Six Signs You’re a Bonafide Babe by Ella Rausch

Being a babe isn’t about outward attractiveness. It isn’t about how many 14ers you’ve summited, the number of miles you’ve hiked, or how long your hair is. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, black or white, rich or poor, male, female, or somewhere in between.

Being a babe is about holding each other up, giving back, and apologizing when we’ve made mistakes. It’s about not taking life too seriously, but being mature enough to handle whatever gets thrown at us.

1. Even on your busiest days, you make time for others. Whether “others” means your dog, your boss, the mailman, or the environment, you go through life caring for those who need a friend, but also recognizing when you’re the one who needs a little support.
2. You ask for help. Independence is so IN right now but I’m pretty sure no one can move a king-size mattress alone. You’re more than willing to take a stab at anything on your own, but aren’t ashamed when you hit a snag. (Offering to give others a hand is pretty babe-worthy too.)
3. The process of things excites you. Most of us know that climbing a mountain isn’t just the physical act of getting to the top – it’s the preparation, the relationships you build, the inner demons you fight along the way. Instead of refusing to acknowledge these components when you finally do reach the summit of whatever peak you’re climbing, you better believe your acceptance speech is going to be chock-full of genuine thank you’s, emotional stories, and caring faces.
4. You care about something and say so. You believe that being complicit is no different than being on the opposing side of an issue.  You speak up about what matters to you, but you listen more than you talk. It is so crucial to democracy that we take the time to hear each other out and respond in an appropriate way.
5. From a young age you’ve been identifying the holes in everyone’s logic, and not because you want to fight or make someone feel stupid, but because you genuinely want to help them better understand themselves. Life is pretty confusing, and by the time we become these so-called “adults” things can get pretty muddled in our brains. You strive to be your most authentic self, and encourage others too! If who that is changes day-to-day, that’s okay. You don’t make progress by staying in the same place.
6. You’re empathetic AF.  This world is harsh – the last thing we need is a bunch of emotionless robots roaming the streets ignoring every new sad, awful, terrible, or good thing that happens. We have to be honest with ourselves about the true state of things, and refusing to engage is really uncool. You own your emotions and give others the space to do the same.

 
Sounds like you? Rejoice! And share the love – according to my calculations we’re severely understaffed in the babe department and the maximum capacity is infinite.