Happy International Women's Day!

 

"The strongest actions for a woman is to love herself, be herself and shine amongst those who never believed she could." - Author Unknown

Margaret Fuller, Marie Curie, Katharine Hepburn, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Audrey Hepburn, the list goes on and on of the most amazing women who have been influential to everyone. These women have had to go through adversity and trials throughout their life, yet they never stopped being themselves.

Anne Frank is the main one I want to focus on. Anne Frank had to hide out during the Holocaust so her and her family wouldn't have to go to a concentration camp. She spent two years in hiding and never came out from her room. After those two years her and her family were found and taken to a camp. They were tortured and separated from each other. Anne and her sister were transferred to another camp and eventually died from disease. Her dad found her diary a little while later and read what she had written. He turned it into a book and it was published as we now know it today as, "The Diary of Anne Frank."

 In the book, "The Traveler's Gift" by Andy Andrews it talks about this man meeting Anne Frank and having a conversation with her. While they are conversing two questions come up. Is being happy a choice? Can you decide what mood you are in? Anne Frank says you CAN decide what mood you are in. There were times when she was down and was questioning if her life really mattered, but she changed her mood and decided to be happy. She chose to be herself no matter the circumstances. I have so much respect for this girl. To stay in hiding for two years and not know what a new day could hold is hard for me to comprehend. It takes a person with a strong will to do what she had to do. Anne Frank will always be a role model in my life.

We all have trials and adversity that we have to go through. We have people telling us that we can't accomplish our goals and that we fail at life. Sometimes we think the best solution to this is to say that they are right and to conform to what they want us to be. I've had people in my life tell me that I shouldn't go for my dreams because I'm just going to fail and it is going to be a disappointment. You know what I say to them? Watch me prove you wrong. I have learned that being myself and loving every part of me and what I am has helped me accomplish my aspirations.

Don't change who you are to try and heed to the world's expectations. Stand out and shine. Love everything about yourself. You are on this earth for a reason. Go out and find that reason. Follow your dreams. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.