12 Quotes from Famous Women on Inner Strength

When things get tough, we discover that sometimes, our very worst enemy is ourselves. As humans, we can be so doubtful of ourselves and so self-conscious of our own power and brilliance. We refuse to celebrate our achievements because we believe something can go wrong or we fool ourselves to believe we don’t deserve them.

There are days where I need to blast Beyoncé on repeat to remind myself that I am, in fact, awesome. Last week, one of my poems got rejected from an online magazine I really love. I spent weeks preparing myself to see that poem published, so when I received an e-mail starting with that awful, “Thank you for submitting your poem. We’re sorry to inform you. . .” I felt totally ruined.

I felt stupid because as a writer, you get rejected multiple times a week if you’re doing it right. Regardless, I felt crappy. Getting rejected in any aspect of your life feels like someone single-handedly ripped out your heart and made a protein smoothie with it. It sucks, but I couldn’t let an e-mail destroy my week, so I did what is necessary when facing setbacks: I got back up and kept writing. No matter what, no one thing or person can hold you back from achieving your goals.

If you’re having one of those weeks that makes you feel discouraged, lost, or dismayed, here are some AMAZING, inspirational quotes from smart, strong, powerful women we love and admire.

1. 

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within” – Maya Angelou

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“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” – Marie Curie

3. 

“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it” – Margaret Thatcher

4. 

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength” – Oprah

5. 

“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out” – Katherine Dunham

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“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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(I know Carrie Bradshaw is technically fictional character, but some of her advice felt realer than real.)

11. 

-Eleanor Roosevelt

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