Happy International Women’s Day!

It’s time to celebrate all of the wonderful women in your life and around the world! We are strong, capable and powerful. Women rule the world! We want to send a big THANK YOU to all of the women who have supported and loved us on our journeys. We want the young women and girls looking up to us to know that they can accomplish ANYTHING! Their dreams are valid. As women, we’re so often pitted against each other but we have the power to change that. Let’s stand united together and focus on lifting each other up as we move forward. — Linds, International Women’s Day 2017

We’re so proud to be celebrating our second International Women’s Day at twowildtides. We loved last year’s IWD article so much– talking to incredible women, putting together the article, and your amazing feedback and kind words– that we have decided to create a second edition. We reached out to more women, all from diverse backgrounds, each powerful in their own way, to find out if they could say one thing to any woman or women in their lives, what would it be? As expected, their responses were INCREDIBLE. Compassionate, wise, empowering, and inspiring. Please take a few minutes to read these words from real women in our community and spread the love by sharing them with the beautiful men and women in your life.

“Women are power, women are strong, women are always. Women are authentic, women are liberated, women are bold. Women are embodiments of robust, and it is 2018, it is women’s day, and we are not done yet.” –20, student, feminist

“Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, try something new. Say “no” if you want. Don’t worry about others. Stay true to yourself, keep your goals in mind and everything will fall into place.” –21, Mother, Heavy Equipment Operator, Fiancé

“Don’t resist the parts of yourself you feel make you rough,  unrefined, ‘boyish,’ big, ‘gross,’ loud, or take up too much space. When you say yes to them, you’ll find they don’t make you “masculine,” undesirable, or weird. They’ll just make you feel more you; a complete, confident warrior.” –24, Actress, Lifter, Ginger

“Women are not your competition. We need to lift each other up because we are all in this together. Use each other’s ideas, don’t be afraid to have real conversations with each other. We are all beautiful, we are all enough, and another woman’s success is not in the absence of your own.” –21, student, writer, self-love advocate

“Always know you’re worthwhile, unique and beautiful. Stand up for yourself and everyone around you. We only come this way once. Self-lovee is the most important.” –19, Student, Future Social Worker, Resilient

“Never settle for less than you know you deserve. You deserve happiness.” –16, kind, figure skater, smart

“Look in the mirror every morning. Tell yourself you’re beautiful! You can only love others after you truly love everything about yourself. Find the positive in every negative no matter how deep you have to look. Find who you truly are.” –22, runner, fighter, lover

“Be strong and brave for those who don’t know how to be. Love yourself and others. Have fun with other girls playing tennis and basketball.” –6, sister, child, taekwondo fighter

“If I could ask you to do one thing, it would be to never let your identity as a woman confine you. When you look at what it means to be ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ you can identify a lack of words relating to strength, power and success for females. However, I challenge you to bend those definitions and redefine who we are. Go out and be CEOs, be firefighters, be stay at home mothers, be nurses, be service workers, be extraordinary. For what society has forgotten is WE are what defines ‘woman’. Together, we can break the mould of femininity and say we are powerful, we are united, and we will not be silenced. It’s time to step outside of our assigned roles and show the world just what we are capable of.” –21, Sister, Listener, Advocate

“Be the hero that’s inside of you. Dream what you want to dream, and believe what you want to believe. Be a girl!” –10, friend, athlete, artist

“Be kind to yourself and others. A smile breaks more barriers than a frown. Follow your dreams.” –-70 Sister, Great-grandmother, Fibre Artist

“A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with bricks others have thrown at her.” –21, student, sushi lover, traveller

“Love yourself unconditionally– live with passion and never apologize for being who you are.” –20, student, proud Newfoundlander

“As a woman, we tend to take on many roles. Sometimes we feel the need to be perfect, in every way, as a mother, employee, as a lover and friend. Your priority should be your own happiness, perfection isn’t possible in every aspect of our lives. Just know that you’re doing fine, you’re living, breathing, and you can do it. Take time for yourself and remind those around you that you love them! It is important to stay true to yourself and be at peace with yourself.” –20, entrepreneur, sister, dog mom

“Don’t let anyone tell you who you are.” –22, hockey player, ally, lover

“When the weight of the world falls on your shoulders remember to seek help and more importantly take care of yourself. And as Dory said, ‘just keep swimming'” –21, student, circus lover, wanderer

“You are worthy as you are, whole as you are, there is no other you, always remember what a magnificent jewel you are and never believe anyone who tries to convince you to be less.” –30, empowered, inspired, resilient

“Be kind to everyone but keep your circle of trust small. Call your mom. And your dad. Love freely, wildly and openly. Take risks. Fail BIG. Keep going. Love despite the heartbreak.” –22, artist, athlete, adventurer

“You’re pretty, inside and out!” –7, colorful, hilarious, loving

“Everything that’s worth it and beautiful exists within your person. Undefeated, you face all that life has presented you. I hope you kiss longer, laugh louder, and call that friend you’ve been thinking of. Stay connected.” –36, Sister, Healer, Protector

“Be kind, but be fierce if needed.” –44, Mother, IT Specialist, Lash Artist

“There is a quote that goes something like this: ‘Empowered Women Empower Women,’ and I believe that to be true. It is so important for us as women to support each other. We have enough fighting against us– political figures, the patriarchy, gender roles, ‘menninist’, etc. None of us signed up for the competition, so why give them the power to pit us against one another? We have to stand up and say no more to unfair treatment. We have to hold our ground and make them hear us because our voices matter, our opinions matter, and our rights matter. Don’t listen to what some may say when they try to police our bodies because despite what they think, there is zero correlation between our bodies and anyone else’s business. You have the right to choose, to walk home without fear, to wear whatever the hell you want without groping and cat-calling. You have the right to love yourself without being labeled as conceited, you have the right to have insecurities without being labeled as attention-seeking, and you have the right to not be labeled at all for anything you do. Support your sisters. Stand up for them. Don’t tear someone else down because you think that will build you up – it won’t. Tearing someone else down only works in favour of all those trying to keep us down. We are strong, intelligent, resilient, and unstoppable. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Fight for what you believe in and most importantly, never ever give up.” –24, feminist, animal lover, political junkie

“No matter what you’re going through, however big or small, the mountains that you must climb, you can overcome them. There will be times in your life where you are at your wits end and you cannot take anymore, but you have to muster every ounce of courage inside that heart of yours and make it through ‘til tomorrow. And always remember to love completely, forgive entirely, and live graciously.” –26, Cancer Survivor, Fitness Enthusiast, Hopeless Romantic

“Know your worth and don’t ever settle for less” –23, Mother, Lover, Survivor

“It is from the generations of women before us, our grandmothers, our mothers, strong women in their own right. I believe they have instilled in us through their love and understanding to always be strong and true to yourself.” –63, Happy, Confident, Loved

“Believe in yourself as you believe in others. Encourage yourself to be kind, genuine and caring to others and yourself, as you truly matter” –21, Friend, Student, Leader

“Women, be nice to one another. The world is hard enough on us as it is and we don’t need the added hatred from our sisters.” –30, Mother, Education Assistant, Nature Lover

“Everything in life is exactly as it should be, teaching us about ourselves. What we like, don’t like. NEED. Want. When you get knocked down IT’S OKAY as long as you find the lessons in your misfortune. Ultimately, this will lead you to become a wiser, stronger, happier individual.” –25, mother, widow, student

“We weren’t put on this earth to please anyone. It’s about being true to ourselves, loving ourselves, and never, ever apologizing because of it.” –24, Daughter, Fighter, LGBTQ

“Always believe in yourself while treating others with honesty and respect.” –68, grandmother, businesswoman

“Be proud of who you are. Don’t ever feel like you have to change yourself to fit in. You’re beautiful and strong, and you can achieve anything your heart desires.” –22, Student, Humanitarian, Musician

“Create a purpose, nothing will ever come in between you and your passion keep that mindset and it will become a reality.” –26, Teacher, Makeup Artist, Dog Mom

You are strong, intelligent, powerful, brave, resilient; You are a woman. It has taken me almost twenty-one years to learn my own self-worth and if I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to always love yourself first. Although life can be very overwhelming and it may feel as if everyone is against you and the world feels like it’s caving in, you will overcome your struggles and turn all that pain into power. It’s okay have bad days, it’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to cry and it’s okay to let yourself fall. But always remember to pick yourself back up and never stop trying because you are unstoppable. Be your own superhero, your own knight in shining armour, and your own best friend. Be proud of who you are and all the things you’ve accomplished in your life thus far. You are doing better than you think you are. Don’t be scared to reach out and ask for help. Us women are a powerful tribe of sisters who need to stick together and build each other up. We get enough shit from the world around us and it’s up to us as a tribe to support and love one another. We are all here to lend a hand and to give each other the support that we all need at times. You do not need anyone to validate your self-worth. R.H. Sin wrote “in you lives a love that most people won’t be able to comprehend” and this is something that you should never forget. Never let yourself settle for less than you deserve. Stop apologizing for letting go of the negative people in your life. If they aren’t there to love, support and bring out your best self, let them go. Never feel guilty for putting yourself first. Don’t mistake salt for sugar. Those who truly want to see a better you will never stop trying to show you what you’re worth. Self-love is NOT selfish. Always be your own biggest fan because at the end of the day, you will always be the most important person in your life. The woman you are becoming will cost you relationships, people, and even material things. Choose her over everything. You owe it to yourself to give yourself the love you deserve.” –20, Aunt, Friend, Survivor

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