Need some inspirational quotes about life? How about some inspirational quotes about love? You will find both here, collected and curated for those times in your life when you need a little extra boost. When you’re feeling down, inspirational quotes do what inspirational quotes do best: they inspire you and guide you towards a future that you knew existed but hesitated to grab for whatever reason.

The people who crafted these inspirational quotes recognized that the true strength of a woman lies in her perception of herself and the ability to overcome social norms and craft the life that she desires. As such, the inspirational quotes on this list did not form out of thin air but were stated after persevering through the crucible of life. Born from human experience, these inspirational quotes about life and love are perfect to keep on a mirror or bedside table, any time you need to be reminded of the strength that lay within.

12 Inspirational Quotes For Strong Confident Women

1. “Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts … good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt. They’re not painful. That’s not just with somebody you want to marry, but it’s with the friends that you choose. It’s with the people you surround yourselves with.” — Michelle Obama

inspirational quotes

2. “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.” — Hillary Clinton

3. “The girls who were unanimously considered beautiful often rested on their beauty alone. I felt I had to do things, to be intelligent and develop a personality in order to be seen as attractive. By the time I realized maybe I wasn’t plain and might even possibly be pretty, I had already trained myself to be a little more interesting and informed.” — Diane Von Furstenberg

4. “Everyone has inside of her 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

5. “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind learning.” — Amy Poehler

6. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” — Alice Walker

And a Few More …

7. “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls: ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you will threaten the man.’ Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices, always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same?” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

8. “We’re here for a reason. I believe that reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.” – Whoopi Goldberg

9. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. … that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn

10. “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland

11. “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. … who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” – Amy Tenney

12. “If my strength intimidates you, I hope you realize that’s a weakness of yours.” – Anonymous

Closing Thoughts

All of these inspirational quotes are extraordinary, but that last one is perhaps the most special. Strength within oneself should not be tampered down to soothe other people’s conscience; indeed, the only way we grow as humans is through struggle. Let these inspirational quotes about love and life help you as you progress through your own life, and let the words from these strong women form you into one as well. In time, perhaps you’ll have your own quotes we can add to the list.