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ZORA Check-In
Checking In: Embrace Being a Grown-Ass Woman
“I’m a grown woman. I also don’t expect people to understand my journey, and I’m not going to let their opinions cloud my vision.”
— Olympic fencer and proud Muslim, Ibtihaj Muhammad
I’m a grown woman.
How often do people say this? Tweet this? Here’s what I know to be true about being “a grown woman”: The meaning of this phrase changes and deepens decade by decade. The older you get, the more you sit into the comfort of yourself.
Muhammad wasn’t looking for anyone to validate what she wanted to do, who she wanted to be, or how she intended to get there. She decided for herself — as a teen — that fencing was her path. And she also decided she would do it while wearing her hijab, even though everyone had something to say about it.
Being a grown woman means releasing the people-pleasing and the overexplaining. It means leaning into yourself and embracing that interior know-how while silencing the critics. Not everyone will like a grown-ass woman, and not everyone needs to.
You are a grown-ass woman. How are you showing off your swagger today? Give us your tips using #ZORACheckIn on Twitter and Instagram.
