WILD & WILLFUL: A COLLAB

PART 1

Thanks GingerZ

Growing up as girls, our generation was often told, “Stop being so wild. Don't be a tomboy. Be ladylike.” And without even knowing what that meant at such a young age, we learned to silence the parts of ourselves that were frowned upon, the parts that were too loud, too curious, too outspoken...

And so the taming began and we were told that we MUST be different.

I think for me, reclaiming our wildness means remembering the woman we were before we started shrinking ourselves to fit everyone else’s expectations.

I heard someone say that as women, we need to reclaim our wildness because we have become so domesticated and desensitized to our own needs, wearing a multitude of masks to fit into other people's definitions of womanhood, of femininity, that we have forgotten the very essence of our being.

Since women are complex creatures, this means something different for each one of us.

For me it's about finding my balance in the here and now... I don't see wildness as being reckless or losing myself. For me it's about being curious about being alive again. Laughing loudly. Dancing because I feel like it.

Saying what I really think with no filters.

Travelling, exploring, trying new things, and yes taking up space and not feeling guilty for wanting more from life.

It's about accepting we deserve more and finding ways to attain it....

It’s about trusting my gut, listening to that little voice inside and not constantly asking, “Is this okay?” Or looking for approval from others or even thinking, “Am I too much?”

Because yes,  I am too much...

We spend so much of our days being responsible — we're daughters, wives, mothers, teachers, caretakers, the strong ones, the ones who hold it all together.

I think sometimes somewhere somehow we forget that we are also allowed to live, to breathe, to let go...

So maybe reclaiming our wildness is saying: I’m still here. I still have dreams. I still want adventure. I still want to laugh, love, dance, explore and feel alive.