What does it mean to be a Badass?

I created this blog so women could be Badasses and live a life of Badassery!  Since this is my first blog post I will share a little bit about me, why I started this blog, and then we can dive into all things Badass! 

I work in Law Enforcement and have learned through my career to be more confident, bold, and authentic.  Most of my career hasn’t come easy to me and I have really had to push past my own barriers and limiting beliefs.  I have found that the more time I have spent practicing and learning (without negative self-talk), the easier it has become for me.  I stopped beating myself up for all of the things I didn’t know how to do. I used to think I was so stupid for every mistake I made and for every task that I didn’t know how to do.  Even if my expectation wasn’t reasonable. For example, I didn’t know how to change a tire and would self-sabotage myself by saying things to myself like “you are stupid” or “everyone else can figure out how to do this.  Why can’tyou?”  Have you ever felt like you were the only one who had certain struggles? I spent so much time judging and criticizing myself, that I didn’t realize other people had the same struggles, or struggles of their own.  If I can help women to get out of their head, and to stop being so judgmental of themselves, and start (or continue) to take action in their lives, it would be amazing. I believe we have more inner and outer strength than we realize, and it’s just a matter of tapping into it and flexing that muscle time and time again, until it becomes a habit.

According to Katie Couric “A badass woman stands up for herself, is confident, and is not afraid to challenge the hierarchy, the patriarchy, or conventional thinking.”  I believe that being a badass has less to do with strength and more to do with internal fortitude.  It’s about being confident, self-reliant, pushing our limits, and not letting anything stop us from accomplishing our goals.

With that said, let’s dive into the question,what does it mean to be a Badass?  When you think of a female that’s a badass who do you think of?  Some people think of the movies and characters like Laura Croft in Tomb Raider or Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games.  Other people think of a woman who is physically fit, one who has a gun, or one that is riding a motorcycle.  Or maybe, just maybe, you thought of a woman you know.  Whatever the case, I would like you to take a second and reflect on who you know that is a badass and why do you consider them one?  What characteristics do they have that make them a Badass?  You can take those characteristics and apply them to your life.  You know, they say imitation is the best form of flattery, right?!  There’s nothing wrong with learning from those around you.  Matter of fact, don’t be afraid to ask people questions.  I have found that people like to talk about themselves and asking them questions about themselves, can help to create a quick bond.  Chances are if you ask someone how they accomplished something, they will tell you.  That reminds me of a time a few years back when I trained for my first marathon.  At first, I was stubborn and didn’t ask anyone for help.  I stubbornly (and ignorantly) ran 15 miles without a drop of food or water.  That may not seem like much, but later I learned how important it was to refuel and hydrate.  One day I saw an old friend on Facebook and he posted that he had just completed a marathon.  I reached out and asked for any tips and any advicehe had about the race.  He told me several simple tricks and tools of the trade, but the tips helped me immensely.  I also found a new running group out of it.  I couldn’t help but wish that I had reached out sooner (it may have saved me from some unnecessary misery).  My point is, don’t be afraid to ask others how they did something because it could save you some time and energy.

Badassness comes in all different forms.  What about the woman that works full time and still has a family to care for when she gets home?  A lot of our parents or grandparents grew up at a time where women were expected to be stay at home mom’s.  Now women are working full time and returning home to care for their families, which is like a second full time job.  Think of the woman that is self-reliant and can change her own tire, or manage her own finances?  They require knowledge, but not necessarily physical strength.  Or think of the woman who can be aware of dangers or safety issues for her family and take precautions to protect them?  Simple safety solutions can set us up for success, its often a matter of being aware.  For example, when you are out and about, be aware of your surroundings, the time of day, and the part of town your in.  Often times people prey on those who aren’t paying attention to what or who is around them. Another example of a Badass, is the woman who ran a 10K, half-marathon, or marathon and pushed through when she wanted to give up.  Or the mom who taught her child confidence.  Children mirror what their parents do and say.  Instilling confidence in theyounger generation is pretty badass to me. The examples could go on and on of everyday women who have pushed themselves to become Badasses.

No matter who you are and where you are in life, you can become a little more Badass.  I know you may be thinking “oh that’s not me,” but hold on a second, give yourself a chance.  You know Rome wasn’t build overnight, right?!  As children most of us learned to ride a bike.  If you were anything like me, you fell down, over and over again.  But did you give up?  No, probably not.  I am willing to bet you could ride a bike right now.  How were you eventually able to ride that bike?  Likely it was because you didn’t give up.  You kept at it until you were good at it.  As we get older, we expect that everything should come easy to us.  If it isn’t easy, we throw in the towel and think it wasn’t meant to be.  We tell our children over and over again, not to give up and to keep at it, but yet we aren’t following our own advice.  This is your time to ride your adulthood bike.  If you fall down, so be it.  Get back up and try again.  Follow the same advice that you would give to your child or your best friend.  You can be a Badass but it may take a little practice. 

Set a goal to do one thing that would make you feel like a Badass.  Take one small step everyday towards that goal.  Do me a favor and don’t judge yourself along the way. By the mere fact that you are taking that step/action, means you arealready on the road to success, and a little closer to becoming a Badass.

Until next time my friends,

Marie