings. I now have new friends, although scattered around the globe. Technology allows our voices to be heard.

My grandfather always inspired me when he was alive. He always encouraged me to follow my heart and do the best I could. He never asked anything big of me just that I try. He always told me when I was scared or nervous that “I’ll never know unless I try” and since he passed in 2014 those are strong words that I continuously use and live by. He only ever asked that I try and that’s what I’ve been doing. He’s always been my role model and my inspiration through everything in life and in his passing, he will always live on with me 🥰

There are so many strong women I take inspiration from but I especially like the quote by Oprah Winfrey when she said ’ You get in life what you have the courage to ask for’ as it reminds me to be brave everyday. This has pushed me in my personal and professional life because I am a parent carer to my disabled son aged 17 and a full time Police Officer.

Anne Frank with her optimism and hope towards the people who eventually murdered her. She really inspires me to think the best of people.

‘In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart’ – Anne Frank

Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk on Genius, watched it at 19. It was a great talk about creativity and how it’s a partnership with something higher and not entirely of the self, and how understanding this can save us from our ego, whether bruised or inflated, allowing us to be more creative.

My daughter inspires me. She has drive and ambition even though there has been many obstacles in her way. We never had much money and at 12 started a little online business selling handmade Jewellery! She wanted a good computer for gaming but was to much so saved and built it herself. She has ADHD and has come along way never giving up on her dreams and always staying positive. Never holds a grudge just gets on with things and inspires me with her strength even though she is unaware of how strong she actually is x

Brené Brown- “what we know matters but who we are matters more”

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance – Oscar Wilde

Self-care has never been so important as it has over the last crazy year, so I’m aiming to try and start a lifelong romance. If all else fails I’ll make an excellent cat lady.

“We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to ‘speak yourself.’”
“Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin colour, gender identity: speak yourself.
by BTS’ Kim Nam Jun (RM) at the launch of Generation Unlimited, at the UN General Assembly 2018
It always gives me courage

‘I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring’ – David Bowie. I’ve always been a dreamer so this quote has always been one of my favourites!

Every Shawn Mendes’s songs inspire me to be my self, to follow my dreams, to believe in what is truly important to me, in my life. He’s one of the most talented young singer to me, but not only for his voice and his music, but also for what he teaches to us every day: love, kindness and semplicity.

Emma Watson’s HeForShe speech to the UN has always been something I love and share with my students each year. Her articulate but vulnerable stories were an inspiration and a call to action for gender equality not just to the benefit of women but also to the benefit of men. I think we often overlook younger generations as having wisdom beyond their years.

“A weed is a plant whose virtues are not yet known” (Ralph W Emerson), I believe that our life can be seen as a big garden. Every day, seeds are planted and all of them grow to give birth to something and make us evolve in a certain way, of course only the seeds that are taken care of will eventually give beautiful flowers and fruits.
It gives me the desire and strength to get past the trials and see what will blossom. It makes me want to try, to take a step forward even if I am not sure I will succeed.

This is giving me the PS : I would love to design a Momiji on this theme ;-)

My mother , sister and grandma have always been by my side as I’ve found my own voice which has now lead me to be more caring about the world around us and made me start to look at reducing the amount of plastic I use and how it will impact the world.

The lovely owners of the small business I follow inspire me to use my voice to help support them but they also remind me that if you work hard enough your dreams really do come true.

Light fun quote about having to endure (and quite obviously because Dolly is amazing!) “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!” -Dolly Parton

“You owe no one an explanation, a reason, a defence for who you become after you survive” Nikita Gill

After I read this quote I felt validated. I felt the wholeness of my journey. I reclaimed my voice and my power from those who choose not to understand or show empathy.
I no longer need their validation.

I no longer need to over explain or apologise for being… chronically sick, disabled, woman, alone, creative, pansexual, sexually liberated, spiritually rooted or self defining in a world that tells women ‘No’.

My children inspire me and being a Mother inspires me…. Somehow it makes me feel strong, knowing that I am a role model for them so my words and actions will influence how they will develop… In order for them to be the best they can be, I need to be the best I can be and know my worth…. I feel so very blessed to have the opportunity to be a mother and hope i can empower my children to value their self worth

My mother-in-law inspires me with her spoken words. That’s because at the age of 55, she came to England to be with us. A week after she arrived, she attended her first job interview (with my husband to help interpret). She has worked hard to learn English, and work her way up to managing a charity shop. I find it amazingly brave, especially because growing up in Hungary, she never expected to be able to leave her country. We are very proud of her and everything she has achieved.

My mum is the strongest woman I know and inspires me everyday – she has had a tough few years but always has time for me and answers the phone with a smile, regardless of the difficulties she is facing. She is one of my best friends in the world as well as my number one oracle for any questions!

I Believe my two daughters(2-5 years old), they have been my inspiration when I thought I loss everything in life( medical reasons) their pure hearts express everything with a smile and since they were born they have shown me that I’m their “super mom”

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. – Mother Teresa (and my grandma said something similar, she is my daily inspiration and I have greatly missed her these past 25 years)

I suffer with chronic illness including Lupus.
I have had many operations and one which I could of died if left.
I suffered with PTSD and needed lots of therapy.
My amazing Therapist … told me that after everything ‘ I have the strength to overcome anything ‘
This has stuck with me and is now my daily mantra ♥️

Recently I have been finding the journalist Elizabeth Day in her podcast “How to Fail” really inspiring. In a world where so much value is placed on success I find her honesty about her own failures and the wonderful discussions she has with her guests about theirs a breath of fresh air. An inspiring and liberating reminder that being good enough is good enough. She’s become a bit of a hero of mine.

My mum gives me the best advice, she says to take no notice of what others might say to bring me down. She taught me to have confidence to be me. It’s hard with my zero self esteem and anxiety disorder but I try hard every day to have the confidence to keep my head up.

Also, listening to people, really listening to what they are saying and what they are feeling is so

important.

Being kind, and being true to myself!

Thank you for the opportunity to post today…..Yesterday was my birthday, and this has been a

true gift sharing my thoughts!

Rosa Parks who inspired people to stand up against racism with the simple word “no”
More of us should stand up and say “no” sometimes to things that aren’t right, so I’d say she’s pretty inspirational.

“The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
The best reminder to keep moving forward, always give your best shot, and never be afraid of failure ✨

My grandma always told me: the world is full of ignorance, don’t add to that. She was a tough cookie, I miss her very much

My aunt Tessy, she has lost a daughter and a few years later lost a husband, leaving her with 5 other children to look after and to help them develop. She moved to another country that could provide the best education possible for her children, and she had to learn the language, get a job while raising 5 kids (the youngest being 8). She was always with a smile, always looking forward with a positive attitude and bringing light and joy to everyone around her.

My 6 year old daughter in response to this post said all girls need to stand up for their rights and speak when they need to

Speaking up has always been a struggle for me, from when I was younger, through to now as an adult. I always felt that what I had to say had to be the right thing to say, always, and if it wasn’t, then it was better to not speak at all. But I was talking to a friend once and she said we don’t have to be scared of saying the wrong thing. How can we let other people know what we’re thinking and what our ideas are if we never express them?

Emma Watson, speech on feminism at the UN
Extremely powerful and inspiring

The poem, “still I rise” by Maya Angelou. It was played in one of my group therapy sessions and really speaks out

The famous I have a dream speech from Martin Luther King inspired me.

I’ve always found this quote by Helen Keller to be a good inspiration.

Michelle Obama – someone who has worked hard and continues to work hard.

My mum inspires me everyday with her words – and her brave actions. She’s so kind and selfless and strong and her wise words have helped to guide me all throughout my life. She’s had a really tough year (not unlike most I know) and been really unwell but she’s finally on the mend and I’d love to win a Mom-iji (see what I did there?!) to gift to her because they’re her favourite and she really REALLY deserves it!! I know it would make her smile so much!

Thank you!

My mum she inspired me to be be me

The speech William Wallace made in brave heart has given me inspiration to be brave and bold to stand up for my freedom and rights.

The best advice I have heard:

“No is a complete sentence”

Elizabeth Olsen

My parents for supporting me when I needed to drop out of uni for mental health reasons. I was so worried about what they’d say but they just wanted the best for me :)

All these beautiful women inspire me, I feel more powerful, more creative and more self-confident.

Thank you all!