It sounds entirely contradictory to the premise of this blog, doesn't it? I mean, essentially it is. So let's take a walk through my brain for a second, as treacherous as that may be. [A story in four parts.]

I am white. I am guilty of being blind to my privilege, blind to the broken system, blind to the true plight of my non-white friends.

For that, I am deeply sorry.

Pre-emptive TL; DR? Your calling isn't a job, a title, or a role; it's a character trait or a skill. -- Let me explain.

A great playlist is your highest priority, second only to the actual workout you’re planning to complete. I know everyone has their own taste in workout music but I’d like to share my most recent workout playlist with you.

No one gives you permission to live your life; you relinquish control to others which gives them permission to manipulate you. Take back the reins and own your actions, thoughts, and feelings. You are 'allowed' to be you.

I've been struggling with knowing who I am. I know that sounds strange; it feels even more disconcerting to be a thirty-two year old woman asking herself if she actually likes her favorite food or not.

I fall into the last of those three categories: isolating as much as I can for the sake of us all moving past this as quickly as possible. And frankly, it's so strange and somewhat comforting to know that a huge portion of the world's population is suddenly in the same boat I've been in for months.

I've never felt so validated and justified in my life. As girls we're taught so many things on a subconscious level and the more I start seeing them and pointing them out to the people around me, I'm constantly shut down and told I'm being dramatic. Not only does Laura Bates see where I'm silenced, she calls it all out on a bullhorn and I'm ecstatic.

I always loved writing. I was ripping up paper and folding it into notebooks before I even knew how to shape letters with my crayons. It wasn't until I was ten though, that I started writing in a way that made me realize how much I loved putting words on a page.

It's always been interesting to me that "girl power" songs in the past were less about independent, female strength and more about finding strength after a breakup. For a long time the genre subconsciously defined a woman's independence and strength via the influence of a man.