"Girls are derided, at an early age, for displaying confidence and swagger. As a result, many of us overexplain ourselves — to justify, to contextualize, to apologize for seeming any way other than how we're meant to seem.

We forget how to stop and let our words hang in the air, without apology. We forget that we're not always responsible for other people's comfort, and that refusing to take responsibility for other people's comfort is actually a kind of power.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we have a right to make statements and requests that don't end in question marks.

It turns out that sometimes when you shut up, people give you exactly what you want, whether it's information, reassurance, or free drinks. You hardly even have to ask! And other times, people start explaining themselves instead. You get a lot more useful information, and you feel a lot more relaxed." 

Lifted from: Cosmopolitan Magazine

There is a reason why I am such a Cosmo girl. Fan girl here! <3