A Mantra Worth Believing
There are many women in the world that I aspire to be like. Margaret Atwood always stands out as an example: a successful novelist, poet, essayist; someone people look to for words on the state of the human condition. I want a career like hers.
Kat Abughazaleh has caught my attention recently. Unsurprisingly another writer (a journalist, no less), and her campaign for US House in Illinois has been nothing short of inspiring. She's educated, well-spoken, with strong convictions about doing what's right, and the kind of panache I've always envied.
Social comparison is not an exclusively female phenomenon; women and girls aren't the only ones who suffer from impossible beauty standards. Unhealthy comparisons come in all shapes and sizes just like our bodies do. When I see a woman I admire, it's difficult to stop at "wow, what a cool lady." The next thought is nearly always "how can I become just like that?" and it triggers a whole spiraling pattern of thought about the unlikelihood that I'll ever be the next her.
Having role models is healthy. Looking up to successful women, especially in the fields I want to find myself in, is natural. Comparing myself and wishing I were something other than what I am is counter-intuitive to everything I find myself wanting to be. I am me—my life is my own, and that's exactly how it should be. This is a mantra I hope to truly believe someday.