7 Badass Chicks

People are quick to name the dead when you ask them about people who influence them. That's great and all, but I kind of want an example for how to live now. And that's a challenge because a lot of the good ones are dead now.

I like her impatient pose. Like the painter is interrupting her takeover of the world. 

1.)Malala Yousafzai. This girl has balls of steel. I mean geez, she fought for education. I mean, fought. She took a bullet to the brain for God's sake. And what's crazy is that she survived! And thrives! I am humbled by her grace and courage. She has that soul that inhabited peaceful leaders of the past like Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King.

2.) Lisa Ling. I've watched her since middle school on Channel 1. I love her passionate zeal to find the truth. She doesn't judge the stories she covers. I learn so much when I watch her. She goes in depth and not only that, she dares to go to scary ass places other people would be scared to go to.

3.) Nora Roberts. Omg. Everyone knows who she is, she's everywhere. A prolific writer, she has worked hard to give romance genre the respect it deserves. She is the giant in the romance world but she is still so kind. I saw her 2 years ago and almost burst into tears after I got my picture taken with her (It's still my wallpaper for my cellphone). I've wanted to meet her for almost 20 years. I am so grateful that this woman exists. During the worst times of my life, I was comforted with the families she created. The MacGregor clan, the Templetons, and the Stanislanskis were all there for me and remain with me forever.

4.) Miranda Lambert. I love her lyrics. It takes courage to be that vulnerable and her fearlessness to be authentic is why I think her music hits me in the feels every time. She knows who she is and hasn't sold out. I'm not a country music fan, but I will listen to her anytime, anywhere. I even left the house to go to a concert of hers. And you guys know I don't like crowds of people.

5.) J.K. Rowling. I am so glad she put Harry Potter down on paper. She has donated so much of her money to so many worthwhile causes. But what has impressed me the most is that despite all this fame and fortune, she has remained humble and kind. I think it's easy to corrupt the spirit with wealth and to fight that and remain true and good is something to applaud.

6.) Oprah. I'm not part of the adoring crowd of people who kiss her feet (her habit of interrupting guests grates me), but I can't deny this woman's ambition is something to behold. She had the deck stacked against her but she still made her way through. Her impact on this world will ripple for years and she'll probably be written down on the history books for the future to awe and admire.

7.) Meryl Streep. Goddess. She's amazing. Not just her beauty but her skill to slip into a character. I love that this woman hasn't done the Botox or surgery route. She takes aging gracefully and with a courageous class I hope I can one day emulate. She and I share the same birthday and I often wonder if she's similar to me in personality.

This post is to give myself some relief from the endless slew of articles and images pushing me to believe my worth as a woman is quantifiable based on the way I look.

I am more than what I see in the mirror. I have more to offer the world. All girls do. And I think some of them don't even realize it.

 I listed the women above to inspire me to reach for the stars. To remind myself that I am capable of great things. But still  They all humble me in their own ways.


More bad ass women