Inspiring Quotes from Powerful Women In History

We all have days when we need motivation. Days that we may feel unwell or struggling. Times when we try our best, but no one seems to notice. When we face times like this, we need encouragement. Encouragement to keep going, to speak the truth, and to know your worth. 

 I am sharing motivating quotes that you can use throughout your life. Since it is Women's History Month, I am sharing some of my favorite quotes from women. All of these women are well known but have endured some struggles. Some of them have faced more struggles than others. But they became writers, performers, first ladies, actors, athletes, and activists. 

This quote comes from an interview Maya Angelou did to promote her book, Letter My Daughter. Maya Angelou was a poet, writer, singer, and actress. The interviewer stated, "Just yesterday I interviewed Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. At one point, she talked about the importance of knowing yourself. She said, "Sometimes we become bound by other people's thoughts because we are not sure about ourselves" and that "when you know who you are you are free." Do you agree? And how does one go about discovering who we are, and living one's life authentically, with so many stereotypes and influences on us?" 

Maya Angelou responded, "Well, I think that we see how we can fall and rise. You see, we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat so that we can know who we are. So that we can see, oh, that happened, and I rose. I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world, and I rose. I didn't run away - I rose right where I'd been knocked down. And then that's how you get to know yourself. You say, hmm, I can get up! I have enough of life in me to make somebody jealous enough to want to knock me down. I have so much courage in me that I have the effrontery, the incredible gall to stand up. That's it. That's how you get to know who you are." 

Her response helped me deal with what I faced. I felt defeated from being rejected. My rejection caused me to search for something to encourage me. I found this quote across this quote and others that motivated me to pursue another degree. 

I decided to continue to pursue higher education. I went on to earn two degrees. Which later helped me to get the job I wanted. If I allowed my failure to cause me to give up on my dream, I would have missed out on several opportunities.

A reminder that we don't have to try to prove ourselves to everyone. I know this can be hard, especially on social media. But it is best to focus on what you can do and why you do it. Do it for yourselves. 

I found this quote last year. It comes from poet and author, Nikki Giovanni. It is powerful because it shows us how we can start creating boundaries for ourselves. If we treat and deal with ourselves with respect, this lets others do the same. 

Audre Lorde was an activist, writer, and poet. This quote comes from Sister Outsider. She discusses the fear she had when she was diagnosed with cancer. This fear made her to be silent. She found other women from a diverse background to talk about their feelings and beliefs. Her community gave her the strength to deal with cancer and dying. She felt that she was whole while being silent. This quote and her writings are helping me to realize that I can find a community to express my fears. The community I find may not look the way I do. I hope this quote will help you to find your community to express yourself.

In a graduation speech at Oregon State University, Ms. Obama discussed success with the graduates. Ms. Obama told the grads that success is about being impressive and being yourself. 

 We all can remember that being our true selves and having the fire to do things we are passionate about is being successful. Most believe the meaning of success is wealth and popularity. People work so tirelessly to gain success that they sacrifice their health, family, and identity. We all know this is harmful.

That is why it is better to be ourselves if we want to achieve our goals and feel good about it. 

Eartha Kitt was an actress, author, singer, and Civil Rights activist. 

This quote comes from Zoel Neal Hurston who was a writer. 

Rosa Park, the Civil Rights Activist was commenting on how and why she refused to give up her sit on the bus to a white person. She was the secretary of the NAACP in her area. She had attended workshops at Highlander Folk School. At the school, she was trained in civil disobedience and community activism.  She was knowledgeable in protesting and the consequences of refusing to obey the laws. When she got fed up with the racist and segregationist policies, she refused to submit. 

I heard her make this comment years ago. I always wondered what made her come to that conclusion. Her book, Letter to My Daughter, gives context to the quote. She was questioning her colleagues who lived in North Carolina and how they felt about segregation. She then realized they did have the courage to change what happened. She marveled at how the four students at North Carolina Agricultural dared to protest the segregated lunch counters. 

In context, she discusses the courage to speak out against the injustices of racism. Her quote should motivate all of us to do the same. 

Conclusion: 

I included the quotes I am familiar with and have heard before.  The ones that motivate me to keep going and to live the life I want. I hope it can do the same for you.