Why It's Important To Express Both Your Masculine And Feminine Side

We all have both masculine and feminine components. Some choose to express one more than the other, but I feel that it is good to express and experience both sides, regardless of what society tells you.

I have gone through bouts of being a tomboy and being a girly girl.

Sometimes I am buddy-buddy with the guys and yelling at the television screen at football games, or being overly competitive while playing a game of dodgeball.

Sometimes I am painting my nails neon pink and sipping mimosas at a cafe with the girls talking about our future husbands.

I have come to accept that I have both traits and emotions running through my veins. Technically speaking, both females and males have estrogen and testosterone, just at different levels.

So for me, it is impossible to be solely girly or masculine. I have both sides, and I am okay with that.

I used to try to hide this when I entered middle school because I began to learn that girls were expected to wear makeup, jewelry and behave differently than the boys.

I didn’t understand at first because I was the sporty chick who wore her hair in a ponytail every day, no makeup and baggy pants.

Soon, I started to get uncomfortable because I was not like everyone else. So, I began to conform. I began to act like the ideal “girly girl” to fit in, not realizing I was straying away from myself day by day.

Now, I have come to accept myself, and by accepting myself, I also accept both my masculine and feminine sides because that is who I am.

I cannot continue to lie to myself and bind myself to something that is not completely me. That would be insanity and borderline torture: If I were to put myself in a box, I would get caught in an endless vicious cycle of not accepting and embracing myself, and never truly being me.

I wouldn’t be the same person who loses her voice and goes overboard during sporting events, or prances around like a fairy while making cupcakes. This is me, and I choose to embrace both sides no matter how ridiculous they may be sometimes.

I want you to find yourself and keep it. Don’t lose it to others' opinions and biting words. After all, it’s your life, not theirs. So their opinions shouldn’t weigh so heavily on the way you live your life, right?

By embracing your inner dichotomy, you become a complete individual. You balance your impulsiveness and your emotions. You are strong both mentally and emotionally.

You are better able to understand the emotions of both genders, and don’t lay a blind eye to the subtle or blatant disenfranchisement or injustices happening every day.

With that, we become more sensitive to males and females and we are able to resonate more closely with one another. As we have heard over and over, we need balance in life with everything, and this is included.

If you are a male, it is okay to cry and experience emotions. I feel for males who think they must suppress all emotions but anger, impulsiveness and aggression. It is just as bad for women who feel the need to suppress their competitive side and become sentimental, quiet and reserved.

People should embrace who they truly are and not conform to society. Express yourself. If you are feeling competitive and impulsive, BE IT. If you feel sad and emotional, BE IT.

It doesn't matter if you are male or female. It is okay to express both sides of yourself; it doesn't make you bad, it makes you YOU.