Realizing Her Full Potential: The Most Empowering Thing a Woman Can Do

4 March 2021

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Written by: Ma. R. Fernando

Fighting for gender equality was only the tip of the iceberg in women's history, but women are no longer mum about serious issues in this day and age. In fact, we've come a long way. Case in point, the rise of feminists of all ages, all races, and all statuses. But the other fact remains—we have more work to do to remodel perceptions and ensure gender equality for future generations.

As we celebrate International Women's month, Lumina Homes asked three female bloggers about their take on women empowerment, and their insights were fascinating.

Check out what these ladies had to say:

1. Daryll Villena of DeiVille

Interview with Lumina Homes: Daryll Villena of Deiville

"Women, in reality, are strong-willed and can recover positively from a difficult condition."

Daryll Villena of DeiVille is the Chief Editor and creator of DeiVille, Foodamn Philippines, Public Toilet Philippines, and Storytelling Philippines. DeiVille started as a personal blog in 2010 focusing on Entrepreneurship, Creatives, and Community. She also tackles useful tips on digital branding, consumerism, parenting, health talk, women talk, Pinoy travels, and Manila lifestyle.

What do you love most about being a woman?

The stunning thing about being a woman is the way she carries herself with confidence, albeit the struggles and failures. Women have the tendency to digest a situation and come up with adequate solutions. Like-minded women know how to start and when to start a space beneficial for themselves, to create a channel to hear their voice and take in control. They were frequently stereotyped as emotional in certain ways, but through those experiences, they gather their strength and composure. Women, in reality, are strong-willed and can recover positively from a difficult condition.

Have you ever experienced discrimination or other inequalities because of your gender? What did you do about it?

Gender does not define your role as a woman. Prior to gender equality, women empowerment tackles the issue of imbalances of both social and economic aspects of life. It ensures equal access to opportunities, rights, and obligations for both men and women. When such a situation arises, I don't sulk in the corner nor create loud noises just to get noticed. Instead, I take it as a challenge and silently determine what are my other capabilities that could improve my well-being. I take into consideration my skill strength, efficiency, and professionalism. Show through result-oriented actions (performance and accomplishments) that I am capable of.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

Inspiration comes from the trusted people around me, those that demonstrate real-life motivation. Apart from that, keeping the mind and body active by staying focused and well-rounded also helps. Don't stop learning, as it is essential to keep our curiosity up and running. You can do skills enhancement, reading, doing creative stuff, and trying other interests apart from your normal pastime. Do something that is engaging and what makes you happy.

What was the most empowering thing you did in your life?

Being a working student taught me the value of hard work and perseverance, which led me to live independently. I became productive (with a dynamic trial and error process) and control of what is going on around me. The most empowering part of it is to live with the freedom of choice. I get to examine my ability to be responsive, make informed decisions, and direct one's own life.

Tips for women who are feeling down

When unproductive days hit you and anxiety attacks, don't beat yourself up. The thought of rational judgment by means of encouraging words can help uplift your spirit of confidence. You can try some of these technique to alleviate your lack of energy:

Meditate. It rewires brain circuits that boost both mind and body health.

Listen or dance to your fave music. It doesn't have to be soothing music; listen to your choice of music genre. Upbeat tunes or maybe rock music can liven up the mood. On the other hand, classical or instrumental notes relax the mind and are regarded as therapeutic.

Smile and Laugh. This may be a cliche, but laughter is really the best medicine. Laughing reduces tension and stress and lowers anxiety, all major factors that contribute to the blues.

Exercise.It doesn't have to be physically challenging; a walk in the park or simple stretching can do the trick. Do some heavy breathing. Exercise releases feel-good chemicals, thus giving your body to boost self-esteem, sleep quality, and energy, as well as reducing the risk of depression, stress, and other major illnesses.

Manifest and be grateful.Positive thinking helps in navigating our goals. Contentment is next to happiness. Being thankful and appreciative of what you have, makes life simple and happy to deal with.

Travel.Go to places you've never been—travel alone or with friends. The benefit of traveling to a new place forces you to become tolerant and think differently. Meeting new people makes you more open and appreciate their differences. Likewise, the adventure of traveling imparts memorable experiences.

Let go of hatred, anger, jealousy, and all sorts of negative vibes.Instead, focus on your inner self and find your purpose. The secret is to keep yourself active and enthusiastic.

2. Divine Tria of Hey It's Mizdee

Interview with Lumina Homes: Divine Tria of Hey Its Mizdee

"Accept your flaws and use it as your strength."

Divine Tria of Hey It's Mizdee is a Registered Nutritionist Dietitian by profession and a Lifestyle Blogger by passion. Her blog is her way to express the other side of herself through writing beauty tips, personal journeys, and some self-help articles.

What do you love most about being a woman?

I like the versatility we have as Women. We easily adapt in certain situation and be able to work fast, think fast for a solution even we have doubts or troubles.

Have you ever experienced discrimination or other inequalities because of your gender? What did you do about it?

Having such crowd, I personally don't have experiences of discrimination or gender inequalities. The only discrimination that I have is about my color and appearance. But I can easily brush them off whenever I receive ill-mannered acts from others just because I don't fit in their standards of beauty. This is because I accept my flaws, and I choose to use it as my strength now. I am who I am, and what others will say about me doesn't matter anymore.

What also helped me boost my self-esteem is being surrounded by empowered women in our family: my aunts and my mom.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

I look up to other women who can also give me inspiration whenever I feel down or demotivated. Some of the women I am following are Bianca Manalo and Ayn Bernos of Morena Label, who are both very proud of their skin color.

I also find time to relax by drinking a coffee cup while listening to my favorite song. Having time alone and being at my safe haven also help me to regain my strength, be inspired, and get ready for another round of battles in life.

What was the most empowering thing you did in your life?

It is when I started my journey in advocating for women's empowerment through my platform as a blogger and influencer. I always express my opinion to others, especially if there's a need to get involved whenever discrimination happened. And I also support other women to embrace everything about themselves and be on the lead to have gender equality.

Tips for women who are feeling down

We all have insecurities. Sometimes, we feel worse about ourselves, and we feel we can't do things because we are women. It's normal and totally okay to feel that way but, never let those things consume you. Accept your flaws and use it as your strength. Stay confidently beautiful and turn those "I can't" to "I can" because you are a woman, and being a woman means we are powerful enough to do things whatever we please.

3. Cielo Fernando of The Girl Behind The Pen

Interview with Lumina Homes: Cielo Fernando of The Girl Behind the Pen

"Imagine the things you'd miss if you let fear get in the way."

Cielo Fernando, a.k.a. The Girl Behind the Pen, is a writer and producer by profession who creates stories uncovering the happenings in the country and the lives of the Filipinos both here and abroad. And during her free time, she blogs mainly about fashion, travel, and women empowerment, in the hopes that she will inspire others through her words.

What do you love most about being a woman?

What I love most about being a woman is the way we surprise others with the "unexpected". We have a strong personality that some fail to see because of our "sweet, dainty, and cute" image, and to me, it's an advantage. Women are continuously challenged by so many things (and people, in some cases) but we strive hard to be seen and make our voices heard.

Have you ever experienced discrimination or other inequalities because of your gender? What did you do about it?

Thankfully, I haven't experienced discrimination yet. But if I'm placed in that situation, what I would do is to continue fighting for what I believe in and prove that every gender is equal.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

This is one of the worst feelings a writer can have. Because inspiration takes a huge part in the writing process. And when this feeling hits, it's really difficult to get back up, especially if you don't have anything to hold onto. So whenever I feel tired of the work I'm doing, or when I'm at my lowest, I take a rest. I catch some sleep or watch movies to spark my imagination. It doesn't hurt to hit the pause button every now and then because sometimes, it's all we need.

And if these don't work, all I do is just think of my goals; that I have to strive harder to get the things that I want. My goals keep me going.

What was the most empowering thing you did in your life?

The most empowering thing I did, and I'm still doing, is taking risks. I've mentioned this countless times in my blog because it has really shaped the person I am today. Taking a leap is one of the bravest things a woman, no, anyone can do. Risks are scary, yes. But you are so much stronger than you think you are.

Tips for women who are feeling down

Take a break. Get that much-needed vacation and don't feel guilty about it because you deserve it. Don't rush. Just take your time. And when the time comes that you lack motivation, just think of your goals and find ways to get there.

Do you want to audition for that dream role? Go for it. Do you want to be a vlogger? Start it. Do you want to tell stories? Write it. Don't let the fear of rejection eat you. Don't let people's opinions take you down. Forget about the negative people and surround yourself with empowering women who inspire you. Besides, whatever you do—good or bad—people will say something, so why not just do it? Believe in yourself. The secret here is believing in yourself and realizing your full potential. Imagine the things you'd miss if you let fear get in the way.

It might not be easy, but you'll find ways to make it work. You can, and you will.

Find affordable house and lot in Lumina Homes.

Celebrate International Women's Month by giving yourself the love you deserve. Achieve your dream house and lot for yourself or for your family without worrying about your budget. Lumina Homes offers affordable house and lot in different key locations across the country.

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