You are a strong girl. One who speaks her mind. One who fights for who and what she believes in. One who knows what she feels matters, and her decisions are solely hers to make.

You are a powerful girl. One who chooses her words wisely. One with a confident voice and heart of gold. One who thinks before she speaks and considers both sides of an argument before picking hers. One who knows, at the end of the day, where her faith lies.

You are a girl who stands her ground.

You are a girl who doesn’t take no for an answer when it comes to her passions, yet is comfortable saying no when a situation presents itself and she doesn’t agree. You are a girl who listens and values all perspectives, but still is grounded in her beliefs.

There are things you trust and know—whether written on your heart, whether sewn to the fabric of your being, whether born of past experiences or brought into your life through faith—and those principles guide your life, unapologetically.

You know how to live in a way that honors what you believe, while still embracing what this world has to offer. You know how to smile and jump into experiences and people you love. But you know when to shake your head and walk away, and are perfectly fine doing just that when your heart doesn’t agree.

You have been shaped by what you have gone through, by the people who love you, by the things you have learned on your own. And you are comfortable in your own skin, comfortable with who you are and the way you feel.

You know that standing your ground doesn’t mean you are harsh or unkind, doesn’t mean you are stiff or unwelcoming, doesn’t mean you are one-sided or closed off to others and new experiences.

You know that being yourself is one of the most valuable things in a world that’s ever-changing, and despite what life has thrown at you, you still stand strong in who you are.

And that is an incredibly beautiful thing.

So here’s to you—the girl who is confident and proud, the girl who knows what she believes and doesn’t compromise that for anyone, the girl who isn’t scared to use her voice or be unapologetically herself.

You are a blessing. You are an inspiration. You are the girl that shows others how to be proud of who they are and live life according to their own rules.

You are the girl that shines her light and teaches others to pursue what they desire and stand for what they believe in, even if that means they’re standing alone.

You are the kind of girl who has gone through life with her head held high, always open and inviting towards others, always with a giving heart, but always walking by faith and strength.

You are the girl who has learned the power in using her voice and has used it, so many times, for the good of herself and others.

Sometimes the world will break you down. Sometimes you will be chided for what you believe in. Sometimes people will call you a whole slew of names just to make you falter, just to see if they have power over you.

Please guard your heart from all that, and keep on standing.

Who you are is someone to be proud of. The way you stand is something to admire. Your faith and strength, your ability to speak when others are against you—those are powerful traits of a powerful girl.

And even when the world is against you, or it feels like no one’s on your side, know that who you are inspires so many, and keep on being you.