Being an independent woman means you are able to pay for your half of the check. It means you are able to afford the rent and shop for groceries with your own paycheck. It means you can take care of yourself. But that’s not the only thing it means.

Being an independent woman means you speak your mind. You call people out when they start treating you like shit, even if that means you’ll risk being called crazy or psycho or bitchy. When someone disrespects you, you don’t let them get away with it, because you know what you deserve.

Being an independent woman means you support other women. You don’t view them as your competition. You don’t judge them based on what they are wearing or what career they are pursuing. You hand them tampons in bathrooms. You compliment their hair. You help them get home safely. You treat other women as your teammates.

Being an independent woman means you put yourself first. You aren’t afraid of choosing the selfish option. You would never sacrifice your dreams, your happiness, or your sanity in order to stay in a relationship. You realize there are certain things that matter more than love.

Being an independent woman means you never keep toxic people in your world for long. You cut them out as soon as possible, because you know you are strong enough to survive without them. You don’t need their negativity weighing you down. You don’t need to make living more stressful than it already is.

Being an independent woman means you are comfortable doing things on your own. You are able to sleep alone. Eat alone. Live alone. You don’t need someone to coddle you, teach you, protect you. You can protect yourself.

Being an independent woman means you work your ass off. You clean the house. You make dinners. You make money. You follow your passions. You don’t care what anyone else has to say about you, because you are proud of yourself for chasing after your wildest dreams.

Being an independent woman means you are comfortable within the walls of your skin. Maybe you step out of the house in sweats or maybe you prefer skintight skirts, but either way, you feel confident wearing them. You love yourself and love your body, because it does so much for you.

Even when you are an independent woman, there will still be days when you feel lonely. There will still be times when you wish you were in a relationship because you are sick of the single life. And there is nothing wrong with that.

You can be in a loving relationship and be an independent woman. You can ask for help and be an independent woman. You can feel insecure on certain days and be an independent woman. You can daydream about getting married and having babies and be an independent woman.

Your independence doesn’t depend on your relationship status. It depends on your strength. On your energy. On how much you accomplish in a day.