40 Inspirational Quotes From Amazing Women

There are so many women that inspire me today and have inspired me throughout my life. I have been lucky to live and work along some amazingly strong and inspirational women, from my own mum, to my wife, to women in business and politics.

Here I have put together a selection of 40 meaningful and inspirational quotes from women across all walks of life from activists and artists to entrepreneurs and historic figures to motivate and inspire you.

1.      “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.”—Hellen Keller

2.      “Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.”—Harper Lee

3.      “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” —Madeleine Albright

4.      “Maybe the hardest part of life is just having the courage to try.” —Rachel Hollis

5.      “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” —Dolly Parton

6.      “A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” —Madonna

7.      “If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you’ve got to let it go.” —Sara Blakely

8.      “A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

9.      “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman.” —Margaret Thatcher

10.  “No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth.” —Martha Beck

11.  “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” —Katharine Hepburn

12.  “I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.” —Louise Hay

13.  “I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.” —Estée Lauder

14.  “If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I’m going.” —Jackie Joyner-Kersee

15.  “You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” —Tina Fey

16.  “All careers go up and down like friendships, like marriages, like anything else, and you can’t bat a thousand all the time.” —Julie Andrews

17.  “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” —Ayn Rand

18.  “You are the one that possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own happiness.” —Diane von Furstenberg

19.  “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” —Oprah

20.  “I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say ‘yes, women can.’” —Dilma Rousseff

21.  “If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is.” —Angelina Jolie

22.  “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” —Malala Yousafzai

23.  “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations can never effect a reform.” —Susan B. Anthony

24.  “People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer [to fulfillment]. Actually a job is better for me.” —Princess Diana

25.  “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” —Serena Williams

26.  “Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.” —Anne Lamott

27.  “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest if merely tenacity.” —Amelia Earhart

28.  “Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” —Rosa Parks

29.  “Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.” —Beyoncé

30.  “If you can’t go straight ahead, you go around the corner.” —Cher

31.  “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” —Lucille Ball

32.  “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall

33.  “A good compromise is one where everybody makes a contribution.” —Angela Merkel

34.  “I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.” —Joan Rivers

35.  “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” —Erica Jong

36.  “Done is better than perfect.” —Sheryl Sandberg

37.  “I’m always perpetually out of my comfort zone.” —Tory Burch

38.  “When you embrace your difference, your DNA, your look or heritage or religion or your unusual name, that’s when you start to shine.” —Bethenny Frankel

39.  “The challenge is not to be perfect…it’s to be whole.” —Jane Fonda

40.  “You can’t control how you feel. But you can always choose how you act.” —Mel Robbins

What quote from an inspiring woman would you add to our list? 

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About Bernard Marr

Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.

LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that reaches millions of readers.