I wanted to grow up to become a different kind of woman,
One who isn’t meek,
Who doesn’t silence her pain to people-please,
A woman who stands firm on her own two feet,
While questioning the norms handed down to us,
A woman with self-respect, who loves every part of herself,
and steers clear of family politics.

The kind who is not scared of other people’s judgments?
And has no shame in having big ambitions.
Who actively listens to her intuition,
Even if no one is cheering for her or standing by her side.
Who doesn’t base her self-esteem on her shade, beauty, curvatures, choice of clothing, or bra size?

I grew up aspiring to be a different type of woman.
The type who wouldn’t have trouble setting boundaries.
Who would fight with all her might for equal opportunities?
Who could inspire others and leave behind her legacy?
The kind of lady who breaks the shackles of patriarchy,
Unafraid to speak up against injustice or inequality?

A woman who would be stubborn till she got what she wanted.
Who people couldn’t, even if they tried, take for granted.
The type who is self-sufficient and
independent both financially and emotionally?

A lady unafraid to show the world her vulnerability?
Who would continue working incredibly hard and showing up
again and again and again with humility?
Whose primary identity is more than a mother, a daughter
or a wife unless ofcourse, that’s not her choice.

Today I am proud to be a woman,
Who has learned a thing or two about the art of self-care?
Who dares to seek joy in the quiet of solitude,
And writes long letters to her soul.
Who often indulges in occasional pampering and shopping,
Who is learning to embrace the beauty and wonder of being
feminine.

It makes me so happy to be the type of woman
Who says “no, thank you” with both grace and strength,
Who bonds with like-minded women as her closest friends,
A woman who doesn’t starve herself for a man’s attention.
Who believes in a modern version of feminism,
Where progress is made not by shutting down and shaming
but through the inclusion of men.

You see, ambitious and rebellious women like us,
We are a different breed.
With few role models to guide us, we often feel out of place.
Just like emotional men,
We’re almost always forced to carve our own space.
In a world largely run by alpha males,
We must reshape their rules to fit our truth.
After all, we’re the ones tasked with redefining
what it means to live authentically and be world-class leaders.

There’s a lot of responsibility on our shoulders,
To teach the next generation of women to
not give a fuck about the lies they’ve been sold.
And rewrite the scripts from what they’re told.
Yes, beautiful women can also be smart,
Petite women can be amazing athletes.
Women can be geniuses in both math AND science.
We’re perfectly capable; don’t need a guy to come, rescue us.

So, I aspire to be that strong woman.
Who can uplift both men and women alike,
Who can be the guiding light at the end of the long tunnel,
Who shows up in the kindest way possible?
I know there’s a long way to go,
For it requires an immense amount of mental strength,

But that pushes me to be the kind of woman,
Who accepts that she is a constant work in progress.
Who intently listens to other’s stories and speaks less.
Who has compassion towards others AND herself?
The kind of woman, who doesn’t feel ashamed to cry openly?

Because, you see, it’s not easy to take pride in your sensitivity,
To know all your faults intricately and
Still choose to work on your insecurities, daily.
Someday I hope to become a woman,
Who is not embarrassed by her wrinkles,
for each of them tells a tale of adventure.
Who has more stories in her kitty to
keep company than bottles of wine to last the night?

Someday, I will live in a world where
I don’t need to carry around pepper spray,
Or learn fancy karate moves to stay safe.
I know what you are thinking, times are changing
But it's not fast enough.
It’s selfish, the yearning but, but, but
I want to live to relish the day when the world is
Led by incredible women, and girls.