The consensus of words is what gives them meaning. A word or phrase may be innocuous until spoken in a way to give the meaning a sense of power. The context of the dialogue adds emotion to the word whether it be underestimating or encouraging, belittling or praising.

The perspective in which the word is heard and comprehended changes the effected takeaway. A mindset may hear the word being used towards them and understand that the speaker is using it in a negative tone. However, if the mind’s self-esteem kicks in, the mindset can change the consensus of what was spoken.

On the summer evenings after supper, my dad would join me and my siblings to an active game in the backyard. Whether it be kickball or baseball, we would run around in the grass, not really keeping score. Between my younger sister and me, we had to deal with the ratio of 3 boys to 2 girls. As we would be up to kick or swing, I remember hearing the words “You kick like a girl, you swing like a girl, or you throw like a girl.” However, the boldest factor of this memory is it never brought me nor my sister down. We kept kicking, swinging, and throwing, knowing that we could do it. We always would say “Yes, I am a girl!” Many times I remember mocking my dad and my brothers saying, “Oh look, you swing like a boy.”

"Like a girl” is used as an adjective to describe the weak. It is used to minimize the ability of a girl. The phrase puts down the female gender, while hyping up the male gender, giving them the right to say that men do it better or women are not capable. “Don’t cry like a girl,” for what good does that say to girls? That they are weak? That they can’t do it? That they can’t win? These insulting phrases place so much negative energy on the female gender. It stereotypes them as weak, emotional, and powerless.

While I am watching TV, my attention is unusually caught by an ad. A teenager girl is asked what it is like to run like a girl. She and multiple people following her mocked a running girl in a way of humiliation. I think to myself, “Yeah right.” As the commercial continues, it brings in younger girls, and when they are asked to show what it means to run like a girl the innocent little girls run fierce and as best as they can. I could feel the sense of pride they had and the contrasting type of confidence the young girls had compared to the adolescence age group. I began to be aggravated with the idea of the whole phrase “Like a girl.” However, as the ad came on a few more times, I realized that Always was running a campaign to add positivity to “Like a girl.” Its goal is to empower women that they are strong and beautiful the way they are. That they can do anything, break limits, and feel bold and defined like a little girl again.

“Right on,” I say in reply to the phrase “like a girl” attached behind a verb. Hearing something said, in which its meaning is deep down underestimating, can give the brain a little more edge to bring it on. “Like a girl” can be taken as a sense of pride backed up by strength, courage, and beauty. While the world may try to defeat, let that downgrading turn into determination to overcome it all and show them. Women are too often scared to face up to challenges, but being proud of being a girl and accomplishing whatever the goal may be, is a victory feeling. There is nothing wrong with being a girl. Say, “Yeah, I am a girl, so I am going to do it like one.”

The ears will hear the phrase or the word. The mind can know the meaning, but the mind can also twist the power to the meaning. Let it speak to you. Give your mind and heart the power to take it as it’s spoken, but take it positively and let it better you. Do not let the weakening phrase, make you feel like you cannot do it. Instead be confident enough to let that little bit of misprize make you want to do it even more.