Attraction Mind Map

Darks Adria on Flickr

I was late in getting to know about submitting an article in response to Steve Pavlina’s post to write our thoughts on How to be a Woman. Nevertheless, I was thrilled that Hunter Nuttall, a friend of mine, got his post picked as a winning entry. Still, the feeling of wanting to write something on this topic kept bugging me.

It was with great reluctance that I agreed to watch the movie Iron Man with my husband on Saturday. I had lots to do and watching a movie of a character that came out of a comic book, was the last thing on my mind. Nevertheless, a promise is a promise. At the end of the movie, I was glad I did watch it. It was pretty entertaining. Best of all, I walked away, feeling inspired to write this article.

I just could not help but feel impressed by Iron Man. Hey, women can have a lot of qualities that this awesome character has too, I thought. An Iron Woman will be one who personifies courage, daring to dream, strength, confidence, and in touch with herself.

Most certainly, my version of Iron Woman will not be like the one featured in the 1993 sequel to the popular Ted Hughes novel The Iron Man. In that sequel, Iron Woman was the baddie; she was living in a marsh to begin with. “Geez…Why do we have to be depicted as the slimy ones?”

Look at Iron Man…appearing Extra Smart in his red and gold suit….

Sgt Spanky on Flickr

So, inspired by the superhero worshipped this summer by all movie goers and itching to write a take on my female role, here is my spill on How to be Iron Woman:

An Outer Shell of Invincibility. An Iron Woman is a courageous woman. She dares to fight for her beliefs. She dares to be different, because she is what she is. Even in the face of criticisms (akin to the tons of bullets aiming to pierce her metal shield), she stands tall and does not falter.

I know…….I know.

The standards just described may seem high to you, especially if the following situations are true for you:

- A tendency to crumble easily in the face of snide remarks and negative comments by your friends;

- Denial of your inner wisdom because of your fear of being shot down;

- A preference to conform to society’s expectations because you fear walking the untrodden path;

- Fear of following your own dreams because that will mean giving up security and the known.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)

It is important to be true to yourself. When you are true to yourself, you are not dressed in a layer of lies, deceit and shame. Instead, you are clothed in authenticity, clarity and truth. This is you suit of Invincibility! You have strong convictions and follow what you believe in. Made of strength and durability, your true character eventually wins the respect of others hands-down!

An Inner Heart of Gold. In the movie, despite having a tough front, Iron Man revealed himself to have a heart. In the same manner, an Iron Woman has a loving heart too, both for herself and others.

Unfortunately, many women are no Iron Women. They suffer from low self esteem. They are wanting of self love. But instead of having the love within, they look for the void to be fulfilled by their partners. Yet this belief is erroneous, since happiness that is externally driven can never be complete.

If you are like one of these women, then you know how miserable it feels to be dependent on others for your happiness. Additionally, it is difficult to love others completely what you do not feel for yourself. Your love is unforgiving and conditional. The truth of the matter is that you can’t save the world if you do not love yourself.

Hence, first principle to being an Iron Woman: Love Yourself! I’m not talking about the ego-centric kind of love, but a love that is accepting your authentic Self. Consult Eckhart Tolle, author to A New Earth, if you have to know what this distinction is. Be in touch with who you really are. Only when you can do this, can you truly love others.

As a female, you have a great capacity to love others. It is in your natural feminine instincts to care.

“The difference between men and women is that, if given the choice between saving the life of an infant or catching a fly ball, a woman will automatically choose to save the infant, without even considering if there’s a man on base.”

Dave Barry quotes (American Writer and Humorist best known for his weekly newspaper column. b.1947)

Read the above quotation? True?

Courage to Fly. Many women in the world are taught to stifle their dreams from young. We are told that our purpose is to attract the man who will provide for us. As females, we are the official childbearers. So why waste time on becoming too highly educated or to follow our dreams when our duty is to make a better housewife or mother?

In our jobs, we are generally paid lower and yet in many cases, put in as much hard work as the men. Statistics also show that women tend to occupy fewer managerial and executive positions than men. Really, when you look around, how many of your female friends occupy top positions in their careers as compared to the males? Is it because we have never been encouraged to have higher ambitions or strive for higher goals?

As an Iron Womn, it is important to know that you are no less than a man. You too can have dreams. You, too, can learn how to fly. Flying should never be based on gender. Or that it will be impossible to, because of your heavy metal suit. (just look at Iron Man, he was able to fly to great heights, despite putting on his armor).

Have the courage to soar for your dreams. As a woman, you are blessed with your feminine gifts and abilities. Use them to Conquer The World.

“Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”
Langston Hughes quotes (American Writer, Poet and Essayist, 1902-1967)

In Touch With Her Femininity. Although she is known to be of the weaker sex, an Iron Woman is not measured by her physical strength but by her dexterity. She is far more capable than she realizes sometimes. She can choose to be nurturing in her role as a mother, yet exacting in her role as a boss.

An Iron Woman is comfortable in her own skin and knows what she desires. She makes her choices consciously and decisively. In touch with her own femininity, she is ALL WOMAN.

Creative In Intelligence . With scraps that he could gather from existing weapons, Iron Man invented an armor suit, one that would be most useful for the hostage situation that he was in. Don’t you think he was really creative in coming up with a solution in a short space of time and even while he was under pressure? He turned his moment of adversity into one of triumph.

An Iron Woman is equally creative, if not more. I am not just talking about art or painting pursuits. Many women are very able to to improvise to situations, and creative in problem solving of day-to-day activities. They have to. They hold multiple roles as a female, mother, career woman, sister, boss, subordinate, wife, friend and daughter. Nature dictates that they have an abundance of resources at their disposal.

Empowered With A Purpose. To be sure, Iron Man had passion in creating new technology. But his passion was initially mis-placed. In the movie, it was only when he realised that he could use his skills to better serve mankind that he truly become his Own.

To begin with, you do not have to have a BIG purpose to feel fulfilled. The purpose that you seek and have should have total meaning in relation to yourself. It should be one that keeps you going, in spite of all difficulties.

Still, there is no denying that it is more empowering to have a purpose to serve humanity. You are motivated by your desire to touch the lives of others. Everyday is a wonderful opportunity for you to work towards this purpose. You wake up, all ready to go, knowing that your day’s contribution can add more value to the world.

Iron Attracts Iron

An Iron Woman is an awesome woman, not to be trifled with. She is clear in what she wants and makes decisive decisions. Because she understands the importance of self love, she spends time in nurturing her inner Soul. Her feminine instincts put her in a good position to care and therefore, serve others. She has the courage to strive for her dreams and is emboldened by a vision so great that she is an inspiration to the many daughters of the world.

Because of her positiveness, an Iron Woman resonates at a higher vibrational frequency. In her metal suit, she magnetizes and attracts all there is in alignment to her energy - Just Not the Household Iron, though!

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