It came to me in my meditation this morning that I should revisit this post. As you all know, my daughter and grandson have been staying with us for almost 4 months. They live in Germany and her husband is in the Army…he’s been away so she came home to be with us! It has been a time that I will always treasure and I wouldn’t have had it any other way…but…it’s been hard. I probably don’t have to explain that to anyone!

As women, I think it’s our nature to beat up on ourselves and to always look at what needs to be improved, or what we could have done better. In our minds, we think we need to get more done, loose 5 pounds, exercise more…etc.

When do we celebrate our accomplishments and give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done? It’s time to do more of that! So, today, in celebration of what I have accomplished in the last several years, I’m revisiting what it means to be a badass! What have you done that deserves a celebration!?

A badass woman stands up for herself, is confident, and is not afraid to challenge the hierarchy, the patriarchy, or conventional thinking.” ~ Katie Couric

We hear the word “badass” everywhere these days…it’s printed on tee shirts and coffee mugs and even the current issue of InStyle Magazine is called the badass issue.  For several years now, I’ve said “I want to be a badass blogger”, but what does it really mean to be a badass in our culture?  The modern day badass isn’t about physical appearance, it’s about being a grown up woman who has set out to change the world by being her best self and encouraging the same in others! 

Do I consider myself a badass?…honestly, not all of the time, but a lot of the time!  I am proud of what I’ve accomplished and I’m very determined to be the best woman (person) I can be as often as possible.  I included the picture below, because Emily, my photographer said “you look like such a badass in that picture” and I never forgot it!  I loved that she paid me that compliment!  Thanks Emily!!

So…these are the qualities that I think make a “badass woman”…

Her appeal comes from being independent and strong.  She doesn’t expect happiness to come to her, she knows she is responsible for creating her own happiness.

She isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for the things she believes in.  She is a leader and people admire her and want to be like her.

She is fearless, innovative, entrepreneurial and is inspiring a revolution.  She pursues what she knows is right. 

She trusts her place in the world, because she knows that she can trust herself. No matter the situation, she will try to make the most of it because she knows that change is constant, life is precious and nothing lasts forever.

When she is feeling down and frustrated, she finds a way to get up again.  She is a born fighter and will not be destroyed by anyone or anything.  She is aware of the fact that everyone falls at some point and that life can be challenging.  She fights hard to be positive and come back quickly.  She knows that hardship and failure don’t define her, rather its her response to hardship and failure. 

She is anything but boring and will be the one to give you a pep talk when you think you can’t go on anymore.  She lives with a deep desire to let go of control and follow a Guide that points her in the direction of her dreams.  She believes that all things happen in time and for a reason.

She is empowered by the awareness that being unique makes her shine.

She never stops learning and working to reach her goals…she is extremely proud of herself. She has the guts to ask for what she wants and fully expects to get it.

She prefers blazing her own path rather than going down the same path as everyone else.  She is willing to take risks and knows that success doesn’t just “show up”.  She is willing to be bold and go the extra mile to reach her goals. 

She strives to stay fully present in each moment, appreciating the pleasure that each day can bring.

She is unafraid of her emotions and is fearless when it comes to showing the world that she is human. She knows how to cry and she also loves very deeply. She may feel lost at times but she knows what it means to be found again.

She does her best to spread inspiration and encourage others.  She knows that all people are beautiful.  She will tell you how amazing you are and inspire you to be your best self.

She is unafraid to be alone and boldly walks into the unknown!

She knows that she can accomplish anything and has dreams so big that sometimes they scare her.  She refuses to stop believing because she knows that everyone’s dreams are attainable.  Badass women are making the world a better place!

She doesn’t allow anyone to tell her what she should think or believe.  She makes decisions based on her intuition and Divine Guidance.  She is her own person.

Badass women come in all shapes and sizes and are mothers, daughters, grandmothers, wives, entrepreneurs, artists, bloggers and everything in between!  I created a Midlife Comeback Plan, because I know that all women are inherently badasses but can sometimes forget how great they really are!  You can download it here to get started on your road back to being the badass that you were born to be!