First of all, never ever be ashamed of your gender. I’m thinking along the lines of gender discrimination at work for example. You are not less capable than a man, you are not less worthy of that promotion and you most certainly are not present so male coworkers have something nice to look at. I’m absolutely not trying to be hostile towards men here; the unfortunate truth however is that gender discrimination does still happen. Embrace your femininity, because being a woman is definitely one of the things you shouldn’t be ashamed of.

I truly hope that someday no woman on earth will feel ashamed of her body anymore. It’s just so sad to see so many gorgeous women being insecure about themselves, don’t you agree? Try to stop worrying about what other people might think of you, try to stop to live up to society’s ridiculous expectations, and start living your life the way you want to! I know this is easier said than done, but girl honestly, who cares about those curves or imperfect skin? I’m the first one to admit I’m far from perfect, I am short, skinny and incredibly pale, I have small breasts, and a big Italian nose. Lucky for me I don’t try to be perfect, I just try to be me. In the end you can’t please everyone, so please yourself instead! There’s always people who will think you’re too skinny while others think you’re perfectly fine and some might even think you’re a bit chubby. Let them think whatever they want, because you are perfectly fine the way you are.

Don’t you just love to talk about things many people are uncomfortable talking about? Well I do, because in my opinion there’s nothing that cannot be discussed. Your body is yours, who you decide to give it to is one hundred percent your own decision. Never do anything you don’t want to just because you think it is expected of you. This goes both ways, don’t start having sex if you don’t want to, but also don’t save yourself for marriage when you don’t want to. Think about it, would you mind if the woman across the street is still a virgin? Probably not. But would you think the same of her when she has been with, let’s say, ten different men in the last month? If that thought even bothers you one bit, try asking yourself why. Her actions haven’t personally affected you, so why would you mind what she does between the sheets? As women we should always back each other up and not bash each other. And as people, we should accept that different people have different sexualities. Personally I believe in love, because well, love is love you know. Love whomever you want! There can’t ever be too much love, so start giving it more to receive it more.

As much as we hate it, we shouldn’t be ashamed of the big ‘P-word’ either. I know it’s always inconvenient and uncomfortable. Well except maybe for those ladies in pad or tampon commercials; somehow they always seem to just love having their period. But back to the real world, I know it stinks, in every sense of the word. But if it wasn’t for our dreaded friend, we wouldn’t be able to get pregnant, ladies. And let’s be honest I think we all agree when I say pregnancy is one of nature’s most beautiful inventions. So maybe all of those uncomfortable times might be worth it. A little while ago I was waiting at a bus stop, next to a teenage girl. She stood up and walked over to the stop in the opposite direction. Then this awesome woman comes along and sees (unused) tampons lying on the floor. I guess she figured they belonged to the girl who was sitting next to me earlier and instead of saying nothing, she practically yelled across the street, ‘Hey girl, I think you lost your tampons.’ The girl was embarrassed but seriously, how awesome is this woman for not being weird about the tampons?! Now that’s a woman who’s not ashamed of nature’s ways, everyone should be more like her if you ask me.

Maybe this wasn’t a thing you’d expect to see on this list, but I think it’s very important to stress freedom of choice. Just because you were built to give birth, doesn’t mean you want to. Motherhood can be absolutely beautiful and wonderful, but every pro has its con. Heck I could write a whole new article about the benefits of not having kids. So please don’t be ashamed if you choose to live your life for yourself and not have children. I know this is a touchy subject, but even if you find yourself in an abortion clinic, ultimately it is your choice. Personally I am pro-choice, I’m neither for or against abortion. Every woman should have the right to assess the situation and do what she thinks is best for all involved. That being said, please do take actions to prevent unwanted pregnancies wherever you can though!

To continue on a lighter note, who doesn’t love to be a real girly girl sometimes? I don’t exactly see myself as a girly girl, but I do love my chick flicks every once in a while. Whatever your girly thing might be, embrace it, enjoy it. Shopping, dancing, acting like a total nut, purses, shoes, make-up, lingerie, I mean come on, what’s the point of being a woman if you can’t act like a total girly girl sometimes?!

I’d like to end this list with the issue of not dressing how you want to. Some of us dare to be different, some of us only dream to be different. If you’re a plain Jane wanting to rock that bohemian style, by all means do it. Follow fashion, or don’t, whatever you wear, make sure you feel awesome in it. Whether it be a simple pair of jeans or a bright colored yellow dress, just own it. Try on different things and styles to see what fits you most, and never feel self-aware or ashamed of your own style.

Tell me, how do you feel? Do you feel awesome about yourself? You should! I truly hope I made a difference for those of you who are ashamed of things listed above. Please always remember to live life the way you want to, instead of being lived by others. Who knows of even more things you shouldn’t be ashamed of?