The Black Superwoman

"Even when I'm a mess I still put on a vest with an 'S' on my chest oh, yes. I'm a superwoman. Yes I am."

These are the beloved and powerful words of R & B sensation Alicia Keys in her hit single, Superwoman. Who can forget the strength and inspiration behind the lyrics of this powerful song? Indeed, the lesson of the song is very inspiring and has actually encouraged me during times when I feel like I can't go on. But how many of us actually try to live up to the standards of the modern Superwoman? Actually many of us, and sometimes we don't realize our own kryptonite.

As black women, we are taught to take on the world one day at a time. We wake up, cook, clean, go to work, get the kids to school, pay bills, pick the kids up from school, make dinner, bathe the kids, wash the dishes, pay more bills, get the kids to bed, and finally try to get to bed at a decent time. All this just to wake up the next day and start all over again. Even within those daily tasks, other objectives can be squeezed in, such as dating, tending to friends and family members, and running other errands as well. But there is one objective that we tend to neglect while we are handling those tasks: ourselves.

So often we as black women tend to put others before ourselves. We have been raised to believe that we are the superwomen of this world and we are to be independent and take care of all other things that may concern us with a smile on our faces and through all the stress. But we forget to realize how important it is to take care of ourselves. We often become so engrossed in our daily lives that we forget to take the time to truly appreciate who we are from the inside out. We never think twice about putting ourselves last and consistently put others before us, not knowing that we are wearing ourselves and our health down.

Essence.com reported on a woman who went through the same ordeal. You can read her story here.

The fact of the matter is that as women, we need to remember to take time out for ourselves, even if only for a few minutes a day. Try meditating in silence for ten minutes at least. Read a book in a relaxing setting for a half hour here and there. Try picking up a new craft or activity and doing such a few times a week. And if you really want to spoil yourself, try heading to your nearest spa and just relax a little or take a mini vacation someplace new and exciting.

The bottom line is to always remember that being a superwoman doesn't mean ignoring yourself all the time. It simply means finding a balance in your life so that you can appreciate who you are from the inside out. Even Superman took a break to renew himself. Why shouldn't us Superwomen do the same?