105 Inspirational Quotes That'll Give You More of a Boost Than Coffee
Inspirational Quotes That'll Give You More of a Boost Than Coffee
Feeling stuck in a rut, or just out of sorts? We got you. Sometimes, you just need a couple of positive, candid, inspiration-giving quotes that'll help you see the light of the end of the tunnel. From the women (and some men) who have seen it all, done it all, and have the wisdom to help you through anything, we present: Inspirational, timeless lines that will get you through even the darkest of days. You may just need one or two of these quotes—the ones that really speak to you and your situation—but we listed 105 of them (yes, 105) so that there's something for everyone.
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Viola Davis
"Do not live someone else's life and someone else's idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you." —Viola Davis
Ilhan Omar
"They cannot stand that a refugee, a black woman, an immigrant, a Muslim, shows up in Congress thinking she's equal to them. But I say to them, 'How else did you expect me to show up?'" — Ilhan Omar
Tory Burch
"If it doesn't scare you, you're probably not dreaming big enough." —Tory Burch
bell hooks
"Feminism is for everybody." —bell hooks
Rihanna
"There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer." —Rihanna
Kamala Harris
“If we do not lift up women and families, everyone will fall short.”—Kamala Harris
Tina Fey
"Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring." —Tina Fey
Justin Trudeau
“I am a feminist. I’m proud to be a feminist.” —Justin Trudeau
Diane von Furstenberg
"I always wanted to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman." —Diane von Furstenberg
Reese Witherspoon
"I don't know a woman alive who isn't courageous." —Reese Witherspoon
Nancy Pelosi
"Women are leaders everywhere you look—from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes."
—Nancy Pelosi
Kerry Washington
"I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of my life." —Kerry Washington
Coco Chanel
"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." —Coco Chanel
Ryan Gosling
"I'm attracted to films that have strong female characters because there are strong female characters in my life." —Ryan Gosling
Prince Harry
"Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve." —Prince Harry
Margaret Thatcher
"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." —Margaret Thatcher
Madonna
"I'm tough. I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a b----, okay." —Madonna
John Legend
"All men should be feminists. If men care about women's rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered." —John Legend
Michelle Obama
"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish."
—Michelle Obama
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in." — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Vera Wang
"A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her own clothes." —Vera Wang
Tina Fey
"Know what? B------ get stuff done." —Tina Fey
Amy Schumer
"I am a woman with thoughts and questions and s--- to say. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story—I will." —Amy Schumer
Tavi Gevinson
"Women are complicated. Women are multifaceted. Not because women are crazy. But because people are crazy, and women happen to be people." —Tavi Gevinson
Rebecca West
"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what a feminist is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." —Rebecca West
Jia Tolentino
"Women’s speech—and the fact that we are now listening to it—has enraged men in a way that makes them determined to reestablish the longstanding hierarchy of power in America. ... And yet this awful truth will not stop women from speaking, and I do not think that it will turn a movement into a moment. It has become clear that there is not nearly enough left to lose." — Jia Tolentino
Marilyn Monroe
"Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world."
—Marilyn Monroe
Sophia Loren
"Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got."
—Sophia Loren
Hailee Steinfeld
"It needs to be said and heard: It's okay to be who you are."
—Hailee Steinfeld
Eleanor Roosevelt
"A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
"The idea that a woman can be as powerful as a man is something that our society can’t deal with. But I am as powerful as a man and it drives them crazy." —Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Anne Hathaway
"A man told me that for a woman, I was very opinionated. I said, 'For a man, you're kind of ignorant.'" —Anne Hathaway
Alice Walker
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." —Alice Walker
Amelia Earhart
"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."
—Amelia Earhart
Elizabeth Warren
“The word’s out: I’m a woman, and I’m going to have trouble backing off on that. I am what I am. I’ll go out and talk to people about what’s happening to their families, and when I do that, I’m a mother. I’m a grandmother.” —Elizabeth Warren
Shonda Rhimes
"You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them." —Shonda Rhimes
Zendaya
“I think women are very powerful and I think we’re more powerful together than separated.” – Zendaya
Lucille Ball
"I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done." —Lucille Ball
Stacey Abrams
"When we show up, act boldly, and practice the best ways to be wrong, we fail forward. No matter where we end up, we’ve grown from where we began." —Stacey Abrams
Joan Rivers
"I was smart enough to go through any door that opened." —Joan Rivers
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
"If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I'm going." —Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Melinda Gates
"A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman." —Melinda Gates
Estée Lauder
"Act tough: what others call tough, I call persistent." —Estée Lauder
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
"My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant to be your own person, be independent." —Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Tyra Banks
"Never dull your shine for anyone else." —Tyra Banks
Rebecca West
"I only know that people call me a FEMINIST whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." —Rebecca West
Serena Williams
"A champion is defined not by their wins, but by how many times they recover when they fall." —Serena Williams
Katy Perry
"I hope to be changing 'til the last day on this earth." —Katy Perry
Gigi Hadid
"I love my body because I know what it's been through to be what it is." —Gigi Hadid
Alicia Vikander
"The mere fact of being able to call your job your passion is success in my eyes." —Alicia Vikander
Coco Chanel
"I don't care what you think about me. I don't care about you at all." —Coco Chanel
Tina Fey
"Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions. Do your thing, and don't care if they like it." —Tina Fey
Marilyn Monroe
"Fear is stupid, so are regrets." —Marilyn Monroe
Iris Apfel
"Fashion you can buy, but style you possess." —Iris Apfel
Emma Stone
"Flaws are my favorite part of people, usually." —Emma Stone
Diane von Furstenberg
"Dreams are achievable and you can make your fantasy come true, but there are no shortcuts. Nothing happens without hard work." —Diane von Furstenberg
Diana Vreeland
"It's not about the dress you wear. It's about the life you lead in the dress." —Diana Vreeland
Gloria Steinem
"A FEMINIST is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men." —Gloria Steinem
Maya Angelou
"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women." —Maya Angelou
Hillary Rodham Clinton
"Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard." —Hillary Rodham Clinton
Julia Roberts
"I'm better for all the things that have happened to me, the good, the bad and the bad" —Julia Roberts
Rihanna
"You have to accept your body. You may not love it all the way, but you have to be comfortable with it, comfortable knowing that that's your body." —Rihanna
Barack Obama
"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something." —Barack Obama
Mindy Kaling
"Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched." —Mindy Kaling
Michelle Obama
"I want young people to know they matter, that they belong. So don't be afraid—you hear me, young people? Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered." —Michelle Obama
Cameron Diaz
"Your regrets aren't what you did, but what you didn't do. So I take every opportunity." —Cameron Diaz
Rosa Parks
"Knowing what must be done does away with fear." —Rosa Parks
Nora Ephron
"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." —Nora Ephron
Lena Dunham
"It's not brave to do something that doesn't scare you." —Lena Dunham
Emma Watson
"If men don't have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won't feel compelled to be submissive. If men don't have control, women don't have to be controlled." —Emma Watson
Beyoncé
"I don't like to gamble, but if there's one thing I'm willing to bet on, it's myself." —Beyoncé
Ayn Rand
"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." —Ayn Rand
Elanor Roosevelt
"Happiness is not a goal; it's a by-product." —Eleanor Roosevelt
Oprah
"Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness." —Oprah
Rosa Parks
"Each person must live their life as a model for others." —Rosa Parks
Emma Watson
"Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women. It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equality." —Emma Watson
Geraldine Ferraro
"We've chosen the path to equality, don't let them turn us around." —Geraldine Ferraro
Jane Fonda
"You can do one of two things: just shut up, which is something I don't find easy, or learn an awful lot very fast, which is what I tried to do." —Jane Fonda
Janis Joplin
"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." —Janis Joplin
Mary Kom
"Don't let anyone tell you you're weak because you're a woman." —Mary Kom
Sheryl Sandberg
"In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will be just leaders." —Sheryl Sandberg
Adele
"I've learned the main thing in life is that you get what you put in." —Adele
Beyoncé
"I have learned that it is no one else's job to take care of me but me." —Beyoncé
Demi Lovato
"I try to keep it real. I don't have time to worry about what I'm projecting to the world. I'm just busy being myself." —Demi Lovato
Elizabeth Gilbert
"Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be." —Elizabeth Gilbert
Janelle Monáe
"I come in peace, but mean business." —Janelle Monáe
Lauryn Hill
"Don't be a rock when you really are a gem." —Lauryn Hill
Taylor Swift
"I'm just happy we live in a world where boys can play princesses and girls can play soldiers." —Taylor Swift
Beyoncé
"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn't a reality yet." —Beyoncé
Frida Kahlo
"Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?" —Frida Kahlo
Helen Mirren
"At 70 years old if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to use the word 'f—k off' much more frequently." —Helen Mirren
Janet Mock
"Telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act." —Janet Mock
Patricia Schroeder
"I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both." —Patricia Schroeder
Priyanka Chopra
"My dad always said, 'Don't fit into the glass slipper like Cinderella did, shatter the glass ceiling.'" —Priyanka Chopra
Amy Poehler
"It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and your real estate." —Amy Poehler
Dolly Parton
"I was the first woman to burn my bra—it took the fire department four days to put it out." —Dolly Parton
Emily Ratajkowski
"Honoring our sexuality as women is a messy, messy business, but if we don't try, what do we become?" —Emily Ratajkowski
Fran?oise Sagan
"Whisky, gambling, and Ferraris are better than housework." —Françoise Sagan
Meryl Streep
"What makes you different or weird—that is your strength." —Meryl Streep
Susan Sarandon
"It will be great when it's not such a big deal when a woman does a good job." —Susan Sarandon
Carrie Fisher
"Men don't age better than women, they're just allowed to age." —Carrie Fisher
Debbie Harry
"The only person I really believe in is me." —Debbie Harry
Emma Stone
"I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself." —Emma Stone
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers"I did everything he did but backwards and in high heels." —Ginger Rogers
Sheryl Sandberg
"I want every little girl who's told she's bossy to be told instead she has leadership skills." — Sheryl Sandberg
By The Marie Claire Editors
Sage advice from fantastic women (and a few men, too).