Dear Best Friends: This Woman’s Roar is Louder With You
That phrase – “Dear best friends, I am woman, hear me roar… too” – lands differently than the iconic anthem. It’s not a solitary declaration of power echoing into the void. It’s a direct address. It’s a recognition that the journey to finding and unleashing your voice, your authentic roar, is profoundly intertwined with the women who stand beside you. It speaks to the unique, amplifying power of female friendship in a world that hasn’t always made it easy for women to be heard, especially by each other.
For generations, societal structures subtly (and sometimes overtly) pitted women against each other. Competition for limited opportunities, validation, or male attention fostered environments where suspicion and undermining could flourish. The idea that another woman’s success diminished your own became a toxic undercurrent. Finding your voice – truly owning your power, your opinions, your ambitions – felt risky. Would other women see it as a threat? Would they pull you down instead of lifting you up?
The Radical Shift: Friendship as Fortification
The profound beauty of genuine female friendship lies in its potential to dismantle this old script. It becomes a sanctuary where the tentative whisper, “This is what I want… This is who I am…” isn’t met with skepticism, but with fierce encouragement. “Yes! Do it! Say it! You should want that!”
Your Mirror & Megaphone: Your best friends see you, often more clearly than you see yourself. They reflect your strengths back to you when self-doubt creeps in (“You are amazing at negotiating, remember that project?”). They act as megaphones when your voice falters, amplifying your convictions (“Tell him exactly what you just told me – it’s brilliant and fair”).
The Safe Space for Unfiltered Roars: Life throws curveballs – professional setbacks, relationship woes, societal pressures. With your best friends, you don’t have to soften the edges of your frustration, anger, or grief. You can unleash the raw, unfiltered roar. They hold space for the messy, the loud, the unapologetically angry version of you without judgment, offering tissues, wine, and unwavering solidarity. This catharsis isn’t weakness; it’s cleansing, restoring the strength needed to face the world again.
Coaching Through the Cracks: Finding your voice isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing negotiation. How do you assert yourself in that crucial meeting? How do you set boundaries with a demanding relative? Your best friends are your personal coaching squad. They brainstorm strategies (“Try phrasing it like this…”), role-play difficult conversations, and celebrate every small victory in your journey towards self-advocacy. They help you refine your roar into an effective instrument.
Challenging the Inner Critic (Together): Often, the loudest voice silencing us is our own. Imposter syndrome whispers, “You don’t belong here.” Perfectionism screams, “It’s not good enough yet!” Your best friends know your inner critic intimately. They’re the ones who counter it: “Stop that! Remember when you aced X?” or “Done is better than perfect, hit send!” Their belief becomes a shield against your own self-sabotage.
Celebrating Roars Big & Small: True friends don’t just commiserate; they celebrate. They understand that every time you speak up for yourself, negotiate a raise, leave a toxic situation, or simply express an unpopular opinion, it’s a victory. They’re the first to cheer, “YES! HEARD YOU ROAR!”, reinforcing the power and validity of your voice. This shared joy amplifies the significance of your personal wins.
Navigating the Nuances: It’s Not Always Simple
This powerful dynamic isn’t automatic or effortless. Even the strongest friendships require conscious nurturing:
Active Listening is the Foundation: Amplifying each other starts with truly hearing each other. Put down the phone, make eye contact, listen to understand, not just to respond. Validate feelings even if you don’t fully agree with the perspective.
Generosity of Spirit: Root for your friends as hard as you root for yourself. Their success doesn’t diminish yours; it illuminates the path. Celebrate their roar with genuine enthusiasm.
Honesty Wrapped in Love: True support sometimes means offering gentle, loving challenges. If you see a friend shrinking from her power or making a choice out of fear rather than desire, a caring, “Are you sure this is what you really want?” can be a powerful act of friendship.
Diversity Strengthens the Chorus: Our “roar” – our expression of power and identity – is shaped by our unique experiences, backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, and abilities. Embrace the diverse roars within your circle. Listen to understand experiences different from your own. Solidarity means advocating for all women’s voices to be heard, recognizing that some face systemic barriers requiring extra amplification and support.
The Amplified Roar: Why It Matters More Than Ever
When women genuinely support and amplify each other, the impact ripples far beyond the individual friendship:
1. Breaking Generational Chains: We model for younger women what supportive female relationships look like, showing them they don’t have to compete but can collaborate and lift each other up.
2. Creating Collective Power: A single voice can be ignored. A chorus of voices, amplified by mutual support, is undeniable. This is how movements gain traction, workplaces become more equitable, and policies change.
3. Redefining Strength: It demonstrates that strength isn’t solitary stoicism. Strength is vulnerability shared, support given and received, and finding power through connection.
Dear Best Friends…
So, to the women who get the late-night calls, who hold your hand through the tears, who cheer the loudest at your triumphs, who challenge you to be bolder, and who remind you of your own brilliance when you forget: Thank you.
You are the bedrock upon which so many roars are built. You are the amplifiers turning a solo cry into a powerful chorus. You create the spaces where “I am woman, hear me roar” transforms into the infinitely more powerful declaration: “We are women, hear us roar.” Because when we stand together, truly supporting each other’s voices and power, our collective roar becomes unstoppable, reshaping not just our own lives, but the world around us. Keep listening. Keep amplifying. Keep roaring – together.
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