Phenomenal Woman

Last weekend, I attended a restorative yoga teacher training and was reminded just how essential rest is to the human experience. It’s so easy to get pulled into the pace of life.  To believe that everything will suffer if we pause, step back, or simply stop participating for a while.

Today, I’m taking a gentle pause from my own creative work to share a piece from another beautiful human, Maya Angelou. This poem was shared in my writing group this morning, and it felt like something worth passing along.

Alongside rest, I invite you to remember how extraordinary you already are.  And the quiet, powerful gifts you bring to the world simply by being who you are. Not who advertising or culture suggests you should be. The “ideal” woman is not something to strive toward. She is you. Exactly as you are. A whole, beautiful mix of strengths, edges, light, and imperfection.

So today… I hope you rest. And I hope you take a moment to notice what you love about yourself. It’s such a shame that we’ve been conditioned to focus on what’s wrong, when there is so much that is right in who we are and how we show up in our lives.

Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou 

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size  

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,  

The stride of my step,  

The curl of my lips.  

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,  

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,  

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.  

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.  

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,  

And the flash of my teeth,  

The swing in my waist,  

And the joy in my feet.  

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered  

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,  

They say they still can’t see.  

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,  

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.  

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.  

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,  

The bend of my hair,  

the palm of my hand,  

The need for my care.  

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Much love,

Lisa 

If you enjoyed this blog and believe someone else might enjoy it as well, please feel free to forward.  If this was forwarded to you and you would like to hear more, please sign up below to receive future emails. 

Lisa Hamil is a founding member and host for The SOS Collective, an online international women’s recovery and support group.  However, this blog and any classes or coaching offered by Lisa Hamil LLC are separate from and not affiliated in any way with The SOS Collective.