Stand up, be seen
/To all women:
Show yourself
Take up space
Stand up, be seen
No mater your age, your appearance
Now is the time to rise to the surface of visibility
Show your face, your body, your age, your perfect imperfection, your humanity.
Women of all ages, show yourself
Let’s normalise all body shapes, all races, all ages, all of our diversity
Let’s inspire new and old generations
Let’s give permission slips to each other
Let’s show up as we are
With or without makeup, with our best and worst clothes, in the best or worst light
The more aspects of ourselves we show, the more we show of ourselves, the more we are seen and acknowledged, the more power we have
Our personal power, our right to exist and be seen
The age of hiding is over.
By existing and showing yourself you take a stand
Let’s use social media to bring more of ourselves into the world. Not only on Women’s day but every day.
Let’s normalise the diversity of being a woman
Show yourself
Take up space
Stand up, be seen
I wrote this poem on a night I had too much energy in my body to be able to fall asleep. Ideas kept popping up into my head and I decided to just write them down.
When the morning came, I knew what I had written, but I could not face the message. It meant that I too had to ‘Stand up, be seen’ and I was scared. It meant that I had to show myself on social media and I was scared. I left these words on the email I wrote them in and sent myself on the 31 May and I could not look at them for two months. Until recently, when I was putting together some artwork and words to go with it and this poem seemed just perfect. And now, it is time to share this with you here.
These words are for me as much as they are for you. I believe it is time for all of us to start showing up, to be seen. I know some are already doing it and I know others are hiding. I remember when I refused for years to have my photo taken and put on the work website. I was so much in hiding that I did not want a photo of mine to be put online.
I am still hiding. Not in the same way, but I can tell I am not fully yet allowing myself to be seen.
In a free coaching call I recently put myself forward, at the end of the call, I was asked what could I do to step up fully in my business. I was feeling stuck again and Gillian, the coach, asked me what is my next movement? The only thing I could think of was to dance. Yes, you read it right. In order for me to move forward from where I am in my business I must dance. I think this is awesome. I committed there and then to dance one song a day until the end of the year. Gillian challenged me a step further and that I also share the song, my experience, whatever feels right, on social media everyday until the end of the year.
This is one way of stepping up and being seen. It is a way to connect to my body. It is a way of allowing the movement to shift the strong emotions I have been feeling in recent months. I have been resisting dancing. In the past it was a great self-healing and self-care tool I used over and over and really supported that part of my healing. I believe it is now time to move my body to the sound of music, to allow my body to move in different ways to my day to day. To sense where there is tension, to notice which movement feels healing and gives me relief, to notice how some emotions can be expressed with the help of music and my body.
I would love it if you would join me, if you feel inspired. Maybe committing to just one week or maybe longer. I’m sharing the music, some videos of me talking about my experience on my Instagram stories.
Otherwise, in what other ways could you/are you ‘Standing up, being seen’? This will mean something different to each of us. What does it mean to you?
Self Empowerment Coach
I’m a Self Empowerment Coach with a mission to Bring the Feminine into Every Day Life and Supporting Women to Change the World. Check what I offer here: www.pelagiapais.com
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(Image fort this post is a collage of several Goddesses statues photos from ancient times found online.)