Powerful Women, Powerful Heroines

I want to take a moment to be a little passionate.
We all have our passions, our beliefs, the things we feel very strongly about. For me, that's creating powerful female leads in a story and showing women their own power.
Now, I'm not sexist or anything. I'm not saying men are useless, I'm not saying men aren't important. They can be heroes, just as easily as women. But I do believe it is more common for women to see themselves as victims, as damsels in distress.
What a very mistaken concept.
Women are powerful creatures. It is rare for us to believe it, but we really are. We have the strength, the compassion, the courage to do the right thing, even if we stand alone. In the words of Albert Einstein, "The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before." That's an intimidatingly beautiful idea. Don't be afraid to stand alone, don't be afraid to be the heroine of your own story. It will take you further than being saved by a knight in shining armor ever would.
A lot of the time, women wait for someone to save them. We are often drawn to the idea of being a princess so we will be saved by the knight.
Be your own knight.
This is a theme in thousands of stories. Thousands of heroines are created every day, heroines who stand up for what is right. Tris in Divergent, Melanie in The Host, Juliette in Shatter Me. Headstrong women in stories fill our world. Why? Because we want to like them. We admire strong women.
This is exactly why I write female protagonists. Women need to know that they are not the victim. Take the examples of Edgeshifter and Nissa in Segolia. Nissa is a young princess that goes from reluctant hero to a legend in her world. Edgeshifter's compassion makes her a heroine.
Be the hero in your own story. Don't wait for someone to take control. You are strong, beautiful, and independent.
Let that incredible strength shine.