A badass woman comes in many forms.
She may be climbing the corporate ladder. She may be the lone lady in a male-dominated field. She may have a flare for art or an unmatched compassion for those struggling.
She may be organized and deliberate or a whimsical riot. She may picket for social justice, or she may be a quiet soul and amazing listener.
She may be married, divorced, dating, not dating, a serial monogamist or woman just trying to get some.
But there are a few things that are certain.
She is strong. She is independent.
She is motivated. She is goal-oriented.
She is confident. She is sincere.
She gets what she wants, stands up for herself and is proud of doing both. She is the woman you look at and think, “Damn, she has it together.”
She is a motherf*cking badass.
And befriending her is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Here are five reasons why:
1. You learn to hold your own.
A badass woman exemplifies independence in its truest form.
Being alone is not a fear of hers.
She can provide for herself. She can entertain herself.
She shows traveling can be done by herself, with a bag and a solid plan. She can move to a new city and make it her home.
She has learned to love herself and is comfortable in her own company.
She will lead by example to show alone does not mean lonely.
2. You stop apologizing.
The badass woman DGAF if you like what she has to say.
She trusts herself, her intuition and her intelligence to assess what’s around her and will stick to those beliefs.
She knows she is not inferior and refuses to be intimidated. She believes in her opinion.
She has trained herself to stand her ground, and she hates seeing friends falter.
She will scold you for apologizing.
She will give you confidence when you can’t give it to yourself. She will challenge your insecurities and remind you that you deserve to have a voice.
3. You become a better friend.
The badass woman does not do things out of need or desperation.
She doesn’t date for comfort, and she certainly doesn’t befriend people for the sake of having a social circle. She genuinely cares about the people she surrounds herself with.
Because of this, she will not bail on plans.
She will not make you question whether she cares about you. She will not downplay your accomplishments to make herself feel better.
She will be with you because she wants to be with you.
She will celebrate your success, and she will encourage you to be the best you can be. She is not threatened; she is proud.
She will expect the same of you, and it will become natural to share that back.
4. You raise the bar for yourself.
We feel smarter when we rank higher in a class.
We feel prettier when the wingman stays the wingman.
We feel accomplished when we have the higher salary.
We also feel false confidence when we lessen what we’re willing to compare ourselves to.
When you surround yourself with someone kicking ass, you are motivated. You are reminded what is possible.
You ask yourself, “Why couldn’t I do that?”
This is not competition; this is inspiration.
5. You realize you're a badass.
When you have this kind of friend — one that motivates, encourages, loves and challenges you — you'll grow.
She pushes you, and you push yourself. You evolve.
You stop settling, you cut your bullsh*t and you learn to love and respect yourself. Then, you begin to pass that along.
Sometimes, you catch glimpses of these things through celebrities, books and motivational speakers. The problem with these options is they are not always accessible, constant or relatable.
A friend sticks around.
It’s easy to take a challenge as an accusation. It’s easy to dismiss confidence as arrogance or independence as disinterest.
It’s easy to let the threat of feeling inferior break the possibility of a friendship, but it’s worth it to bring this person into your life.
Befriend a badass, and you become a badass.
