The verb champion means to fight or speak publicly in support of (a person, belief, cause, etc.).

I’ve often wondered why there is so much comparing and competing among women. What is the reason behind the “competition”? Is it just the combination of jealousy and low of self-esteem – or is there more to it? Does the action of comparing stem from our early development as a child?

What I have come to realize – or should I say what has been reinforced, is the way we treat each other is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Feelings of inadequacy can cause defensive and critical responses and feelings toward individuals that possess the things we are coveting. So, it’s really not about the person on the receiving end of the negativity. It is actually about the individual demonstrating the negativity. Can we move from this? Why can’t we celebrate each other instead?

I recently read an article in the Huffington Post by Caroline Bologna that I found inspiring and encouraging. And the most enlightening aspect of the article is the fact that the inspiration comes from a 6-year old girl. The article promotes body positivity, self-love, and championing from the mind of a child. www.huffingtonpost.com

The little girl in this article easily exemplifies characteristics that some adults struggle to display. She has been taught to love herself as she is, and to find the beauty in others. I think these are attributes we should strive to emulate and teach. I see 6-year old Semra as a role model and a great example of a champion.

The idea of being a champion has been very visible and common in the workplace recently. Most projects in businesses do not get the funding and support needed to get them up and running without an identified champion. I hadn’t given much thought to the concept of being a champion of women until I heard a panel member of the Meredith Vieira Show mention it as I was passing by the television a few weeks ago. I think we, as women, are long overdue for being champions for one another.

Much like the champions we find in corporations, we can apply similar behaviors to daily life. Simply stated – we can provide emotional support and encouragement to one another as women.

If you have been following me, you know about my push for self-love and acceptance. I believe it is imperative that we love ourselves unconditionally. However, I believe we should also be champions for other women in conjunction with loving and accepting ourselves.

As women, we know how good it feels when we look in the mirror and like what we see, and a lot of us enjoy getting compliments about how we look. We walk tall in confidence knowing we look great. Why not give that gift to someone else? When you see a woman who looks good – tell her. Tell her she looks nice. Let her know you like her shoes or her eye shadow. Instead of eyeballing her and thinking you don’t want to give her the satisfaction of hearing she looks good from you. We don’t know what a person is thinking about or dealing with unless they tell us. Your kind words could be just what they need to boost their self-esteem. As my grandmother used to say, “it doesn’t cost you anything to be nice.”

While we are celebrating and identifying what we love about ourselves – we should remember to include the other women we encounter and celebrate them too. We should be teaching the importance of self-love and loving one another through example. There are people watching us whether we are aware of it or not. Let us be good examples for our daughters, sisters, nieces, pupils, and friends. Let’s be empowering!

Until the next time, be you and most importantly…love you

Being uniquely you is being uniquely beautiful.

B.B.