Let’s do a fun little quiz for a sec. We’re going to ask you a question, and you shout out your answer.

1. Is pink a color of strength or weakness?
2. Is wearing a blazer and/or a power suit necessary at work?
3. True or false: Swearing is a sign of strength.
4. True or false: “Femininity” is an old-fashioned word and should be erased from dictionaries.

Our guess is that you answered pink is weak, a power suit is necessary, swearing is strong, and femininity as a concept should die.

For a long time, the message has been: turn down the volume on femininity (how many times have we heard gender neutral lately?) and we’ll be better seen, heard, and ultimately, happy.

While women have genuinely succeeded in their careers in this way, it’s come at the cost of losing some of our feminine superpowers.

So we think it’s time for women to start celebrating and owning their feminine strengths.

Since some of us have forgotten what our strengths are and what it means to be feminine (and by “us” we really mean “we”), we’ve put together 10 ways that we can grow our femininity and embrace what makes us great.

Before we begin, we’d just like to mention that femininity is as unique and diverse as women themselves, so pick and choose what resonates with you.

1. Take care of yourself.

Femininity is WAY more than wearing makeup and dresses. It’s a mentality and a lifestyle that honors who you are.

To do that, start by putting yourself first every morning. Get up, put on something you feel good in, freshen your face, shower (if you can – new moms, we get you), and feed yourself well.

Next, prioritize your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that the two are combined so take at least 30 minutes up to five days a week to break a good sweat. Doing that alone means you’re setting up your mind and body for success.

Finally, choose filling, healthy foods (FYI rice cakes may be healthy but not filling ????) to fuel you well so you can complete that epic task list we all have.

2. Be well-spoken and a good conversationalist.

The words we choose are important. Strong women comfortable with their femininity and who they are use their words with confidence, kindness, grace, and intelligence. They use words to build up and not tear down.

So, take a day and really listen to what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Is it positive? Is it kind? Is it controlled? Or are you constantly tearing down yourself and/or those around you?

Being well-spoken also means listening well and respecting the conversation you’re in. Make sure you stay on track with the topic at hand and make room for others to speak.

3. It’s ok to nurture.

Taking care of others may come easier to some women more than others, but nurturing is frequently a feminine superpower. And that’s a really good thing. So be intentional and do what you can to help others grow. That could be as simple as calling up a friend and listening, or as difficult as committing to making meals for someone who’s chronically ill or choosing to be a stay at home mom.

4. Master your home.

So often we hear that growing our household skill set is not a worthwhile pursuit. But there’s nothing weak or inferior about mastering your kitchen or knowing how to work wrinkles out of a pair of pants. Feeding your family a great meal and arranging your home beautifully speaks volumes that you and them (and guests!) are worth the effort. And building up yourself and others in this way is definitely worth your time.

5. Sow into your female friendships.

If you pull back the curtain on healthy communities, you’ll almost always find a group of women working, laughing, and serving together. We encourage you to be one of those women. Start a book club or knitting group, grab a good friend and serve at a food bank or your church, sign up for a class to learn a new skill. By showing up for other women, you’re not only showing up for yourself and them, but also for the health of your community.

6. Embrace your mystery.

From plunging tops to booty shorts, it’s hard to not feel like a prude when you just want to wear jeans and a crew neck to go to the department store. And with social media the pressure is turned up even more to show everyone what you’re made of… and then some. But by revealing it all, we take away one of the greatest superpowers we have as women. The power of mystery.

Bear with us here for an analogy. When you’re reading a great, page turning novel, what makes it so page turning? It’s because the author is giving you tiny pieces of the story all the way to the end instead of dumping it out on page one. The author holds the power –you’re hers until the final chapter. Women hold this same power, the power to withhold every detail until the final chapter. What’s that old saying?… “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”

7. Carry yourself with confidence.

Being feminine has a whole lot to do with how you carry yourself. If you’re confident in who you are, it radiates through whatever you’re wearing and how you behave. And if you don’t have the confidence just yet, don’t worry you WILL get there. Trust us when we say, we know it takes a LOT of work and dedication and that’s what we’re here for. To be your support system along the way.

Baby steps. Focus on your posture every day for a week – head up and shoulders back. You are Wonder Woman. Carry yourself with grace and poise. Watch how quickly your confidence improves from this small change.

8. Have FUN with what you wear.

Again, being feminine doesn’t mean dresses and ribbons all the time. As women we have an enormous palette of wonderful things to explore in our wardrobe. Clothes, hair, and makeup can be fun if you’re willing to set aside preconceived ideas and constructs and let yourself be free.

Play with colors and patterns, be brave with new outfits, and experiment with things that feel out of your comfort zone. Create the aesthetic that feels natural to you and represents who you are.

New clothes are a great way to feel confident, sexy and powerful.The ultimate challenge? Get that dress or those jeans out from the cobwebs of your closet, you know the ones. You bought it with every intention to wear it and even after 4 years it’s still sitting there yearning for the chance to see the light of day (or night).

9. Lean into wonder.

You know that feeling you get when you watch the sun set and the beauty of it hits you in all the emotions? Or how the sweet scent of your baby’s head will linger with you forever? Or how the grays in your mother’s hair lead you to a deep gratitude for all the wisdom she’s imparted to you over the years?

These are all uniquely feminine experiences. Cultivate them, write them down, bring your feminine sense of wonder and joy into the world. We need it.

10. Love your own kind of femininity.

True femininity is your very own and uniquely you. When you’re confident of who you are as a woman, embrace it, and nourish it, that’s the ultimate in femininity.