I'm constantly in search of quotes as on a page I'm part of our Saturdays posts are usually a quote; Inspirational, motivational, life, love & friendship. I've been to countless quote pages and its such a lovely thing to do, find positive quotes.
But - and its a big but - why is 80% of the quotes shown or listed in top 100 or so all made by men? Is there only 20% good quotes by women on life, inspiration, motivation, friendship etc?
Of course not but I have to say I've really had to search for them, look for them and its taken some time.
I still feel I've missed out on many good quotes by women (and not about women but about life) so I hope you will give me some new ones or the ones that I have missed in the comments below. Some of the women I know very well, others I have no idea who are. But I find the quote a good one. I will continue my search as goal is one quote pr day.
So far I've got 173 quotes, they are in alphabetical order by author.
- “I like living. I have
sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with
sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be
alive is a grand thing.” Agatha Christie
- “Good advice is always
certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it.” Agatha Christie
- “Don’t wait around for
other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make
yourself.” Alice Walker
- “The most common way
people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” Alice
Walker
- “Life is all about
evolution. What looks like a mistake to others has been a milestone in my
life. Even if people have betrayed me, even if my heart was broken, even
if people misunderstood or judged me, I have learned from these incidents.
We are human and we make mistakes, but learning from them is what makes
the difference.” Amisha Patel
- “Life shrinks or expands
in proportion to one’s courage.” Anais Nin
- “Each friend represents a
world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this
meeting that a new world is born.” Anais Nin
- “We don't see things as
they are, we see them as we are.” Anais Nin
- “And the day came when the
risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to
blossom.” Anais Nin
- “A good compromise is one
where everybody makes a contribution.”
Angela Merkel
- “If you don’t get out of
the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the
world is.” Angelina Jolie
- “If you think taking care
of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don’t, you’re simply
ducking your responsibilities.” Ann Richards
- “The cause of freedom is
not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class-it is the cause of
human kind, the very birth right of humanity.” Anna Julia Cooper
- “Everyone had inside of
him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great
you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your
potential is!” Anne Frank
- “Think of all the beauty
still left around you and be happy.” Anne Frank
- “Whoever is happy will
make others happy too.” Anne Frank
- “How wonderful it is that
nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Anne
Frank
- “I must uphold my ideals,
for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.” Anne
Frank
- “Don’t look at your feet
to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.” Anne Lamott
- “I do not try to dance
better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” Arianna
Huffington
- “When I dare to be
powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes
less and less important whether I am afraid.” 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.” Audre Lorde
- "People, even more
than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
never throw out anyone." Audrey Hepburn
- “The best thing to hold
onto in life is each other.” Audrey Hepburn
- “Nothing is impossible,
the word itself says, “I’m possible!” Audrey Hepburn
- “If you're feeling helpless,
help someone.” Aung San Suu Kyi
- “You should never let your
fears prevent you from doing what you know is right. “Aung San Suu Kyi
- “The question isn’t who’s
going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” Ayn Rand
- “You can imprison a man,
but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man,
but not an idea.” Benazir Bhutto
- "You may be
disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." Beverly
Sills
- “Defining myself, as
opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult
challenges I face.” Carol Moseley-Braun
- “Always go with the choice
that scares you the most, because that’s the one that is going to require
the most from you.” Caroline
Myss
- “Opportunities are often
things you haven't noticed the first time around.” Catherine Deneuve
- “We need to start work
with the idea that we’re going to learn every day. I learn, even at my
position, every single day.” Chanda Kochhar
- “If you can’t go straight
ahead, you go around the corner.” Cher
- “It takes humility to
realize that we don’t know everything, not to rest on our laurels, and to
know that we must keep learning and observing.” Cher Wang
- “Don't spend time beating
on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” Coco Chanel
- “Life is a succession of
moments, to live each one is to succeed. “ Corita Kent
- “No matter what you're
going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem
hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and
you'll find the positive side of things. “ Demi Lovato
- “This journey has always
been about reaching your own other shore no matter what it is, and that
dream continues.” Diana Nyad
- “You are the one that
possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own
happiness.” Diane von Furstenberg
- “If you don’t like the
road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Dolly Parton
- “Delete the negative;
accentuate the positive!” Donna Karan
- “There are two ways of
spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Edith
Wharton
- “When you feel that you
have reached the end and that you cannot go one step further, when life
seems to be drained of all purpose: What a wonderful opportunity to start
all over again, to turn over a new page. Eileen Caddy
- “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” Eleanor Roosevelt
- “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do. “ Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Learn from the mistakes
of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Eleanor
Roosevelt
- “The most beautiful people I've known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.” Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- “But I have found that in
the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a
positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more
meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.” Elizabeth Edwards
- “Stop wearing your
wishbone where your backbone ought to be.” Elizabeth
Gilbert
- “Yet what keeps me from
dissolving right now into a complete fairy-tale shimmer is this solid
truth, a truth which has veritably built my bones over the last few
years--I was not rescued by a prince; I was the administrator of my own
rescue.” Elizabeth Gilbert
- “Give light and people
will find the way.” Ella Baker
- “Just don't give up trying
to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't
think you can go wrong.” Ella Fitzgerald
- “It isn’t where you come
from; it’s where you’re going that counts.” Ella Fitzgerald
- “Find out who you are and
be that person. That's what your soul was put on this Earth to be. Find
that truth, live that truth and everything else will come.” Ellen
DeGeneres
- “If your dreams do not
scare you, they are not big enough.” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- "Often we set out to
make a difference in the lives of others only to discover we have made a
difference in our own." Ellie Braun-Haley
- “Find ecstasy in life; the
mere sense of living is joy enough.” Emily Dickinson
- “It’s not the absence of
fear, it’s overcoming it. Sometimes you’ve got to blast through and have
faith.” Emma Watson
- “If you don’t risk anything,
you risk even more.” Erica Jong
- “Guilt: the gift that
keeps on giving.” Erma Bombeck
- “We are all gifted. That
is our inheritance.” Ethel Waters
- “There is only one
happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” George Sand
- “Guard well within
yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how
to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.” George Sand
- "If you think somebody cares about you and believes your life is worth saving, how can you give up?" Geraldine Ferraro
- "Without leaps of
imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming,
after all, is a form of planning." Gloria Steinem
- “Make the most of yourself
by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of
achievement.” Golda Meir
- “Don't be afraid your life will end. Be afraid that it will never begin.” Grace Hansen
- “Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much” Helen Keller
- “Optimism is the faith
that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and
confidence.“ Helen Keller
- “The best and most
beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must
be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller
- “I try to live in a little
bit of my own joy and not let people steal it or take it.” Hoda Kotb
- "You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose." Indira Gandhi
- “There is nothing like a
concrete life plan to weigh you down. Because if you always have one eye
on some future goal, you stop paying attention the the job at hand, miss
opportunities that might arise, and stay fixedly on one path, even when a
better, newer course might have opened up. “ Indra Nooyi
- “Your willingness to look
at your darkness is what empowers you to change” Iyanla Vanzant
- “Destiny is a name often
given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences.” J. K.
Rowling
- “It takes a great deal of
courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your
friends.” J. K. Rowling
- “We do not need magic to
change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already:
we have the power to imagine better.” J.K. Rowling
- “When I’m tired, I rest. I
say, ‘I can’t be a superwoman today.’” Jada Pinkett Smith
- “The challenge is not to be
perfect...it’s to be whole.” Jane Fonda
- “What you do makes a
difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to
make.” Jane Goodall
- “Do not be stingy when
sharing knowledge and wisdom.” Janet
Susan R. Nepale
- “Normal is not something
to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.” Jodie Foster
- “All my life, I have
maintained that the people of the world can learn to live together in
peace if they are not brought up in prejudice.” Josephine Baker
- “All men can live
together, if they wish to.” Josephine Baker
- “The things we truly love
stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.” Josephine
Baker:
- “Failures are
opportunities to learn and simply another challenge to overcome.” Julieta
Gabiola
- “If you obey all the
rules, you miss all the fun.” Katharine Hepburn
- “Going by my past journey,
I am not certain where life will take me, what turns and twists will
happen; nobody knows where they will end up. As life changes direction,
I'll flow with it. “ Katrina Kaif
- “You can be the lead in
your own life.” Kerry Washington
- “It is the sweet, simple
things of life which are the real ones after all. “ Laura Ingalls Wilder
- “It’s not the load that
breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” Lena Horne
- “Delegate even if you know
you can do the job better and more efficiently. “ Lenore RS Lim
- “You can never leave
footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.” Leymah Gbowee
- “I've learned that things change, people change, and it doesn't mean you forget the past or try to cover it up. It simply means that you move on and treasure the memories. Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means accepting that some things weren't meant to be." Lisa Brooks
- “You are the designer of
your destiny; you are the author of your story.” Lisa Nichols
- “When you feel copied,
remember that people can only go where you have already been, they have no
idea where you are going next.” Liz Lange
- “Never be afraid to sit
awhile and think.” Lorraine Hansberry
- "I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship." Louisa May Alcott
- “I choose to make the rest
of my life the best of my life.” Louise Hay
- “I’d rather regret the
things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” Lucille Ball
- “If the world seems cold
to you, kindle fires to warm it.” Lucy Larcom
- “Don't let anyone rob you
of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place
in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make
it the life you want to live.” Mae Jemison
- “When the whole world is
silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” Malala Yousafzai
- “Let us remember: One
book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. “ Malala
Yousafzai
- “Always remember that you
are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” Margaret Mead
- “No woman can call herself
free who does not control her own body.” Margaret Sanger
- “We need to emphasize our
shared humanity while accommodating differences.” Maria Africa Beebe
- “No person has the right
to rain on your dreams.” Marian Wright Edelman
- “You’re not obligated to
win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” Marian
Wright Edelman
- “Nothing in life is to be
feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie
- “One never notices what
has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” Marie Curie
- “You cannot hope to build
a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us
must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general
responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to
whom we think we can be most useful. “ Marie Curie
- “I always did something I
was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s
that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push
through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” Marissa
Mayer
- “Don't limit yourself.
Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as
far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. “ Mary
Kay Ash
- "I've learned that
people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou
- “If you don’t like
something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Maya
Angelou
- “You may encounter many
defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to
encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise
from, how you can still come out of it.” Maya Angelou
- “Success is liking
yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Maya
Angelou
- “Life is not measured by
the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath
away.” Maya Angelou
- “This is your time and it feels normal to you, but really, there is no normal. There's only change and resistance to it and then more change.” Meryl Streep
- "I want to feel my life while I'm in it." Meryl Streep
- "We need art as much as we need good works. You need it like food. You need it for inspiration, to keep going on the days that you're low. We need each other in that way." Meryl Streep
- “You will never be who you
were meant to be, if you don’t follow your heart.” Michele Bumgarner
- “You may not always have a
comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the
world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you
can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and
hope can take on a life of its own. “ Michelle Obama
- “Spread love everywhere
you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” Mother Teresa
- “The essential conditions
of everything you do must be choice, love, passion. “ Nadia Boulanger
- “Even when bad things
happen you have to try to use those bad things in a positive manner and
really just take the positive out of it. “ Natalie
du Toit
- “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.” Nikki Giovanni
- “Deal with yourself as an
individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the
same way.” Nikki Giovanni
- “I really don't think life
is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I
don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I
didn't try.” Nikki Giovanni
- “Above all, be the heroine
of your life, not the victim.” Nora Ephron
- “Turn your wounds into
wisdom.” Oprah Winfrey
- “You've got to follow your
passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love-who you really are.
And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody
ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.” Oprah Winfrey
- “Luck is a matter of preparation
meeting opportunity.” Oprah Winfrey
- ”Living in the moment
means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means
living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a
gift.” Oprah Winfrey
- “Whatever someone did to
you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.” Oprah
Winfrey
- “Step out of the history
that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to
create.” Oprah Winfrey
- “If you're not having a
good time, find something else that gives you some joy in life.” Penny
Marshall
- “If you’re someone people
count on, particularly in difficult moments, that’s a sign of a life lived
honourably.” Rachel Maddow
- "You have to imagine it possible before you can see something. You can have the evidence right in front of you, but if you can't imagine something that has never existed before, it's impossible." Rita Dove
- “I have learned over the
years that when one’s mind is made up; this diminishes fear; knowing what
must be done does away with fear.” Rosa Parks
- “You have to have
confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” Rosalynn
Carter
- “Life isn't a matter of
milestones, but of moments. “ Rose Kennedy
- “The kind of beauty I want
most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage,
dignity.” Ruby Dee
- “Do what is right especially
when nobody is looking.” Ruth Uy Asmundson
- “Life is short, and it’s
up to you to make it sweet.” Sadie
Delany
- “Don’t live life in the
past lane.” Samantha Ettus
- “If somebody can do
something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself,
then you’ve got to let it go.” Sara
Blakely
- “One of the most
courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what
you believe in and where you want to go.” Sheila Murray Bethel
- “Done is better than
perfect.” Sheryl Sandberg
- “Do what you can in the
time that you have in the place where you are.” Shirley S. Raguindin
- “You can waste your lives
drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” Shonda Rhimes
- “I love my past, I love my
present. I am not ashamed of what I have had, and I am not sad because I
no longer have it.” Sidonie
Gabrielle Colette
- “What a wonderful life
I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner.” Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
- "One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion." Simone de Beauvoir
- “Change your life today.
Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.” Simone de Beauvoir
- “Remember your roots but
expand your worldview.” Soledad Muesco Manaay
- “A surplus of effort could
overcome a deficit of confidence.” Sonia Sotomayor
- “Everyone shines, given
the right lighting.” Susan Cain
- ”In every crisis there is
a message. Crises are nature’s way of forcing change — breaking down old
structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better
can take their place.” Susan L. Taylo
- “Every endeavour requires
an effort to always do better than the ordinary. Do not just set goals
that are easily achieved.” Suzie Moya Benitez
- “I need to listen well so
that I hear what is not said.” Thuli
Madonsela
- "Make a difference about something other than yourselves." Toni Morrison
- “Happiness is a choice.
You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life, but it's
your choice whether you let it affect you or not. “ Valerie Bertinelli
- “It’s the little things
citizens do. That’s what will make the difference.” Wangari Maathai
- “When you are kind to
someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else
and it'll become like a wildfire.” Whoopi Goldberg:
- “Never underestimate the
power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same
in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” Wilma
Rudolph
- “When the sun is shining I
can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to
overcome.” Wilma Rudolph
- “Do not work for awards.
Do it honestly.” Yasmin Ahmad
- “Smile in the mirror. Do
that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.”
Yoko Ono
- “Grab the broom of anger
and drive off the beast of fear. “
Zora Neale Hurston