From Miranda Patterson, NBC News creative director

In beginning to think about A Woman's Nation, Maria Shriver's special report about the state of women today, I asked the women in my department, of all ages and career points, to finish this sentence: "Being a woman today means..."

The responses I got back from this small group were so intriguing that I cast a wider net. (I asked two friends, and they asked two friends, and...) Wonderful answers came flowing back, along with requests to hear what other women were saying. I'd like to share some of my favorites, and would love to hear your own thoughts.

Being a woman today means....

...opening your own doors.

...balancing choice with obligation.

...the world is yours...if you're bold enough to take it.

...Not expecting a thank you. You do something because either it's expected of you, 'cause no one else will, or you just want to.

...the sky is the limit. I can walk on the moon (if they ever send anybody there again), run for president, become one of the richest people on earth - whatever the imagination conjures up is within our grasp...except of course - equal pay.

...working in a man's world, while still living in a woman's world

...having to establish that you DO have a brain and you CAN work a camera with the best of them, even if you are wearing high-heeled boots.

Being a woman sometimes means having the responsibility without the authority.

Being a woman today means going beyond what your mother thought was possible.

...feeling confident that I can do anything, be anything---until some guy exerts his male privilege when I least expect it.

…tirelessly juggling multiple jobs to serve many constituencies—family, employees, clients, community—with as much energy, love and grace as one can muster.

I'd love to hear what you have to say, so please finish the sentence: Being a woman today means....

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