Woman, Know Thyself!

I have a good group of trusted friends. Women who I can call any time of the day or who make time to talk and pray with me when I need help or encouragement.
While these women are my earthly sisters, mentors, and friends, over the years there are several holy women whom I consider my "spiritual soul sisters." 
These women who have gone before me show me what it means to be a woman seeking the heart of Jesus through my dreams, passions, desires, and creative pursuits.
One such woman is Edith Stein, or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Raised in a Jewish home, Edith eventually became an atheist. Highly intelligetn, she went on to study at a univeristy level where she eventually became a lecturer and philosopher. She lived a vibrant, creative as a single woman for a number of years before getting baptized Catholic and eventually entering a Carmelite convent. Her life was cut short when she was sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.
Words I would use to describe her would be smart, articulate, passionate, creative, and self-aware.
Over the last year I have spent more more time reading biographies and writings of Edith Stein; specifically her essays on what it means to be a woman.
In a culture where there are so many mixed messages on what it means to be a woman, Edith offers women words that are beauty and truth on their worth, dignity, and place in the world. 
The older I get (I am a young 32 1/2 right now!), I am convinced that women today are hungry for deeper meaning in their lives. We are struggling to understand who we are called and created to be.
And that is why I am so drawn to Edith. 
Because she has something to say to each of us, no matter what our state or vocation in life. She challenges us to to embrace and come to a deeper understanding of the essence of who we are as women and how we can make a unique contribution to the world and those around us.
If I had a rally cry for what summarizes what Edith taught and believed it would be, "Woman, Know Thyself!"
One biographer of Edith put it in this way: "Before they can be ready to assist others, women first need to be securely anchored in their own depths."
What we need to possess is an inherent and soul-deep understanding of our dignity and worth as women in the eyes of God.
For Edith, this is only possible in the context of grace and through a life of interior prayer, silence, reflection, and inner detachment from the world. She modeled this in a way for me as a single woman in a way that is practical and non-shaming.
As a writer, lecturer, and philosopher, Edith was a woman of deep thought and her insights from the 1930's are even more relevant and applicable to women today searching for meaning, purpose, and joy.
So Woman (yes you!), know thyself!
Nurture your spirit and soul.  Chase after your creative dreams and pursuits, even if it feels silly, make time for the things that fire you up and bring joy to your life. Learn about what your charisms are.
Find out your temperament, Myers-Briggs, Enneagram type, and your love languages. If you need it, go to counseling. Do your own healing work. Make room for "breathing spaces," as Edith says and take time to rest in God. Do not wait for your life to "start" until you get married or meet someone.


You are worth the time, energy, and focus of caring for and knowing yourself.


Are there certain ways you are being called to know yourself in a deeper way?
How can this "rediscovery" of yourself help you become more "anchored in your own depth"?