If I told my younger self that my life would look like what it looks like today, I would proudly look at myself and say “yah right”. In my mind, I would have imagined “success” as the typical goal…but I still remember that thought in my mind “I don’t want to live a boring life”. I saw too many adults slumping away in their dead end job and I knew I wanted something more.

One thing I would suggest to younger women is….

It is an absolute necessity that you find women you can feel safe with.

I am so strong on the inside because of the women in my life.

What does emotional safety look like?

When you are honest with your fears and vulnerability, the women in your life will choose to love and not judge.

I have lost many women friends because of their impatience and ego. Wisdom comes from discerning whether a moment is right to say what you think. Life is not about being right, it is about love. Love is not black and white, love is choosing to shut up when you see fear in someone, and learning to speak up when you know that’s what they really need. Love is wisdom.

Over the last few months, I have been hemmed in with amazing women. To be honest, I had lost so many friends that I closed my heart off to friendship. Losing a best female friend is worse than breaking up with a boyfriend, losing a best female friend feels like trust is lost forever.

When I walked through struggles in my life, I found myself surrounded by women who had gone through a lot more than I could have ever imagined walking through.

In front of me sat powerful women….not because of success in their careers, but because of their inner strength.

In front of me sat a dear friend who was homeless, who had gone through divorce…and a single mom of 2.

In front of me sat a heart disease surviver who was domestically abused by her very family, homeless at a young age for 5 years….yet somehow survived and continue to thrive.

In front of me sat a woman with beautiful dreams to start her own business, at the expense of being rejected by her friends and family.

These are some of the strongest women I know, not the CEO of big corporations or the billionaires…

These souls need to be celebrated and today I write about the women who gave me strength when I needed hope.

My mom is one of them. A single mom who immigrated to a new country, barely able to pay rent, yet here I am today, the best work any women can put out into this world. Perseverance, patience, strength. These are qualities we overlook but need to be celebrated.

You are beautiful and successful because of your spirit. Thank you for making me stronger everyday, thank you for giving me space to be me, to be free, to make mistakes and to love. To all the female friends that allow me to fail yet is always there to lift me up again.

Love, BEX