The celebrations of International Women’s Day may have ended yesterday, but the real work—the deep, internal work of reclamation—continues today. I find myself reflecting deeply on my current reading: Discovering the Inner Mother by Bethany Webster. It’s a profound exploration of the "mother wound," and within its pages, I encountered a quote by Andrea Dworkin that hit me with incredible force:
"Woman is not born: she is made. In the making, her humanity is destroyed. She becomes a symbol of this or that... but she never becomes herself, because she is forbidden."
Yesterday, the world celebrated women as symbols: of strength, of care, of progress. But Dworkin’s words remind us of the cost of those symbols. Often, in the process of "becoming" what society, our families, or our cultures expect, we lose touch with our own humanity. We become "this or that," but we struggle to simply be ourselves.
The Journey of Reclamation
Personally, I am in a season of reclamation. I am walking the path of questioning the limiting beliefs I once accepted as truths and reconnecting with what it truly means to be me: reclaiming my passions, my pleasure, my sensuality, and my voice.
Today isn't just about celebrating how far we’ve come; it’s about unlearning the roles we were told we should play so that we can finally inhabit the space of who we actually are.
Coaching: Coming Home to Yourself
In my work as a life coach for women in transition, I see the "forbidden" self trying to emerge every single day. Transitions—whether in career, relationships, or identity—are often the soul’s way of saying: "I am ready to be more than a symbol."
Coaching in this context is a bridge to freedom. It allows us to:
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Dismantle Mandates: Distinguish between "I want" and "I am expected to."
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Rewrite the Narrative: Realize that our worth is inherent, not service-based.
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Reconnect with Intuition: Trusting the compass that lives within our own bodies.
An Act of Rebellion: Being Yourself
In a world that still tries to define us through a patriarchal lens, choosing to be yourself is the ultimate act of rebellion. The most important journey we will ever take isn’t outward to find answers, but inward, coming home to our own skin.
This March 8th, my invitation to you is this: Give yourself permission to be more than a symbol. Be imperfect. Be complex. Be yours.
As the echoes of Women’s Day fade, I want to ask: Have you ever felt that you’ve become a "symbol" of something while losing your own voice in the process? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
🌿 Ready to start your own path back to yourself?
If you are navigating a transition and feel ready to peel back the layers of "shoulds" to find your true voice, I am here to walk with you. As a Life Coach specializing in women’s empowerment, I provide the space you need to reclaim your authenticity.
Take your first step today:
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Book your Free Discovery Session via email: info@ananda-hum.com.