9th October 2020
Motivational quotes from inspiring women
Finding inspiration & motivation is so important. Motivational quotes can help you reach your potential each day. Sure, they’re just words. But they’re positive words. And if you’re on the verge of giving up or struggling to push yourself to the next level or you’ve had a downer of a day, a tough week sometimes that’s just what you need.
Lady K Loves as a brand has been built on strong feminist foundations and we are constantly inspired and subconsciously (& consciously) promote strong women and female empowerment. We collected an array of quotes from inspiring women that can be applied to whatever difficulty you’re experiencing in your life, so you can take these inspirational quotes with you no matter what challenges you’re encountering. We hope they will help you to make you feel encouraged, inspired & refreshed!
Note: This is a small selection of women we find inspiring, they were & are not perfect, however, we’ve selected some of their words we find encouraging. This does not mean we agree with all of their thoughts or actions.
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart, an adventurer in the 30’s who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person ever to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. Her plane went missing one flight and she was never seen again. There weren’t many female pilots back then, and her actions inspired other women to follow their dreams. This was especially important because there were few career choices available to women at that time. Amelia Earhart has inspired generations of women to do things that had never been done by women before. She is also one of the badass women who inspire our LKL boss (don’t miss our blog post in Conversation with Kessie Hodges Lady K Loves boss).
Amelia Earhart quotes
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”
“Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”“Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?”
“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”“Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.”
“Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.”“You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky.”
“As soon as we left the ground I knew I myself had to fly!”
“Preparation, I have often said, is rightly two-thirds of any venture.”
“Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot do or will not do”
“No borders, just horizons – only freedom.”
“I believe that a girl should not do what she thinks she should do, but should find out through experience what she wants to do.”
“The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune.”
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”
“Worry retards reaction and makes clear-cut decisions impossible.”
“Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do.”
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is famous for her memorable movie roles in the 1950s and 60s. But Audrey was not only an accomplished actress, she was also a humanitarian who spent the latter part of her life helping underprivileged children and mothers across the globe through UNICEF.
Audrey Hepburn quotes
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”
“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”
“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. A woman can be beautiful as well as intellectual. It’s that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so ‘don’t fuss, dear; get on with it.”
“Life is a party. Dress for it.”
“I’ve been lucky. Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them.”
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life, to be happy, it’s all that matters.”
Bunny Yaeger
Bunny Yeager is an American photographer and former pin-up model. Yeager became one of the most photographed models in Miami. After retiring from modeling, she began her career behind the camera. She met Bettie Page in 1954 and took most of the photographs of her that year.
Bunny Yaeger quotes
“Make the most of what you have and enjoy being female; enjoy being YOU”
“When you start photographing yourself, you are going to be amazed at all the things you find out about yourself, and youll be glad you did”
Bettie Page was number one. I have never known another model who had better knowledge of her body or how to work with it to make it look so good. Her skin was perfect, no blemishes. Perfect nose, beautiful straight teeth, and gleaming, shiny black hair that was always in place, always.
“I was just confident my work was good”
“I like my brain to be going and thinking about creative things, I don’t want anybody getting in my way.”
“Bettie was as close to perfection as you could get, I guess. I knew she was special from the very start. She was one of these girls that just looked good no matter what she did.”
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge is considered the perfect example of beauty & grace. She broke down racial barriers and set the path for black actresses. She became the first black female to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category for her role in Carmen Jones & the first Black woman to grace the cover of Life magazine.
Dorothy Dandridge quotes
“There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise
“It [prejudice] is such a waste. It makes you logy and half-alive. It gives you nothing. It takes away.
“My mother taught me that nothing worthwhile is gained without hardship or determination, and I contribute whatever success I have had to her.”
“It’s a wonderful therapy. You don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself”
“Have you ever caught sight of yourself by accident and you see yourself from the outside? That’s who you really are.”
Eartha Kitt
She was an American singer, actress, dancer, comedian, author, and songwriter known for her highly distinctive singing style andthe Christmas novelty song “Santa Baby”. Eartha Kitt was the second actress to portray Catwoman in the Batman 1960s television series. She loved yoga and was a badass activist. Kitt established the Kittsville Youth Foundation, a chartered and non-profit organisation for underprivileged youth in the Watts area of Los Angeles. She was also involved with a group who called themselves, “Rebels with a Cause.” Kitt supported the group’s efforts to clean up streets and establish recreation areas in an effort to keep them out of trouble by testifying with them before the House General Subcommittee on Education of the Committee on Education and Labor. Kitt was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, thus her criticism of the Vietnam War and its connection to poverty and racial unrest in 1968 can be seen as part of a larger commitment to peace activism.
Eartha Kitt quotes
“I fall in love with myself, and I want someone to share it with me. And I want someone to share me, with me.”
“Just because you are different does not mean that you have to be rejected”
“I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.”
“Aging has a wonderful beauty and we should have respect for that.”
“I’ve never felt that fear is my enemy. Fear is my friend. It offers me a chance to stay alert, keep growing, continue creating something new. If you don’t take that sort of risk, you learn nothing.”
“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self love deficit.”
“Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything.”
“We’re not thought of in terms of color because we are entertainers. We are there to entertain you not because we are black, white, pink, or green or gay or straight or because we are Catholic or Protestant.”
“I’m a dirt person. I trust the dirt. I don’t trust diamonds and gold.”
“Truth is a theory that is constantly being disproved. Only lies, it seems, go on forever.”
“Sometimes it’s good to fall down to see who will pick you up.”
“My recipe for life is not being afraid of myself, afraid of what I think or of my opinions.”
“Dr. Einstein was not successful in school, but he found something in the air from his own imagination and his own brain power, and look what he did.”
Ella Fitzgerald
Known as “the First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald was a famous jazz singer and the first African-American woman to win a Grammy Award.
Ella Fitzgerald quotes
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
“It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts.”
“I used to be very self-conscious. I used to wish I was pretty. By smiling, I think I’ve made more friends than if I was the other way.”
“What everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved.”
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist. Frida is an inspiration because, as a woman and an artist, she broke a lot of barriers. People think she is only an icon because she defied society’s beauty standards, but she was way more than that. She gave us a lesson in resilience when she did not stop after the terrible accident she had when she was 18. Instead of her trauma and pain being an obstacle, she used it to drive her self exploration and art. She was openly bisexual at a time where this was very controversial, and a member of the communist party. Despite all of these radical, controversial things about her, all Mexican women admire her strength & feel proud that a Mexican woman achieved international acclaim.
Frida Kahlo quotes
“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”“Fall in love with yourself, with life and then with whoever you want.”“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”“I paint flowers so they will not die.”“I hope the leaving is joyful; and I hope never to return.”
“I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.”
“I wanted to drown my sorrows in liquor, but they learned to swim.”
“Everything can have beauty, even the worst horror.”
“The most powerful art in life is to transform pain into a healing talisman. A butterfly is reborn, blossomed into a colorful party!“
“What doesn’t kill me, feeds me”“Can verbs be made up? I’ll tell you one. I heaven you, so my wings will open wide to love you boundlessly. I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.”
Heady Lamarr
She was a was an Austrian-American actress, but also an inventor. She invented an airwave relay messaging system that led to today’s Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. During her heyday, Lamarr was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Her face was the inspiration for Disney’s Snow White and for Catwoman indeed!
Heady Lamarr quotes
“All creative people want to do the unexpected”
“Give the world the best you’ve got. And you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway”
“I’ve met the most interesting people while flying or on a boat. These methods of travel seem to attract the kind of people I want to be with.”
“I know why most people never get rich. They put the money ahead of the job. If you just think of the job, the money will automatically follow. This never fails.”
“Hope & curiosity about the future seemed better than guarantees. The unknown was always so attractive to me…and still is.”
“The world isn’t getting any easier. With all these new inventions I believe that people are hurried more and pushed more… The hurried way is not the right way; you need time for everything – time to work, time to play, time to rest”
“Men are most virile and most attractive between the ages of 35 and 55. Under 35 a man has too much to learn, and I don’t have time to teach him.”
“I am not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my father’s equal, and I never loved any other man as much.”
Lucille Ball
Lucille Desiree Ball is one of America’s most famous redheads and beloved comic actresses. She was more than a brilliant comedienne. Lucille was also a trailblazing feminist badass during a time when women weren’t allowed to be any of those things. She was the first woman to run a production company without a man’s help!
Lucille Ball quotes
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
“I’m not funny. What I am is brave.”“The more things you do, the more you can do.”
“In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.”
“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.”
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.”
“The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”
“I’m happy that I have brought laughter because I have been shown by many the value of it in so many lives, in so many ways.”
“Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work – and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”
“Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, in Physics, and with her later win, in Chemistry, she became the first person to claim Nobel honours twice. Her efforts with her husband Pierre led to the discovery of polonium and radium, and she championed the development of X-rays. However, the scientist died in 1934 of aplastic anaemia likely caused by exposure to radiation.
Marie Curie quotes
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”
“First principle: never to let one’s self be beaten down by persons or by events.”
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. ”
“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”
“We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.”
“Each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity.”
“The older one gets, the more one feels that the present must be enjoyed; it is a precious gift, comparable to a state of grace”
Marsha P Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American gay man and drag artist – someone who dresses extravagantly and performs as a woman – from New Jersey, whose activism in the 1960s and 70s had a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
Marsha P Johnson quotes
“I may be crazy, but that don’t make me wrong”
“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us”
“History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.”
“How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I mean how many years does it take people to see that? We’re all in this rat race together!”
“Darling, I want my gay rights now!”
Marylin Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, comedienne, singer, and model. The blonde bombshell became one of the world’s most enduring iconic figures of the 1950s . She publicly disclosed the sexual abuse she experienced during her childhood and adulthood– a shocking confession, especially at the time. It was a brave, feminist act. She didn’t hide during a time when our society held to the ideas that abuse rarely occurred and if it did, blamed the victim. In addition, many fans don’t know that Marilyn Monroe was the second woman to head her own production company.
Marylin Monroe quotes
“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
“This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends – they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything – they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they’ll come and go too. And baby, I hate to say it, most of them – actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soulmate. You’ll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”
“If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything.”“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.”
“It’s far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone — so far.”
“We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.”
“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”
“I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.”
“Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together”
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey grew up in poverty with an unmarried teenage mother in Mississippi and went on to build one of the largest entertainment empires the world has ever seen. An inductee to the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Oprah was North America’s first Black multi-billionaire, held the highest-rated television program for well over a decade, and is considered one of the most influential women on the planet.
Oprah Winfrey quotes
“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.”
“Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.”
“The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.”
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
“True forgiveness is when you can say,
“Thank you for that experience.”
“You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.”
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”
“The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.”
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
“Opportunity may knock only once but temptation leans on the door bell.”
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance — and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
“One of the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.”
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
“Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself.”
“I trust that everything happens for a reason, even when we’re not wise enough to see it.”
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
“You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.”
“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”
“So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.”
“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you – always.”
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
“ With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.”
“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”
“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.”
“Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the second female justice to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, RBG is a notorious gender-rights badass. She was one of only nine female students during her time at Harvard, became the lead counsel for the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, and can be credited with building a better legal foundation of women’s equality. Ginsburg is a powerful example of someone who lived her beliefs and wasn’t afraid to voice them.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes
“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.”
“Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
“Feminism [is the] notion that we should each be free to develop our own talents and not be held back by manmade barriers.”
“The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality.”
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.”
“Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
“When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out.”
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
“Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.”
“You can’t have it all, all at once.”
“I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
“In the course of a marriage, one accommodates the other.”
“In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.”
“A gender line … helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”
“If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.”
“Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
“You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
“If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
Sophia Loren
Last but not least, Sophia Loren. Sophia Loren is an Academy Award-winning Italian actress. Sophia Loren remains the epitome of la Dolce Vita and glamour. Although recognized as one of the most beautiful woman in the world, the Italian Icon is equivalently known as the woman who dared to challenge traditional conventions of beauty in the 1950’s.
Sophia Loren quotes
“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”
“Everything you live through helps to make you the person you are now.”
“Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful.”
“If you haven’t cried, your eyes cannot be beautiful.”
“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”
“Discipline is the great equalizer. If a young woman is beautiful but has no discipline, she will lose her looks as she grows older. If a plain woman is disciplined she will undoubtedly become more beautiful with time.”
“It’s better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.”
“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”
“You have to enjoy life. Always be surrounded by people that you like, people who have a nice conversation. There are so many positive things to think about.”
“Being beautiful can never hurt, but you have to have more. You have to sparkle, you have to be fun, you have to make your brain work if you have one.”
“Sex appeal is fifty percent what you’ve got and fifty percent what people think you’ve got.”
“Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go so much further than people with vastly superior talent.”
“It’s a mistake to think that once you’re done with school you need never learn anything new.”
“A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”
“The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love for those you are cooking for.”
“If you really believe in your union, you have to nourish it and work for it, then you can really spend your life together forever.”
“You must all, somewhere deep in your hearts, believe that you have a special beauty that is like no other and that is so valuable that you must not abandon it. Indeed, you must learn to cherish it.”
“Believe me, it is actions that count.”
“I believe that you get what you want if you want it badly enough.”
“At the dressing table, every woman has a chance to be an artist, and art, as Aristotle said, ‘completes what nature left unfinished.”
“Any woman can look her best if she feels good in her skin. It’s not a question of clothes or makeup. It’s how she sparkles.”
“Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.”
“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”
Whenever a woman needs to develop self-confidence it’s important to have a couple of strong, independent women to look up to.
Reading their words of wisdom is a great way to not only encourage and empower yourself but to also celebrate and promote the achievements of the amazing women around us. Hopefully, the quotes above have inspired & encouraged you to follow your dreams & live your best life.
Did you enjoy these inspirational quotes? Which of the quotes was your favourite?. We’d love to hear from you! Join in the conversation on any of our social pages