A man's world.

It took 23 years for me to realise I'm a social construction of a man's world.

Although, I once loved me, that love was lost as a young girl.

I grew up watching Disney, manipulated to believe I need to find my prince.

So I've been searching for my happily ever after, ever since.

As if I needed to be saved by a strong man to be complete,

But I'm a woman and we have the strength with which no man can ever compete.

The same hidden messages were in my bed time story books,

Deluded into believing that my self-worth was dependent on my looks.

When I loved the one that could never love me back

I became envious of others and made a list of "everything I lack".

It came down to an hour glass figure with a slim waist,

A submissive personality, luscious hair and a pretty face

I thought the conscious were just hating on the industry

Until it's underlying patriarchy really affected me.

I'm God's highest form of creation

And they're telling me that I need a man's appreciation?

Find me a man that could carry a baby inside him for 9 months

Or that could bear the burden of the world and still love the way a woman does

My father told me to study and get an education

But I'd come home from school and switch on the television, and now I see it in the next generation

Our daughters are being led to believe they are inferior to men

Our roles might be different but that doesn't mean we ain't equal to them.

So don't conform to the norms that allow needy women to form

My sisters, you were destined for amazing things, the very day you were born.

I will love myself.

I'm going to make falling in love a priority
But not with a man that'll make me insecure
I'm going fall in love with myself
Before I fall in love with the world.

I'm going to value my own voice
I promise to trust my own decision
"I don't think you've made the right choice"
I'll learn to not be swayed by criticism

I refuse to let your disloyalty define me
When things went wrong, I wondered what I lacked
"It's because I'm not pretty or skinny"
And its within this insecurity, that I was trapped.

I don't know why or since when
My self worth became dependent on your acceptance
Every time I was betrayed or rejected
I believed it was down to my incompetence.

I forgot about my own attributes and potential
I wanted to be someone else so desperately
An evil was embedding in my heart
That evil was known as envy.

Other people's lives appeared to be so perfect
And they had everything I didn't
I didn't think I was being ungrateful
I was a product of my worldly experience.

Now, I know it won't be easy and it'll take some time
But no one says that love grows over night
So I'm going to learn to love me truly
I'll love my imperfections and i'll do it right

So if you don't love me, that's okay
Because I will love myself
Starting from today.