Strong Woman

I would like to start a thread for collecting stories, poems, weblinks, books, rolemodels, etc. that represents strong, well grounded woman whom are full of life, fight and moral strength.

From wikiHow, "Being a strong, independent woman doesn't necessarily require that you be a die-hard feminist. Rather, it means learning to express who you are at your core, whether you are shy and soft-spoken or loud and assertive, without trying to fit a certain mold implied by your being a female." How to Be a Strong Independent Woman: 9 steps - wikiHow

"What makes a woman beautiful? What makes her shine? What exalts her and causes her to be honored and respected? Her strength is deep. How does she thrive?" The Beauty, Virtues and Strength of a Woman | Power | Life Tools and Insight for a SpiritFREE Life â„¢

I plan on using this as a place to paint my own picture of what a woman is, in her strengths and her challenges. I would love to have other people contribute.

“When you find yourself in one of those mystical/devotional frames of mind or in am emergency and you feel you want to pray, then pray. Don’t ever be ashamed to pray or feel prevented by thinking yourself unworthy in any way. Fact is whatever terrible thing you may have done, praying will always turn your energy around for the better.
Pray to whomever, whatever, and whenever you choose. Pray to the mountain, pray to the ancestors, pray to the Earth, pray to the Tao (but it won’t listen!), pray to the Great Mother, pray to Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Lakshmi, Siva, pray to the Great Spirit, it makes no difference. Praying is merely a device for realigning the mind, energy, and passion of your local self with the mind, energy and passion of your universal self. When you pray, you are praying to the god or goddess within you. This has an effect on your energy field, which in turn translates into a positive charge that makes something good happen.”
― Stephen Russell, Barefoot Doctor's Guide to the Tao: A Spiritual Handbook for the Urban Warrior

What a lovely idea! One of my personal favorites is the following quote:

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says "Oh Crap, She's up!" (author unknown)

To me, that paints the picture of a strong-willed, independent woman who knows what she wants and gets her way no matter what.

I'll come back with more quotes if I find any!

I love it!!!

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for her journey, but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.


- Maya Angelou