I speak so confidently about these things because I have been there and done that.

A Queen is an embodiment of grace and royalty. She lives a life of splendor and has the world at her feet. People fall over themselves to do her bidding and she is always a pleasure to behold.

The truth is, Queens don’t necessarily have to live in palaces, neither do they have to strut about with a royal diadem; even within the most ordinary woman, there is a Queen waiting to be unveiled- a woman who keeps her calm in the face of every storm, whose speech is always seasoned with grace, who builds her home with wisdom and raises her children with love. She is that woman who is determined to live a life of purpose regardless of what the odds are against her. She is the Queen I speak about.

Sadly, the stereotypes that society has laid down for women robs them of the opportunity to discover that within them lies a Queen yearning to be let out so the world can behold her glorious magnificence. It is usual to hear that a lady must be seen and not heard and therefore women are stifled, many dying with their songs within them thus denying the world the opportunity to regale itself with their soulful melodies.

Many  ‘would be’ amazons have ended up being depressed and disillusioned  while  women with potentials to reach the upper echelon of society  have ended up at the rock bottom  because they refused to rise above the bar of limitation placed by society. From time immemorial, women have constantly being placed on the back-burner, their needs for actualization and emancipation are seen as being over- ambitious. It is drummed into their heads right from childhood that ‘you are a girl, and your place is in the kitchen’, their destinies are concluded by men sitting in fat chairs; being waited upon hand and foot. For many women their lives are over even before it has begun- this is the sad story of our lives.

Were you abused as a child? Speak about it without shame. You’ll discover that while setting yourself free, you are also through your experience helping others to avoid the same pitfalls as well as encouraging others who are in the same shoes to become free. Are you currently facing one challenge or the other? Speak up and let others share your pain and help you rise above it. Remember, a problem shared is a problem half-solved and if you share with the right people, that problem may just become fully solved.

Today, I bring a message of hope to that dejected and despondent woman, to that victim of sexual, emotional and physical abuse, to that woman who has not been able to attain financial independence, to that woman who has been left all by herself to deal with her children, to that woman who hasn’t been able to conceive and have her own children, to that woman who has been marginalized in her work place, to that woman who feels her world crumbling around her –There is a Queen within you.

No matter how hopeless your situation might seem, no matter the weight of the burdens you bear, you need to know that you can find healing within yourself, you can find strength within yourself and you can find emancipation within yourself. The key to unlocking your storeroom of happiness lies within you; all you have to do is look inside your heart and you’ll see that a heroine lies in you.

Discovering that Queen within might seem like a fairy tale for some but it is actually real for all women and it starts by loving yourself, regardless of whatever your current condition is. According to the legendary song, ‘The Greatest Love of All’, – ‘learning to love yourself’ is the greatest love of all. Before you can be seen as a Queen by others; before you can receive their love, respect and admiration, you need to love, respect and admire yourself even more; you need to see yourself as a Queen who is never treated with disdain. The beauty within can only be revealed in a woman who has dealt with all her demons and is ready to take on the world. No matter what you’ve been through, no matter where you are now, it’s possible to pick all the broken pieces, put them together and create a beautiful picture; a timeless masterpiece.

It is said that iron sharpens iron; you need to keep company with women of purpose and vision and work towards becoming one. Steer clear of women who prefer to wallow in self-pity and bemoan their fates- they will eventually become cogs in the wheel of your progress. As a woman, you must discover what you love to do and do it regardless of all hindrances. Turn your obstacles into stepping-stones. Build steps out of the bricks that life throws at you; make lemonade out of your lemons.

Knowledge is power and its ability to liberate is second to none- study to show yourself approved. Improve yourself daily, let your confidence soar- call those things that are not in your life as if they were and gradually you’ll begin to love the life you are living more and more each day.

I speak so confidently about these things because I have been there and done that. I didn’t become who I am today just by wishing; I started with little steps that then became giant leaps and I say to you that you also can do it. I eagerly await your arrival into the company of Queens.

Florence Ajimobi is an Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, and is the Wife of the Governor of Oyo State, Nigeria.

Copyright AboveWhispers.com
Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.abovewhispers.com as the source.