24 Empowerment Quotes By Women Who Rock

Today I had some time to do some introspection. I thought about life in general before I narrowed it down to my personal goals and what I have accomplished thus far in relation to them. I reflected on the title of my blog and how the name really came about. [key word being Empowerment] I gently reminded myself why I started it in the first instance.

It started primarily so that the good news of the gospel will be made known – even though deep within, it was to build a ‘safe’ place for me to document my testimonies, to record my journey and my varying experiences through life, and to give voice to my pain and that of others who for whatever reason may have had their voice silenced by the darkness of life.

In giving myself permission to self interrogate, I concluded that one main thing was missing from my life today. I felt less than empowered. My pain for that moment was not having the zest, and the impact that I started with, and it made me feel as though I was no longer relevant with my messages. At the core of the concept of empowerment is the idea of power, and I felt I was loosing ground in that sense.

So in my quest to get back on my feet again, I reached out to women who rock for inspiration and to give me the boost of energy, nuggets of wisdom, strength and courage I need. It is my hope that as I share these empowerment quotes, they will offer you inspiration and motivation to the extent that you will share with others.

EMPOWERMENT QUOTATIONS FOR WOMEN BY WOMEN

1.)  Hilary Clinton – “Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.”

2.)  Angelina Jolie – “Figure out who you are separate from your family, and the man or woman you’re in a relationship with. Find who you are in this world and what you need to feel good alone. I think that’s the most important thing in life. Find a sense of self because with that, you can do anything else.”

3.)  Margaret Thatcher – “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”

4.)  Diana Ross – “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there.”

5.)  Eleanor Roosevelt – “I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must not, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.” Another “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

6.)  Mother Teresa – “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

7.)  Ella Fitzgerald – “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think that you can go wrong.”

8.)  Helen Keller – “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature….Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Another “I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

9.)  Catherine Lenard – You have the ability to harness the inner power you were born with. Focus.’

10.) Sarah Ban Breathnach – Our deepest wishes are our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.”

11.) Diane Mariechild – A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”

12.) Maya Angelou – “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

13.) Judy Garland – “Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”

14.) Ruth Gordon – “Courage is like a muscle, we strengthen it with use.”

15.) Audre Lorde – “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.”

16.) Rosanne Barr – “The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”

17.) Oprah Winfrey – “I think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves.” Another “I was raised to believe that excellence is the deterrent to racism and sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.” And another “It does not matter who you are or where you came from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.

18.) Beverly Sills – “There is a growing strength in women but it’s in the forehead, not the forearm.”

19.) Susan Jeffers – “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!”

20.) Marie Curie – “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 must be attained.”

21.) Diane Brandon – “I worry because I very rarely see people talking about one of the most important components of self-empowerment. And this component is not only important, it is critical – and critical to the point where we simply will never be empowered without it. What is it? It’s becoming thoroughly anchored in ourselves and in who we are on the deepest level inside us.”

22.) Marcia Wieder – “You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want.”

23.) Michelle Obama – “I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.”

24.)  I am delighted to leave you with this final quote from myself that I found in the archives that says, “Do not die in the history of your past hurts and past experiences, but live in the now and future of your destiny.”

Always remember that life is a journey of self discovery. It is what you believe and put into action that makes the difference. You take one step at a time. Build self confidence and give yourself the freedom to make mistakes and cope with failure without feeling that your world has come to an end.

YOUR TURN…

Which quote stood out the most for you? What other empowerment quotes would you like to see added to this collection. Add them in the comment form below.

photos via wikipedia and sources around the web