LIFESTYLE 6 years ago

A Letter to All Women

It’s so normal to feel pressure at any given age. It seems like with every stage of your life comes a new set of expectations (internally and externally). When I was in my 20’s, my parents asked me when I was going to get a boyfriend. After I got married, the question from them (and everyone else) quickly turned into “When are you going to have kids?” Then, not much longer after I had Chloe, the question evolved to: “when will you have your next kid?”

Beyond outside influences, I’ve found that so much of the pressure is actually self-inflicted. Whether you’re aware of it or not, there are a lot of unspoken rules that you’re expected to abide by through different stages of your life; especially as a woman.

With my birthday earlier this month, these ‘rules’ have really been weighing on me and what they mean to me which is why I’m so excited to be partnering up with SK-II in their #INeverExpire campaign. They created a moving short film about all the challenging societal norms and age-related stigmas and it really inspired me to change my outlook. I also enjoyed watching Chloe Bennet’s take on the short film over on Vanity Fair.

The idea is to no longer let society’s timeline put limitations on your life. To always be chasing an unrealistic expectation or ideal is exhausting. From when we should be finishing college, getting married, having children, being at a certain point in career, even down to when we should expect our first wrinkle and what to do about it- it seems like everything is a ticking time bomb set against us!

When I was pregnant with Chloe, I instantly began to worry that people would put me in this ‘mommy category’ and only view me as a mom and forget everything else I did leading up to my proud mommy moment but then I realized that these were pressures and expectations I put on myself. No one can make you feel inferior without you letting them. That sentence had never rung truer than at that moment to me. 


 

Who’s really to say that you should live according to someone else’s schedule? You’re in charge of your life and your timeline to do things. Go at your own pace and respect the journey that got you there.

We all try so hard to fit ourselves into some “metaphorical box” when in reality we can and should be defining our own destiny. I mean it’s our life to live, isn’t it? There’s a quote that says, “Never compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.” Everyone’s story is different- so embrace the journey you’re on and carve your own path.

So it’s time to change the narrative and start to live life on your own terms. Because #INeverExpire.

Credits:

Photography by Karla Ticas