If you're a girl like me, you often come across as a powerhouse woman who doesn't care what others think, who has all the confidence and courage in the world to back her up. If you're a girl like me, you probably talk to any and everyone, create friendships and connections quickly, and present yourself as who you are from the get-go. You appear to be fearless like you just glide through life with the utmost certainty in everything you do. People sometimes don't know how to handle you, they say "you're too much" and feel uncomfortable at the thought of a strong independent woman. But there's way more to us than that.

Oftentimes, my outgoing nature is mistaken for flirtation or promiscuity. If I want to talk to someone, I do it. If I want to ask someone a question, I speak my mind. As girls who know who we are and what we want, the wall that women are conditioned to put up is let down for us, and we walk through life with purpose. The problem is the threat that this poses to those around us who don't quite understand the motivations behind our demeanors. Women like us who aren't complacent or quiet are seen as a hazard, and so there are a lot of people who will do anything in their power to take that confidence away from us. My openness and ability to give myself away to others has been taken for granted more times than I can count, and my strength has been tested by those who took advantage of my trusting outlook.

As girls who live their lives with open arms, we tend to give all of our love away. We want everyone around us to benefit by our presence always, and sometimes we sacrifice our own well-being for the sake of saving others. We see the very best in people and we trust. That confidence that seems to shine brightly in us covers up our true ambitions to gain the approval and admiration of those around us. By putting ourselves out there, we are not only putting ourselves at risk of rejection, but we are leaving our storybooks open and letting others write on the pages. There have been many times where my own stories of triumph or hardship were told to me by strangers, and I had no choice but to let them believe their own version of who I was. And the most ironic part about girls like me is that the bravery we are thought to exude is compensation for the fear we live in; as girls who choose to give the world their best, sometimes the world takes things you feel like you can't get back.

So for the girl who reads this and is like me: keep doing life the way you do. The days that you feel unstoppable are your biggest asset because you can and should accomplish anything you put your mind to. There are people who will forever be grateful for your ability to be compassionate, empathetic and honest about your own personal experiences. And although you will come across those who want to tear you down and take more than you can give, you are stronger than you think. You will wake up every day with new opportunities to make the world a better place by being authentically you. We are shaking the world with our heavy, purposeful steps. And we have the power to make waves.