Reclaiming Sisterhood: Why Women Shouldn't See Each Other As Competitors, But As Allies

Before you go any further, imagine what it would look like if — for just one day — all females joined forces and made a pact to help one another. If we erased thoughts of competition, made an effort to compliment each other, and took the extra step to show love and respect — instead of side-eying strangers and talking smack about friends.

Think about that and envision what could be accomplished if we decided to join forces and hold one another up as we all work toward success. This is not a suggestion to go out and befriend every female that ever was, but a challenge to try and to start upholding fellow females and wishing the best for them.

I had the honor of exploring this concept of reclaiming sisterhood with the Wild Woman Project; I spent a weekend with authentic women, exploring love, acceptance, growth, understanding and respect for ourselves and for others in our day-to day-lives. How to open our hearts to really look, engage with and understand one another —  how to appreciate other females for who and what they are. Check out ways to achieve this progress:

Eliminate Thoughts Of Competition

Think about how often you compare yourself to other females: when you walk into a room, while you're sitting on the train, in the workplace, at a bar, on your news feed... the list goes on. Whether you're comparing your body, your partner, accomplishments or whatever else it may be, thoughts of who is "better" can sometimes be inevitable.

Make a daily effort to try and eliminate those thoughts. When you see other females, don't jump to see them as competitors but instead, see them as allies. There is enough love, respect and success for all of us in this world. Bless others and wish the best for them. View one another through a lens of love.

Practice Self-Love

One easy way to respect and honor other women is to respect and love yourself. Take time on the journey of practicing self-love and use that understanding to pass the love onto others. As important as it is to look at your sisters through a lens of love, it's just as important to view yourself through that same lens.

It might be easy to see how beautiful, smart or accomplished someone else might be and start down the road of comparison, but stop and take a step back. Remember that you are also all of those things, but in your own way. We are all different and we all deserve to be loved and respected, by others and by ourselves.

See That Others Are On A Journey

Make a point to encourage others to follow their dreams and not to sell themselves short. Make sure that your sisters are on a journey to discover what they must do in this world. Females have so much power and capacity to make change in society that, inadvertently, makes it harder for them to do so. We need support and we need each other. Push one another to be bold and take steps toward greatness. See that others are on a journey and make an effort to grow together.

Sienna Brown is cofounder and Communications Director of WildSpice Magazine. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter for constant musings and inspiration.