20 Inspirational Quotes From Women Who Have Seen It All

Life is like an abusive boyfriend: he keeps knocking you down, and you refuse to leave. 

It's dark, but the parallel is true, I think. 

But that doesn't make the situation hopeless. Quite the contrary. We may hit the ground  more often than we'd like, but damned if we're going to be defined by our scrapes and bruises. 

We want to be defined by how we stand back up, dust off our knees, and the clever quip we toss over our shoulder as we keep going. 

Life may be tough, but we are so much tougher. 

If life is an abusive boyfriend, it's the poor schlub from Enough, that Jennifer Lopez movie, or Sleeping With the Enemy starring Julia Roberts's. Yep, this sort of thing is a trope, it's a whole sub-genre of films, women who take all they can take and then finally spring into action.  

Because tough women know how to bide their time, wait, plan, and fight fight fight for the kind of life they deserve.

If it sounds draining, that's because it is. There's nothing as exhausting as getting up every morning, going through the paces of your day, falling down defeated, and having to get up the next morning and do it all again.

But you know what? You can absolutely do it. You've got an army of powerful women rooting for you. Don't believe me? Check out their inspirational quotes and I dare you not to feel ready to go another round by the time you're done reading. 

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If you're searching for the best quotes and memes to share with the people you love (or just want to feel inspired yourself) ... look no further! From the sweetest love quotes, inspirational sayings, and hilarious relationship truths, we've got you covered.

Be a class act.

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together." Elizabeth Taylor 

Real beauty.

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard to get kind that comes from within. Strength, courage, dignity." Ruby Dee

Be a clown.

"There's power in looking silly and not caring that you do." Amy Poehler 

You don't have to be a saint.

"Do not wait for leaders, do it alone, person to person. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Theresa 

Don't be afraid.

"A lot of people are afraid to say what they want, that's why they don't get what they want." Madonna

Be a legend

"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend she should go ahead and be one." Calamity Jane 

Serenity now.

"The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you're very courageous, be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble." Serena Williams 

You define who you are

"I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story, I will." Amy Schumer. 

It's a long road

"I used to think I was the strangest person in the world. But then I thought there are so many people in the world there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there in the world thinking of me too. Well, I hope you are out there are you read this and know that yes, this is true, I am just as strange as you." Frida Kahlo

GIRL POWER

"Feminism is for everybody." Bell Hooks 

The sky is the limit.

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart  

This bird is free.

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab life by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." Maya Angelou 

Young and strong.

"I raise my voice, not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back." Malala Yousafzai 

Flowery prose.

"I've been absolutely terrified every single day of my life -- and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." Georgia O'Keefe 

Strength is beauty.

" Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of men who will be intimidated by me and not the type of men I am interested in." 

Plain spoken truths.

"What are you going to do? Be hungry every single day to make other people happy? That's just dumb." Jennifer Lawrence

How saucy!

"A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink." 

Her eye on the prize.

"I don't see anything so wrong with a wrinkle. They are kind of like a badge of courage." Iris Apfel 

Make this a war cry.

"Here's to strong women. May we know them. Maybe we be them. May we raise them." 

Take the leap.

"Say yes, you'll figure it out afterwards." Tina Fey