Today is a celebration of women worldwide.  Yes, we deserve it and should take a moment to realize how flippin’ fantastic we are.

We are mothers, sisters, wives, peacekeepers, healers, nurturers, teachers, friends and more.  We have made multi-tasking an art form.  We do it all and do it well.

We are able to be hard as stone (mess with one of our kids to find out) or soft and comforting with a hug and kind words that are able to make all of our children’s worries disappear.

Our advancements in the workplace and government are beyond impressive and our influence on the world and culture are immense.  Just ask the many women leaders of the world who are making great strides in politics, the business world and beyond.  Their struggle to get where they are was surely hard, but they persevered and accomplished their goals, making the rest of us proud and thus setting an excellent example for young girls everywhere.

Some of the women that are inspirational to me are women who stood up to adversity, realized what their passions were and acted on them in order to make the world a better place.  Of course the first who come to mind are the likes of Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart and the list can go on and on.

Some of my personal favorites are women like Susan Flaudi, an amazing writer and fact-checker extraordinaire who single-handedly paved the way for us when challenging bogus published statistics in regards to women.

Then there is Doris Lessing, the Nobel Prize winning novelist who penned The Golden Notebook which was and still is viewed as a pioneering work of female emancipation.  Although she detested the stigma of being called a feminist, her works have made such a strong impact on many women everywhere in the world.

Then there are women like Carol Bartz who took the world of technology by storm in 2009 when she became the head honcho of Yahoo.  She is known for her brazen and fierce words and her fearless decision-making tactics.  Beyond that, she has grown the company by leaps and bounds.  In a field where there aren’t many women leading the way, her very existence is a beacon of hope for those who wish to aspire in her footsteps.

My first inspirational woman hero was my own mother, whose selflessness and courage are, to this day, behind triumph and decision I make.

No matter who you choose to turn to for inspiration or guidance,  remember to thank the women in your life who support you and strengthen the foundation of your life while helping with your struggles.  First and foremost should be the woman in the mirror.

Here’s to you, women of the world, you rock!