Womanly Words of Wisdom: 25 Empowering Quotations for Your Life

It’s amazing the comfort that comes from a good quote.  They reassure us that others have been in the same place; physically, emotional, and mentally.  And when only a good quote can help us through a trying time, the right one appears, as if by magic, to inspire and cheer us on.

We are the product of years and years of wisdom from other women.  I can’t think of a better place to find advice, inspiration, support, or motivation than from their wise words.  Below are 25 quotes that offer general thoughts on life.  May the one that you need at this very moment find you…


1. “If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.” ~ Gail Sheehy

2. “Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.” ~ Betty Smith

3. “Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.” ~ Margaret Young

4. “There are two ways of spreading light ... To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton

5. “Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.”  ~ Janet Lane

6. “The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” ~ Sonya Friedman

7. “The opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

8. “You can look at a person's attitude and know what kind of thinking is prevalent in his life... It's better to be positive and wrong than negative and right!” ~ Joyce Meyer

9. “What a wonderful life I've had!  I only wish I'd realized it sooner.” ~ Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

10. “You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” ~ Erica Jong

11. “We never know how high we are till we are called to rise; And then, if we are true to plan, our statures touch the skies.” ~ Emily Dickinson

12. “Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.” ~ Mildred Barthel

13. “Remove those 'I want you to like me' stickers from your forehead and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good -- on your mirror!” ~ Susan Jeffers

14. “You never find yourself until you face the truth.” ~ Pearl Bailey

15. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” ~ Sally Berger

16. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” ~ Anais Nin

17. “Accept that all of us can be hurt, that all of us can - and surely will at times - fail. Other vulnerabilities, like being embarrassed or risking love, can be terrifying too. I think we should follow a simple rule: if we can take the worst, take the risk.” ~ Dr. Joyce Brothers

18. “You can't punish yourself into change. You can't whip yourself into shape. But you can love yourself into well-being.” ~ Susan Skye

19. “It doesn't matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn't matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years -- we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on.” ~ Sharon Salzberg

20. “No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.” ~ Barbara de Angelis

21. “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” ~ Margaret Drabble

22. “The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.” ~ Ellen Glasgow

23. “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.” ~ Mary Engelbreit

24. “Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing.” ~ Anne Sullivan

25. “I have discovered that patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” ~ Joyce Meyer

The Soul Sisters

Soulpiration of the Week:
“The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation.” ~Isaac D'Israeli

Top 25 Empowerment Quotations for Women

We love a good quotation, and apparently you do too. Often it’s a simple post of a quote on our Facebook page that will draw the most comments and “likes”.

So what is it that draws us to these short lines of text? Is it the feelings of inspiration they provide? Is it the nuggets of wisdom buried in their meaning? Are we so pressed for time that we can only afford the few seconds it takes to read and ponder these sayings? We believe the answer to be, “all of the above”.

We’ve been amassing quotations for years and we’ve built quite the collection. Some are deep, some are funny, and our favorites remind us of the potential and unique power within each woman. We’ve drawn from our quotation library when we’ve needed a lift, and also tapped into this resource when we’ve recognized another is in need of a pick-me-up.

Below we share some of our favorites about women and women’s empowerment. We hope they offer you some inspiration and we invite you to forward this post to a friend who is in need of a power-boost! We know you have your own favorites too, and invite you to post them in the comments area of this blog to help us build an even larger source of empowerment for women everywhere!

Enjoy!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

TOP 25 EMPOWERMENT QUOTATIONS FOR WOMEN:

1. “It doesn't matter who you are, or where you came from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.” ~Oprah Winfrey

2. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” ~Alice Walker

3. “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.” ~Ruth Gordon

4. “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin

5. “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.” ~Beverly Sills

6. “It's not what you call me, but what I answer to.” ~African proverb

7. “You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” ~Erica Jong

8. “Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

9. “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” ~Diane Mariechild

10. “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” ~Audre Lorde

11. "The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." ~Ayn Rand

12. "Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

13. "The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it." ~Roseanne Barr

14. “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft

15. “You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.” ~Jane Galvin Lewis

16. “There is a growing strength in women but it's in the forehead, not the forearm.” ~Beverly Sills

17. “It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.” ~Sally Kempton

18. “Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths.” ~Lois Wyse

19. “Remove those 'I want you to like me' stickers from your forehead and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good -- on your mirror!” ~Susan Jeffers

20. “Never underestimate the power of a woman.” ~Nellie McClung

21. "Women have to harness their power - it's absolutely true. It's just learning not to take the first no. And if you can't go straight ahead, you go around the corner." ~Cher


Good for a giggle…

22. "The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off." ~Gloria Steinem

23. “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” ~Charlotte Whitton

24. “A woman is like a tea bag: you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” ~Nancy Reagan


Long on power…

25. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~Marianne Williamson

Soulspiration of the Week:
“When emotions are locked up in your heart, they can find release through words.” ~Simran Khurana