My choice of photograph to compliment this blog post may appear strange to some but to me it epitomises the message. It’s not as important what we show on the outside as what we are on the inside.
For most of my life I have chosen to take the rugged, less travelled path which has, as expected, been more challenging but infinitely more rewarding. The journey has led me to live the best life I could within the parameters I have had available. Having had few female mentors in my life, I modelled myself after the strongest women I knew of – Cowgirls.
When I get asked what it means to be cowgirl, I think of my mentors and words like – gutsy, tough, hardworking and honest. I think about how they had to buck societal norms to be cowgirls. Most of them were unlettered women full of wisdom beyond their years who lived by an unwritten creed passed down from mother to daughter which helped them tame the West and rope a kick- ass life.
And so I tell those who ask the question, that all women have a ‘cowgirl spirit’ bucking to get out. You are just likely to see what it means to be cowgirl in a boardroom, at a doctor’s rooms, in the kitchen as on a ranch working horses. Cowgirls can be your next door neighbour, a classroom teacher, a banker or your grandmother because women share a longing for the spirit of freedom and independence but we each manifest it differently in our work and play.
When someone says, “I don’t ride horses or live on a ranch,” I say, that’s ok – but you can still carry the cowgirl mentality within you that will teach you to hang on and not let go. Being cowgirl is not about owning horses, living on a ranch or riding off into the sunset with Roy.
A cowgirl spirit personifies her beliefs and the way she lives her life. She looks at things with a broader perspective, looking for the positive, the opportunities and an unwavering belief in her abilities with affirmation that everything is possible. Cowgirls became a powerful feminine symbol not because they weren’t scared, but because they live strong and determined, despite their fears. So, listen to your heart, blaze a path and rely on your inner strength to rope your dreams.
Having created curious enthusiasm, the next question I am asked is invariably, “How can I become cowgirl?” I say, “Put on that cowgirl hat and look ahead. Put on your boots and walk like you have a purpose – because being cowgirl is about what you have on the inside.”
I have learned that bad things happen to everyone. That when we cannot change the situation we find ourselves in, the only solution is to change our attitude. That it’s no point getting caught up in the semantics. And that, despite all the difficult, dreadful times we endure, with ‘faith and conviction’ the human spirit always endeavours to rise above sorrow, to regenerate, to grow and expand; to learn to dance again, and even to fly, and that if we live expansively with great gusto, we will die as we have lived.