Who Defines You?
Written by Teena Travis
Who defines what it means to be beautiful and strong? I often believe that there is this unrealistic formula for what constitutes the perfect woman. She has to have a tiny waist, be physically strong, she has to be in the perfect relationship, have a booming career, perfectly behaved children, impeccable makeup, and the list just goes on. There is also an intense amount of social pressure, both real and perceived, on women to live up to those unrealistic expectations. I can tell you that I do not live up to any of those standards, and I fundamentally believe that I am a serious badass that can achieve absolutely anything I put my mind to, and how I look in the process is nothing more than a reflection of my dedication.
I have the pleasure everyday of working with, and speaking to some amazing women from all different walks of life, and while there are many things that make us different and individual there is one thing that brings us all together, the desire to be our best selves. We all fundamentally believe that there is absolutely nothing that compares to the feeling of being extremely intimidated by something, staring it down, and doing it anyway. The ability to commit to something that terrifies us, to look into the face of adversity and say, “Today I win, and you do not get to decide for me,” is for us, the most empowering feeling in the world.
Invictus has redefined what it means to be beautiful. There is no one size fits all expectation for beauty or strength. Our coaches look beyond gender and instead see the potential of an individual. Our members support each other. And us ladies wear our bruises and barbell scrapes like the little badges of honor that they are. To quote one of our members and an amazing woman who inspires me daily, “My body is mine, and I own it.”
So who defines beauty and strength?
I do.
As a woman and as an individual – you do too!