Hello and welcome to a ‘Piece of Peace,’ your weekly dose of motivation and inspiration.

This week, I would like to share on the topic “Self Value”.

My mum once tried to explain the concept of Ghanaian proverbs to me by highlighting loads of random examples about different sayings her parents taught her as a child.

From our session that day, I could tell this was some sort of sacred moment for her because of the level of importance and emphasis she placed on me paying attention. Despite being 15 years old and completely bored, I knew better than to do anything but take a pen and paper and attentively write down every pearl of wisdom my dear mum shared.

She began with one proverb, which I found very confusing. “A woman is like a blanket: if you cover yourself with it, it bothers you; if you throw it aside you feel the cold.”

I asked her what the proverb meant and my mum explained that when I am much older, it will make more sense to me, but for today all I need to keep in my head was that, as a woman, I need to have a great deal of self-respect and value because if I don’t, there is no one who will. For some reason that proverb stayed with me over the years.

This week I had a meeting with a client and during the course of the meeting, the conversation of women came up. He made an interesting statement.

He said he found it strange that when most women came into his office to pitch for sponsorships, they automatically become extremely flirtatious and sexual believing that was the only way he was going to grant their sponsorship request. He found that very disappointing because it showed a lack of value in who they are.

I retorted by citing several examples where men consistently move the conversation from business to personal in 5 minutes and several examples that my friends have recounted to me and as I was in full swing of my rant, I suddenly stopped. It occurred to me that no matter what the opposite sex does, as women, we still need to stay true to our self-value.

In an extremely patriarchal society, it can be difficult to stay true to your morals. Sometimes there are certain compromises you need to make as a woman to secure that deal or to get that new opportunity.

In the world of business, it is true, different rules apply. But as women, it is important to stay true to what makes you unique and that is not conforming to what others may expect from you.

Your sexuality should never be used as a bargaining chip to close a deal. If all you have to offer is what is in between your legs, then do not be surprised if that is what men consistently ask from you.

You are a Queen and as queens there is a certain standard that we must continually and consistently operate by.

Do not let the challenges of everyday life push you into taking short cuts that lead to short term rewards. You are much more than your sexuality.

You hold enough power to transform an entire nation and future generations. Don’t dim your light by conforming to sub-standard rules created by others who did not value who they are. And no matter what you do, always remember to be yourself, because everyone else is taken.
Much Love,
Peace Hyde.