I’m truly happy with the response part one of this list received. As I’m writing this, I am watching a documentary on JFK’s scandalous affairs, but my mind was solely on his wife, Jackie Kennedy. Many of the traits I’m listing, women have used for many years to over come seemingly irreparable life situations. Compassion, resilience and grace particularly help women who find themselves in the public eye and are faced with relentless adversity. Here are the remaining 5 of our Traits of a Modern Classic Woman list:
- Well Read
- Intelligent
- Confident
- Ambitious
- Independent
- Cultured
- Fit/Healthy
- Compassionate
- Spiritual
- Resilient
- Graceful
- Beautiful
We’ve gone through the first 6 (see previous Traits post), now let’s finish up! A Modern Classic Woman should be:
Fit/Healthy – the one thing many women neglect is taking care of their body. The one common denominator I’ve found in successful people is the time they take to ensure that their body is well taken care of. Successful people understand that they need a highly functioning stress free body. I recently listened to the “6 Musts to 6 Figures” webinar by Lifestyle Entrepreneur Peter Voogd and he also mentioned the importance of including fitness in your daily routine. It behooves me to mention, being fit or healthy does not equate to being thin. Let me say it again: you need to be thin to be healthy. The body shaming of women needs to stop and I mean on both ends of the spectrum. I am a thin/slender person and I (as well as others) do feel offended when women try to shame us for our physique, just as heavier people are offended when they are shamed for their physique. Instead, we should focus on being healthy regardless of our form as we are all inherently different and some people will always naturally be bigger or smaller than others. Having a healthy body gives you energy to complete your tasks and achieve your goals. An active lifestyle gives you the opportunity to live longer lives. Yoga, kickboxing or a quick jog in the morning along with a healthy diet can work wonders.
Compassionate – being a modern woman should not be equated to being harsh. We should have a desire to love, give and contribute positively to society. In a world that moves to keep us down at every turn, it may be difficult to keep compassion in your hearts, however a compassionate woman keeps the love flowing in society. Being supportive to other women is also a form of compassion. How many times have we heard that “women don’t support each other?” We are constantly attacking each other and spending more time tearing each other down instead of being understanding and compassionate towards each other. Support your sister, you don’t know what she’s going through.
Spiritual – women underestimate the power of spiritual strength. A spiritual woman is able to be confident in her life choices because she is able to attest to a higher faith that drives her. A spiritual woman keeps the family together. A spiritual woman can bring together nations if need be. Spirituality is NOT religion, but a higher source of comfort and an outlet to reflect according to your belief. As much as you exercise your body, you should exercise you mind and spiritual being.
“for me, the most effective way to de-stress is to pray. I like to set aside time where I’m able to be completely alone in order to have a quiet conversation with God. It sounds weird to some people, but I’ve been doing it since I was little, and I find that it helps me to express my thoughts and to find balance.” – Brooke Hil (Notebrooke.com) for The Stylish Sophisticate
Resilient – Resilient women get work through adversity and usually emerge even stronger than before. We can’t let everything beat us down and keep us down because although we can’t always anticipate obstacles, they will always come our way. Difficulties are part of the growing pains of life and how you deal with it lays the solid foundation of how you grow as a woman.
“Why do people say ‘grow some balls’? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.” – Betty White
Graceful – before the new millennium, women were generally seen as delicate creatures of grace and elegance. To be “feminine” meant one had to possess grace. With the rise of the women’s liberal movements and popularity of feminism, modern women were seen as more strong than graceful. In fact, many women went out of their way to not be seen as “delicate.” A modern classic woman does not have to choose to be one or the other; we can embody both traits as they help form a complete woman. Mannerisms, movements and speech is important in being a graceful woman because you can command a lot more respect from both men and women alike when you are able to master this trait. Who would land the next big business deal, the woman seen cursing, screaming and hollering in the streets with her friends or lover? Or the woman who takes someone aside to express displeasure, or texts or calls a friend on the phone if they see them in the street rather than screaming tactlessly in the middle of busy streets when they see the friend far away?
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” – Coco Chanel
Beautiful – Beauty is last on my list primarily because the variations of beauty standards make it impossible to really measure beauty despite the many attempts. Think about the age old cliché “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Every woman exudes their own type of beauty. It is up to her to accept it and allow society to accept it and her as well. For me, beauty is not the physical outward appearance but the energy you exude. Have you heard people say “she’s a beautiful person?” Often they are not referring to her physical state, but the aura this woman takes with her everywhere she goes.
“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.”– Audrey Hepburn
Dresses: jlehsiek
Photography: Champion Hamilton
I hope you enjoyed the list! Feel free to comment on some other traits you believe we modern women should possess to successfully move our way through this awesome life! xo
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