High Heels and the Chase for Freedom

Think for a moment about wearing three-inch pumps and then running around for work errands and stuff. Yep, it’s that type of day. After a long commute, finally, you get home. You open the refrigerator door and have a sip of your favorite beverage. You make a beeline for the couch. Relax your back to rest. You stretch your hands upward and sideways to get those knots out. Then you slowly and satisfyingly removed your precious feet from those sky-high shoes that repressed you the whole day. Isn’t that liberating?

That is the feeling of being free.

Freedom of the inner self is something that women of today’s generation value. It is important especially to females who either find it difficult to look at themselves in the mirror because of all their insecurities or are overwhelmed by how big and complicated the world is and wrongly look at themselves as smaller, less significant beings. And it’s definitely more liberating than removing a pair of shoes after a long and tiring day.

Maybe this is why we love wearing high heels, to begin with: to muster any ounce of courage that we can. Feel taller, and symbolically, ready to take on an equally tall task. However, this is an outward manifestation of an inward longing or desire to be free. Or freer than what is allowed by today’s society.

Freedom and Self Worth

It is essential for us women to have or hone the ability to have a deeper sense of self-worth. To appreciate our thoughts, ideas, uniqueness, and beauty in order to gain confidence in being the women we want to be in a world full of discouragements and impediments. There are tons of external factors that can discourage us and force us to be different from who we really are. In the process, we strip away all our good qualities just to conform to pressure and our environment. However, knowing how to get the strength from within can give a woman freedom from all these negativism in life.

It is essential for us women to have or hone the ability to have a deeper sense of self-worth.

For centuries, women have always been plagued by barriers to freedom. From the women’s rights movement in the 19th century to the advocacy of women’s empowerment in the 21st century, the call for the expression and authenticity of women prove to have a tremendous impact worthy of the world’s attention in the areas of what were considered to be mainly dominated by men. This is why recent efforts such as the Time’s Up and Me Too movements are crucial in fending off sexual harassment and its ugly fangs.

We are yet to hear the stories of countless women who have overcome an array of challenges that life has brought on. Depression, disability and just downright oppression and discrimination. And yet they have lived out their passion and striven towards a life of fulfillment and success. The existence of freedom is to do what you are passionate about. It’s like waking up in the morning knowing that what you do is purposeful and can contribute for the greater good. And the best part is, you feel good about yourself.

The Tough but Necessary Side of Freedom

But with freedom comes responsibility. A woman who sees freedom as a concept that she can do whatever she likes without considering the consequences is oblivious to its true meaning. We insist on being free without the willingness to bear the responsibility, and this can lead to our destruction. We become greedy, self-centered, and overly materialistic. Things that create the very bondage that we want to be free from, to begin with.

Having realized this freedom creates a higher sense of purpose for us women who have been used to being second fiddle to the male species. What’s good about this though is that women have become more compatible with the evolution of her role as a result of enjoying more freedom.

Put Those Heels On and Let’s Head On Out

So while the entire country is joyously celebrating the fourth of July and the freedom we know and have come to love and cherish, we ladies have our own fair share of battles to fight. To fight for the freedom of our inner self. To be who we dare to be, not what the world dictates. From this day forth, don’t keep your head down just because of past mistakes. These won’t erase all the wonderful contributions and efforts that you have made. Having this regressive mindset can be a bondage for you and might restrain you from being a better person. A whole person. A complete woman. Instead, embrace your freedom to face the challenges ahead without any form of self-doubt. Let your inner self be free to move courageously and wisely. Only then will the true sense of freedom be realized from within.

Understanding the true meaning of freedom and acting accordingly to what is fair, true and good must be part of the pursuit of every high-achieving, freedom-loving woman.

Juanita Foster, Leadership and Team Development expert, Speaker, Consultant

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