I Am A Woman, And I Am Strong

“Here is what being a strong woman means to me: It means standing up for myself. It means that I am a fully-functioning human, one who is independent and able to do things for herself. It means that I have opinions and beliefs that I stand for, and that I do not settle for less.”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“I’m not jaded or bitter or cynical, but I am a mature, functioning member of the adult world. I see just as much joy in the world as I do darkness and I have strived to be prepared for both. My field of study and the professional world I align myself with demand strength and sharp intellect. I’m sur…”

— Caity Mae, thoughtcatalog.com

“I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”

— Madonna, people.com

“Strong women are the best women to love. We are the women with fierce compassion. We know who we are and we are not afraid to embrace that. We love whole-heartedly because we love ourselves. And we are not only looking to better ourselves, but our partners, our worlds.”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“The men in my life ask that I change. Give up the fast lane. Dull my sharp tongue. The woman they want is not the woman I am.”

— Caity Mae, thoughtcatalog.com

“The truth about being a strong woman is that the world sees us as a threat. We’re just ‘too much,’ ‘too intimidating,’ too ‘jaded’ and ‘miserable’ and ‘bitter’. But we are none of those things. We are women with backbones. Women who aren’t afraid to be proud of ourselves in a world that might not al…”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“I’m a strong, bitchy woman. I don’t know when to shut my mouth. I’ve been known to level a man with a raised eyebrow. My sense of humor is dark and dry like some red wine I don’t know the name of. I’m also kind and loyal and loving.”

— Caity Mae, thoughtcatalog.com

“I was born with a voice. I was born with two legs. I was born from a father who taught me yell, to run, to kick. And a mother who showed me how to draw, to sketch, to dream. I learned young that to be myself, I must be fearless. I must be fierce. I must be passionate and driven and bold. I learned y…”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely.”

— Simone de Beauvoir, pinterest.com

“To be a strong woman simply means that I am grounded and confident in who I am.”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“A strong woman won’t wait for anyone. She won’t wait for her crush to finally ask her out. She won’t wait years pining for a man to love her back. No, she will move on with her life. She will get what she wants, when she wants. And she won’t apologize for it.”

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, thoughtcatalog.com

“I fought back against what I didn’t agree with, I let my voice be heard and my heart sing out. I fell in love. I fell out. I pursued things that ignited my soul. I chased people and passions that made me feel whole. I became. And I love who I am now.”

— Marisa Donnelly, thoughtcatalog.com

“The simple act of being a woman in this world teaches you strength. It makes warriors out of our girls. With every double standard, we watch a powerhouse emerge. With every sexist remark, we see a Phoenix rise from the ashes.”

— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com

“She’s human, full of faults and weaknesses. She messes up. She trips and gets embarrassed when her face collides with concrete. But through it all, she’s got a fierceness that never goes out. She’s a warrior, a survivor, full of light and darkness. What an amazing gift, to know these women. To be al…”

— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com

“Being a woman is being the very embodiment of strength.”

— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com

“A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.”

— Nancy Rathburn, keepinspiring.me

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”

— Diane Mariechild, keepinspiring.me

“A strong woman cries. A strong woman protects her emotions. A strong woman falls in love quickly. A strong woman puts up walls and takes her time letting people in. She cuts off all her hair. She wears it cascading down her back. She goes make-up free. She has an entire drawer of lipsticks. A strong…”

— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com

“She’s strong because she’s been through a lot and she had to learn how to survive on her own.”

— Rania Naim, thoughtcatalog.com

“I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that's me.”

— Maya Angelou, poemhunter.com

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”

— Coco Chanel, cocochanelquotes.org

“Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.”

— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, amazon.com

“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.”

— Audre Lorde, youtube.com

“A strong woman builds her own world. She is one who is wise enough to know that it will attract the man she will gladly share it with.”

— Ellen J. Barrier, amazon.com

“I was not rescued by a prince; I was the administrator of my own rescue.”

— Elizabeth Gilbert, cnn.com

“I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.”

— John Steinbeck, amazon.com

“I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story — I will.”

— Amy Schumer, vulture.com