International Women’s Day
Behind the Style Her Strong Name
Thinking of the name Style Her Strong for my blog took longer than I’d like to admit. For weeks I had words scribbled across a piece of scrap paper that I would try to use to formulate the perfect blog name equation. I wanted there to be a clear meaning to the name I chose, but I wanted it to also be something powerful and meaningful for me. A daily reminder of how I want to live my life, and the example I want to be for my daughter.
From The Surface
It’s clear at this point that I love fashion. As a stylist for Stitch Fix, I style women on a daily basis. My goal is to make each woman I style feel empowered, beautiful and confident. I believe that by making them feel great on the outside, they spend less time worrying about their outer appearance and spend more time bettering the world around them.
As a personal trainer, I emphasize the importance of strengthening your body on a daily basis. Fitness has transformed my life. When you meet or even beat physical/sports oriented goals, you feel unstoppable. That motivation and self-love transfer over into all areas of one’s life. Feeling physically strong takes work ethic, effort, grit, and over time it shapes your character.
A Bit Deeper
When I became a mother, I wanted to make sure that I lived my life as an example for my daughter. I want to raise her to be a strong woman, and that begins with me. One of my favorite reminders is Proverbs 31:25-31. It says,
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
The verse that stops me in my tracks is verse 26. Do I always give instructions with kindness? Is everything that I say wise? Will my daughter look back on her childhood and say that her mother lived life in a way that honored these verses?
I want my daughter to be strong in so many ways:
- I want her to be strong in discernment.
- I want her to have a strong relationship with the Lord.
- I want her to stand up for her beliefs and be authentic.
- I want her to strongly pursue her passions in life.
- I want her to know that she can strongly stand alone and doesn’t need to be somebody’s to be a somebody.
- I want her to know that strength comes from within, and won’t waiver even if her outer appearance does.
- I want her to know what it is like to run really fast, to beat the boys, to be physically strong.
- I want her to motivate and empower others with her strength
Looking at that list is a constant reminder that every single one of these bullet points starts with me, and the example I set for her and the way I intentionally can help raise her to be a strong woman. She’s little right now, but as a mother it is my job to raise a strong and capable adult. Raising a strong woman is a legacy I want to leave for her and for the world.
I will close with the quote that has been flooding social media today:
“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
Happy International Women’s Day!
xoxo,
Kalyn
