Redefining Womanhood: A Story of Empowerment and Independence

Part 1:Finding My Voice: The Evolution of a Quiet Girl.

It was a typical day when it hit me—the realization that I couldn't keep living like this, dependent on others, always relying on someone else to make decisions for me. I looked around at the women in my life and saw a pattern, a cycle of dependence that had been passed down from generation to generation. But something inside me was stirring, a small voice that whispered, 'You are capable of so much more.' It was then that I knew I needed to break free from this cycle, to forge my own path and discover what true independence felt like. And so, my journey began.

I grew up as a shy, quiet, and very understanding person. Some people would always comment on me, saying that these traits were because I am the firstborn. In school, I was very smart and intelligent, so most people took advantage of me or used me to get themselves popular. From grade 4 until I completed my primary school years, I was a school prefect. Most of the girls didn't like me, but some only loved me for my position. I couldn't chase them away or avoid them, even though they would sometimes be very mean. I would always overlook their behavior because I needed them to stand up for me whenever I was in trouble or something similar. Despite being intelligent, I was never confident enough to stand up for myself, so I tolerated them....

If I had approached my high school years differently, I would have been a different person, telling a different story now. Instead, I continued being shy and quiet, which made my life messier as I met new people with different intentions. The schools I went to weren't the best, but if I had been a confident person, I could have made the most of it.
During high school, everything became worse. People used my physical appearance to get what they wanted, to become popular, but I never looked at it from a different angle. I didn't care much and didn't realize there was still a long journey ahead. I stayed in my comfort zone and relaxed, and that's when my future started to slip away too. I joined a group of five girls, and we became popular—everyone in school knew us. It was nice and enjoyable being popular at school, I mean, who wouldn't want that? But be mindful of what you're becoming popular for, because for me, my popularity in school was the cause of big problems in my life, which I still regret.

To be continued....