Kiran Athar
Women standing up for themselves is nothing new, but now more than ever, we need to be brave and make space for our voices!
But with that being said, even the most confident and bold woman can question herself from time to time…
So in this article, we’re going to look at 10 signs that show you’re a brave woman who stands up for herself. By the end, your doubts should be cleared and you can go back to being a badass woman who can hold her own!
Let’s jump in:
1) You’re comfortable speaking up
First up on our list of signs that you’re a brave woman who stands up for herself is your ability to speak up and advocate for yourself…
So what does this look like exactly?
Well, take being at work – if you feel like your opinions aren’t being valued or taken seriously, you have no problem asserting yourself until people do take notice.
Rather than shy away into the background and go home feeling crappy, you use your personal power and determination to make others make space for you!
Not only is this incredibly brave (it takes guts to speak out, especially in the workplace) but it shows you value your contribution!
2) You set strong boundaries
But speaking up when you need to assert your opinion, wants, or needs isn’t the only time you stand up for yourself.
You also have solid boundaries that you enforce and maintain.
This might look like:
- Saying no to a friend who wants to meet up for the 4th time that week even though you’re swamped with work and exhausted
- Telling your boss you won’t work any more over time until you’re compensated fairly as you’re trying to prioritize your work-life balance
- Asking family members to respect your personal space by calling ahead and not just turning up at your front door unannounced
The truth is, setting boundaries (and sticking to them) isn’t easy.
People push back and get offended when they don’t get their own way. So the very fact that you enforce these boundaries for your own well-being shows your bravery!
And it’s probably for this reason that you’re comfortable going against the crowd…
3) You’re not afraid to be alone
Here’s the thing, a woman who is brave and stands up for herself is usually able to enjoy her own company.
If you’re secure with who you are and you like to spend time alone, it’s not because you’re antisocial or introverted, it’s simply a sign of a healthy inner relationship!
And since you’re happy to be alone, you don’t feel the need to follow the crowd.
This is a bold move.
You do what’s right for you, even if others don’t necessarily agree. And whilst there’s no doubt this would have been scary the first few times you did it, with time it becomes liberating to carve your own path in life!
In fact, if you’re not afraid to be alone, then you’re probably a “lone wolf”. If you think this might be the case, you might relate to the video below on the top 10 signs of a lone wolf personality.
4) You challenge yourself and others
Do you try to keep an open mind? Do you critically analyze information before believing it?
If so, it’s another sign that you’re a brave woman who thinks for herself, and therefore can stand up for herself!
You keep challenging yourself because you know there’s always room to grow.
But that’s not all…
You also challenge others…fearlessly.
If someone is spouting nonsense or spreading fake news, you have no problem calling them out on it. Put it this way, you’re not afraid to rock the boat!
5) You’re confident about your decisions
One of the reasons why you’re able to challenge yourself and others is because you have self-belief.
You’re confident about your decisions and you don’t hold back just to please others…
Put simply:
If you’re able to make strong, confident decisions, especially in the face of adversity or uncertainty, it shows you have a strong sense of self.
And due to this, you always do your best to stand up for yourself, even if it means entering into confrontational situations against those who think they know better!
This leads me to my next point:
6) You don’t let fear hold you back
This next one is probably quite obvious, but I thought it was worth including anyway…
You see, a brave woman who stands up for herself is not ruled by fear.
You look fear in the eye and laugh because you know you’ve got this. Whenever something scares you, you try to face it head-on.
And the same applies to standing up for yourself against other people…
Whether it’s a toxic boyfriend, a crappy boss, or even a friend or family member, you don’t let the fear or nerves get to you if you’re being treated badly.
So, even if your voice trembles and your hands shake, you make your point and you do it with a brave face!
7) You practice self-care and self-love
Now, without practicing self-care and having self-love, it’s incredibly hard to be a brave woman who values herself enough to stand up and fight for her rights.
But what do self-care and self-love actually involve?
The truth is, they look different for everyone. But a few examples would be:
- Making sure you’ve got a good routine so you eat, sleep and exercise well
- Prioritizing your mental and emotional health above all else
- Making sure to treat your body and mind well
- Setting time aside to do things you enjoy
So, if you’re more or less doing the above, it’s a pretty good indicator that you put yourself first.
But you may be wondering, what’s so brave about this?
Well, in a world where we’re told to be good employees, model wives, and excellent mothers, it takes courage to say, “Hold up, I need to spend some time on ME”.
So if you’re doing this, good on you! It’s not only benefiting you but you’re a great example for other women to look up to as well!
8) You hold yourself and others accountable
Now, earlier I mentioned that you challenge yourself and others, but this point is slightly different.
Let me explain…
When you mess up, you take ownership of your actions and you’re able to apologize.
But that’s not all – you also make a point to learn from your mistakes!
And the same goes for others; if someone is behaving badly, you don’t let them get away with it.
Put simply, you don’t make excuses for others and you certainly don’t brush things under the rug!
And a lot of this goes back to having strong boundaries. When someone messes up and hurts you, you can put them back in line and remain dignified whilst doing so.
This shows you’re a brave woman who can stand up for yourself because it displays integrity and courage; it’s not easy to own up when you’ve messed up, and it’s even harder to call others out on their sh*t!
9) You stand up against discrimination and injustice
But guess what..it’s not just standing up for yourself that shows you’re a brave woman, it’s also standing up against ALL discrimination and injustice whenever you see it!
Whether it’s a colleague being bullied at work, or a friend who has an abusive partner, you don’t shy away from advocating for those who might struggle to do it for themselves.
And trust me, this is an incredible quality to have; integrity.
Even if the rest of the world accepts something wrong, you’d rather walk alone and do what’s right.
You fight fair and you believe that everyone, not just yourself, has the right to be treated with dignity and respect!
10) You have self-respect
Talking about respect…
It goes hand in hand with being brave and advocating for yourself!
You see, without self-respect, you wouldn’t value your opinion enough to bother fighting your corner…
You wouldn’t see that you’re worth enough to bother with self-care or setting strong boundaries…
The bottom line is:
Self-respect is everything.
And when you have this level of respect for yourself, you can summon the courage to be bold and brave.
You fight for yourself because you believe you deserve to be treated fairly!
So, if the points in the article resonate with you, rest assured you’re a badass, brave woman who can certainly hold her own (and then some!).
