SquawkRadio

For my last full blog for Squawk Radio, I couldn’t decide whether I should make it one of farewell, or of reminiscing, or of business-as-usual, this-is-what-I’m-thinking-about-today. Finally, I decided to go with that last, with the hope that what I’m thinking about today will include the other sentiments, as well. Because what I’m thinking about today is: What Should a Woman Strive to Be in Contemporary Culture?

Answer? Laila Ali.

Yep, that’s who we should all aspire to be. Something else I learned watching “Dancing with the Stars” (see blog of March 27) is that Laila Ali is strong, smart, talented, beautiful and proud, and she is unapologetic about being all those things. She likes herself. She likes her life. She is close to her family and is very much in love. More important, she respects herself. Maybe it’s a cliché--R-E-S-P-E-C-T and all that--but it’s true. We women need to stop beating ourselves up for all the things we’re not and start being proud of all the things we are.

We are strong.  Emotionally, without question, thanks to putting up with all the crap we’ve had to put up with for generations.  And if we’re not working to make ourselves physically strong, too, we damned well should be. Strap on some one-pound wrist and ankle weights and put a Richard Simmons video on. I guarantee you’ll see some muscles, and you’ll feel better, too.

We are smart. Being women in a man’s world, we’ve had to learn to live by our wits. We should never, ever, stop learning new things. Take a language course or pick up a musical instrument you’ve never played. Read outside your comfort zone. Rent some documentaries. Become smarter still.

We are talented. Immensely so.  We have gifts both individual and universal that men can only dream about. We can multitask.  We can communicate. We can share. We can create. We can nurture life, not just from out bodies, but in our families and communities. Go forth and share your talents and gifts--and yourself--with others.

We are beautiful. No matter who we are or where we come from or what we look like, we have immeasurable beauty within us.  And when we reach inside ourselves to tap it, we absolutely glow. When we feel beautiful, we ARE beautiful.  We should feel beautiful everyday and never let anyone make us feel like we’re not. 

And we should be PROUD of being all those things. In-your-face, unapologetic proud, like Laila Ali. So that’s my final message piping out from Squawk Radio. Go be strong, everyone. Be smart. Be talented. Be beautiful.

Now tell me all the ways you guys are strong and smart and talented and beautiful. Brag and boast about who and what you are. What is it about yourself that you’re most proud of?