by Justina Luelo
We’ve read articles on social media about how high heels make some women look different. And many times, with friends we talk about how Maria looks different today because she is wearing a pair of high heels that we have never seen before, and how she is tall and slim ...!
So, this leads me to talk about high jump moments. What do I mean by this? We see this moment a lot in executive women who seem to achieve everything, it is a moment in which we feel a high level of self-esteem, confidence, humility and emotional intelligence, etc. At this moment we do not feel better than others, but better than we did before. We do not forget our weaknesses, but we are above them, and we do not let them dominate our thoughts. Our self-esteem is at 100%. We look at the day or week ahead with expectations that require a determination that comes with elegance and posture. It is not a kind of determination that leads us to pass over others, but an intelligent determination that drives us.
In a high jump moment, we know what we are saying and speak with conviction. We do not want to impress anyone, but simply ourselves. We do not seek validation of our actions or our words, but we are there for us to represent what we are. Being arrogant is not having walking tall in high heels, arrogance makes people prone to making unnecessary mistakes in life and makes us sloppy. Unlike arrogance, we feel that we are better able to help others to be better versions of themselves. We have space to help, we don't just think about ourselves or what we are going to do. Instead, we think about what we can improve in ourselves to help anyone who needs it?
High jump moments make people attracted to us by the positive energy that we bring to others. People want to be by our side to know how we have this positive energy and to know how they can have it too. We wake up with a willingness to win and, throughout the day, we remember the things that are dear to us, that are precious. It is not that we can do everything or face everything, but it is that we are prepared to fall and get up again. We know that in life people and things are not black or white, and so we are prepared for grey moments and dark moments. We are mature enough to accept what comes with learning, with a pen and paper to make notes of the various lessons that life brings. We always have time to say thank you, because we know what we have today, and tomorrow may be a dream, however small.
Mature women achieve high jump moments and remain in them for a long time, and even when the moment is over, they know how to have it again because they have learned enough. The high jump moments carry crowds along with them, because those who pass by know that the path is made by walking accompanied by people who believe in us. People who are able to tell the truth when we need to listen, and not lie to help us not lose focus.
Justina Luelo has five years experience as a Telecommunication Engineer and worked in the Oilfield in Angola. She is also the co-founder of Limpo-Limpo, a company that gives training to domestic workers and helps them get employment. One of her most recent achievements was being selected as a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow. Justina has a Bachelor Degree in Clinical Psychology from Universidade Oscar Ribas and a Bachelor Degree in Telecommunication Systems from MSC Namibia.