There is a definite feeling being a woman right now. Independence, power, boldness, opportunity, freedom, options, rocking gray hair right this minute at forty. I understand that International Women’s Day is about social, economic and political achievements of women but I feel celebrating your unique beauty and confidence is just as important. Self-love is significant and shouldn’t be overlooked. I never considered myself a feminist, but I have always had a bold personality with little filter. Being raised by a Greek father (need I say more) my defiance for control started at a very young age. I have a strong sense of independence maybe being an only child promoted this independence, at eighteen, I was on a plane headed for Europe to further my modeling career and determined to succeed.
Starting my own company in 2006 with less than the ideal savings to start a business, I was always pushing for more, expecting more and wanting more. Celebrating my ten years in business this year I was unapologetic about my decision to go gray at the age of forty and to reinvent my beauty. I wanted to empower women. What does that mean precisely “Empower?” It says to me that you do it first and share your experience, you encourage women to take the fear out and crush it. You blaze the unchartered dye-less hair strains and show other women that they can do it too. You lift women up and celebrate them. Until I broke out on the social media scene with my gray hair journey I didn’t think about the impact gray hair would have on others. The negative comments from women, the looks of disapproval or shock was a surprise to me. How could a hair color provoke such reaction? Its amazing to me that women will write negative comments on a daily basis on my YouTube channel voicing their disapproval of gray hair, aging and shaming another woman in a time when women empowerment, women supporting women is so relevant.
I am not interested in concentrating on the negative, giving life to this dated thinking and comments anymore. My mission is about lifting women up and helping them Own Their Beauty no matter what the reaction.
There is a rebirth within yourself when you allow. Allow your beauty to be what its meant to be to defy all beauty limitations and do YOU. I felt a rebirth, reinvention if you will when I stopped fighting. Fighting to force my body to get pregnant despite seven babies transferred through seven IVF procedures. Quit fighting the white roots with my black hair, stopped fighting against the flow of my life. The beauty, freedom, and acceptance started when I decided to let go.
“It’s not easy to let go, but until you do, you will always stay stuck.”
Women face incredible pressure to get married young, get pregnant at the right age, have the perfect career. Women are demanding more from societies limited thinking and beauty rules. Now more than ever women are feeling liberated with their age. Women are allowing wrinkles to be part of who they are, honoring gray hair as a power move, not an age-related stigma. Living authentic and accepting themselves.
Photo Credit: Rick Gomez Photography
On a day like today make it a point to give another woman a compliment, a smile, a positive comment on her social media feed. Together we lift women up; united through our unique beauty and acceptance.
Look in the mirror today and tell yourself, You are worth it! Tell yourself You are beautiful, Tell yourself You are Fierce and believe it.
