As women, we are often told that to be strong, we must hide our softness. That being emotional makes us fragile. That showing care makes us weak. Somewhere along the line, the world sold us the lie that strength and softness can’t coexist.
You can be soft and firm at the same time. You can cry and still be courageous. You can nurture others and still lead boldly. You can rest and still be resilient.
When I coach women, I see it often. We carry the weight of households, careers, ministries, and communities, and still, we tell ourselves, “Don’t let them see you sweat. Don’t let them see you break.”
Strength doesn’t mean pretending you don’t feel. Real strength means showing up as your whole self — tender and tough, kind and courageous, soft and steadfast.
Being emotional doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human. Your empathy is a gift. Your tears can water the seeds of resilience. Your care can create environments where others feel safe to grow.
Think about the leaders who have impacted you most deeply. Were they cold and unfeeling? Or were they the ones who balanced authority with compassion, firmness with kindness?
Softness, when embraced, becomes a superpower.
So here’s my challenge to you: permit yourself. Permission to rest. Permission to feel. Permission to say, “I can be both.”
The world doesn’t need women who are hardened into someone they’re not. The world needs women who can stand tall in boardrooms, classrooms, pulpits, and kitchens, not despite their softness, but because of it.
The next time someone tells you, “You’re too emotional” or “You care too much,” smile and say, “That’s my strength.”
Soft is not weak — it’s sacred, and when you embrace it, you’ll realise just how strong you really are.