From a young age, I’d always wanted to be that person- the tough, black leather jacket-wearing, unstoppable character that we see in movies, books, and TV shows. That person who lives fearlessly without letting insecurities, worries, or other things get in the way: “the badass.”
When we see this person, we think, “they’re so badass, they don’t care what anyone thinks,” so we aspire to be them. In doing so, we fail to see that the qualities we glamorize and this persona we so desperately strive to mimic aren’t real; it’s an illusion.
Image via Giphy
Society tells us that in order to be strong we shouldn’t hurt, we shouldn’t fear, we shouldn’t want, we shouldn’t feel. But no matter how much we pretend, how hard we try to put up these walls around ourselves and convince others we don’t care, we do.
So how do you become a badass? The truth is, I’m still learning. It’s easy to spit out a bunch of pretty phrases, act like we’ve got it all figured out, and call it a day… that’s not real. Being a badass isn’t something you are, it’s something you become. There’s no magical click of a button and poof! It’s a process.
The main question is: how can we achieve a state of fearless, pure living? We redefine what it means to be a badass.
Being a badass is putting yourself out there, not because you don’t care, but because you do care. You care about being yourself, about being honest. Caring doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. It makes you strong.
At the end of the day, we’re not indestructible. We’re bound to fall or be pushed down. It’s impossible not to care- not to hurt, fear, want, feel.
But we can speak up and be true to ourselves. We can pick up the shattered pieces and get back up. We can embrace ourselves.