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Embrace your life without apology!
By Cris Gladly and Caithlin Pena — Written on Jan 14, 2016
Ladies ... as you know, going for what you really want in life takes serious SPUNK!
But, for those of us raised on the message: "Play nice" and "Wait your turn," summoning the courage (and sense of self worth) now to actually reach for our dreams can feel difficult.
We all need a little extra support and motivation when pushing our comfort zones.
To that end, we've gathered a power-packed collection of quotes that offer real, 'tell it like it is' advice for those days when your spunk needs a little pep talk. Here are14 feisty quotes for confident women who refuse to play small:
1. "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." ~ Helen Keller
What’s the point of being alive if you aren’t going to love big, reach high, try hard, and experience as much of this world as you can?
You get ONE shot at this thing called life ... just one. Go all in!
2. "Being practical and safe and always logical is way overrated." ~ Patti Digh
No, don’t go jumping off every proverbial cliff just because an impulse strikes you. But, DO recognize that over-caution rarely keeps you truly safe.
So, take a risk once in awhile. Try something new. Let your heart lead on occasion. Being practical has its place. But so does just going for it!
3. "To me, Fearless is not the absence of fear … To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death." ~ Taylor Swift
Does putting yourself out there scare you? That's OK. Fear is normal. If you wait for the day you feel no fear, you'll wait forever. Meanwhile, your life is happening now.
So, when fear shows up, acknowledge it, and then keep reaching for what you want anyway. On your braver days, go big! On days you feel more scared, just take one small step. All forward movement is progress.
4. "Power's not given to you. You have to take it." ~ Beyonce
Stop waiting for permission to live your life. Stop waiting for others to pave the way for you. Life rewards those who step up, raise their hand, and make their lives count.
You don’t have to step on anyone else to claim your rightful space in the world, but don’t forfeit your turn in life either.
5. "Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be." ~Clementine Paddleford
Dreams are wonderful. But sitting around passively wishing for your life to magically change isn’t romantic, it’s foolish.
Embrace your power and create the life you want. You don't have to know 'how to make it' ALL happen right now. Just take one small, concrete step every single day toward the life you want. If you don't actively show up for your dreams, who will?
6. "‘Can’t’ is the lie we tell when we really mean ‘won’t;’ ‘don’t want to;’ or ‘just not gonna.’" ~ Marie Forleo
Let’s be our own best bullsh*t detectors, OK, ladies? And the no b.s. truth is — when you really want something, you make it happen. When you don’t, you make excuses. (We all do it.)
But, from this moment forward, just be honest with yourself about it. Own your choices (even when you choose not to do something). Every time you lie to yourself with the words "I can’t," you give more and more of your power away.
7. "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will insert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." ~ Sir Cecil Beacon
Don’t let haters dull your feist or shine. Put yourself out there without apology. Those who play small will always feel threatened by women who live big! Be daring and different anyway.
8. "Sometimes audacity creates problems. But those problems can almost always be solved with more audacity." ~Unknown
We all wrongly assume, overestimate, fumble, or put our foot in our mouth from time to time. Part of living bravely is reaching a little bit higher than you think you can (or should). So, if your bold ambition lands you in place where, whoops!, you’re out of your league … rely on that same bold ambition to help you creatively handle the situation like a champ.
9. "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ~Samuel Beckett
Mistakes happen. You will fall down out there. Stop telling yourself that a misstep means a damn thing about your worth. It doesn’t. It’s all part of the journey. The only real failure is not learning and growing from your unique life experiences, even the "shitty" ones.
(Psst ... Need a little help shaking off your fear of failure? Watch this powerful TEDTalk by Carol Dweck.)
10. "If you don’t become the ocean, you will be seasick everyday." ~Leonard Cohen
We all want life to go our way … smooth sailing and doors opening for us easily. Only, that’s not how life works. Not for you. Not for anyone.
The ups and downs, the hills and valleys are all a normal part of life. So, stop looking at challenging things that require effort as being 'bad,' 'wrong,' or 'a disaster.' This only create extra stress and worry. So every single day that you're lucky to be alive: Expect something wonderful and something frustrating to occur. Both probably will. And that's the beauty of life.
Just roll with it, baby!
11. "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn’t." ~Erica Jong
When you have friends truly dedicated to helping you rise into your best self, great! Ask their opinion from time to time. But don’t make the mistake of running your life by committee.
You already know what you want and what you need to do to get it (you're just scared of taking the risk). Remember — avoiding the answer isn't the same as not knowing it.
12. "We have to be careful that in throwing out the devil, we don’t throw out the best part of ourselves." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Yes, personal growth matters. But aim for being the fullest version of the real you.
Your kindness matters, but so does your raw honesty. Don’t run from your rough edges, just learn how to polish them to serve you.
13. “The best gift you can give yourself is to lighten up.” ~Pema Chödröm
Life is serious enough on it’s own, don’t you think? Don’t make it any more so by thinking every bump in your day is a tragedy.
That clash with a co-worker, that friend who annoyed you, or the loved one who forgot to do exactly what you wanted, the exact way you wanted it done … none of that is the end of the world … unless you make it so. Lighten up! Give people (including yourself) the benefit of the doubt.
Smile. Laugh a little. Life, while hard, is also hilarious.
14. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else." ~ Judy Garland
Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. Just do you! The world already has enough mediocre copies of other people’s greatness. Be an original.
P.S. If you're searching for the best quotes and memes to share with the people you love (or just want to feel inspired yourself) ... look no further! From the sweetest love quotes, inspirational sayings, and hilarious relationship truths, we've got you covered.