Words Of Wisdom From 15 Women

Here are 15 quotes from women who have changed how we think about strength, ambition and self-worth, from Maya Angelou and Malala Yousafzai to Viola Davis and Mia Hamm. Each one comes with a few lines on what it means and the kind of day you might need it.

Most of us carry a sentence around with us. Something a teacher once said, or a line we copied inside the cover of a notebook at fifteen. On the hard days it surfaces on its own, and it steadies us a little.

That's what we hope a few of these become for you. Read slowly. When one catches, stay with it for a moment before you move on.

Remember you're tougher than the day you're having

“Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” Stephanie Bennett-Henry

The poet starts by agreeing with you. Life is tough, and she doesn't pretend otherwise. Then she takes that same word and hands it back to you, which is why the line still lands on the days when cheerful advice slides right off.

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

Some weeks, people or plain bad luck pull you down. This is a reminder that the warmth you carry belongs to you, and a rough week can cover it without putting it out. Michelle Obama credits a version of this line to Angelou in her 2022 book The Light We Carry, according to Wikiquote, though we couldn't trace where Angelou herself first said or wrote it.

Try this: Write one of these two lines on a sticky note and put it where you'll see it first thing tomorrow: the bathroom mirror, the kettle, your phone case. If this is one of those stretches that just keeps going, our guide to getting through tough times with resilience is there for you too.

Name what you want, out loud

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” Coco Chanel

We love the permission in this one. You get to decide who you are and what you're reaching for, and nobody else gets a vote. A note on the source, though: this version is shared widely under Chanel's name, but the line quote collectors can actually trace swaps the second half for two words about style, and even that comes from a 2009 book about her. So treat this attribution as disputed. The idea works fine without her name on it.

“If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” Margaret Thatcher

Whatever you think of her politics, this one really is hers. Quote Investigator traces it to a 1965 speech the future Prime Minister gave to a women's group, and her recorded versions say "anything" and sometimes open with "In politics". It's a cheeky nod to every woman who has, without fuss, been the one who gets things done.

“Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up.” Isabelle Lafleche

So many of us put our own dreams on a shelf while we look after everyone else, and then feel guilty for even glancing at the shelf. The novelist is gentle about it. The passion is still there, waiting, for as long as you need.

“When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” Carol Burnett

Burnett's line has both hands in it. Let it be the sign you were waiting for to stop shrinking your dream so it fits around everyone else's plans.

Try this: Finish this sentence on paper: "If I weren't worried about anyone's opinion, I would..." Then write one small step toward it that you could take this week, even a ten-minute one.

Decide what womanhood means for you

“Do not live someone else’s life and someone else’s idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you.” Viola Davis

We get measured against each other, and against some imaginary perfect woman, from very early on. Davis cuts through all of it in three words at the end. You are already a complete woman, flaws, quirks and all.

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” Beyoncé

Beyoncé has spoken up for women's rights for years, and this line starts in the right place: with how we see ourselves. The leading comes once that inner picture shifts and you stop waiting for someone else's permission.

“Seek to be whole, not perfect.” Oprah Winfrey

Perfect is a moving target that other people keep setting. Whole is something you can feel from the inside, when your mind, your heart and your body are pulling in the same direction. Oprah gives you permission to stop chasing the first and start tending the second.

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” Marilyn Monroe

What a relief this one is. The quirks you try to hide are often the very things people remember you for. A note on the source: we couldn't find this line in anything Monroe is recorded as saying or writing, and Wikiquote points out that social media credits her with many lines of unknown origin. So the attribution is disputed. Keep the thought anyway.

Try this: Tonight, write down one thing about yourself you usually apologise for. Next to it, write one way it has helped you or someone you love. If imperfection is a sore spot, our piece on embracing imperfection goes a little deeper.

Use your voice, and lift other women with it

“I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world.” Malala

Malala Yousafzai was attacked for speaking up about girls' education, and she kept speaking. When she says a girl's voice matters, she has earned the right to say it. Equality begins with every girl, and every boy, growing up sure that their voice counts.

“Where there is a woman, there is magic.” Ntozake Shange

Shange was a poet and playwright, and this line is short enough to say to a friend across a table. That's how we'd use it. Think of the women who have lifted you up, and how much lighter a room feels when they walk into it.

“Our unity is our strength & diversity is our power.” Kamala Harris

The former US Vice President was speaking about a country, and the words fit a friendship circle, a team or a family just as well. Our differences are part of what makes us strong together.

Try this: Send a short message today to a woman who has helped you, and tell her one specific thing she did. Specific always reaches further than general.

Be gentle with yourself, and keep your wins

“Fall in love with your own solitude.” Rupi Kaur

Time alone can feel like a problem to solve. Kaur invites you to enjoy it instead: the slow cup of tea, the walk with nobody to talk to, the evening that belongs only to you. If her words speak to you, there's more in our Rupi Kaur collection on womanhood.

“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.” Mia Hamm

It's easy to rush past a win on the way to the next goal. Hamm, a two-time World Cup winner, asks you to pause first, feel it, and then let it carry you forward.

Try this: Before bed, write down three things that went right this week, however small. Read the list back on Sunday and let yourself enjoy it.

Carry one with you

Women have been passing words like these to each other for as long as there have been words: across kitchen tables, in letters, scribbled on the backs of notebooks. We believe each of these lines was meant for someone exactly like you, on a day exactly like the one you're having.

Keep the one that caught you somewhere close, like a smooth pebble in your coat pocket.

Which quote would you add? Tell us in the comments, along with the woman who first said it to you.