This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Xavier chapter.

Oprah Winfrey on harnessing your inner power.

“Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion.”

Meghan Markle on using your voice.

“Women don’t need to find their voices, they need to be empowered to use it and people need to be urged to listen.”

Anne Frank on how great you are.

“Everyone has inside of her a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be!”

Margaret Thatcher on getting sh*t done.

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”

Emma Stone on true beauty.

“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.”

Anais Nin on being courageous.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

Madeleine Albright on not being silent.

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I’m not going to be silent.”

Tatiana Maslany on finding yourself.

“Don’t define yourself yet. People will ascribe your value to you very early on and you’ll think that’s the only thing that you’re worth—whether it’s your sexuality or your beauty or your humor or your intelligence. But you’re so much more complex than that. People want to put you in a box, but I’m not a box. I’m a human being.”

Alice Walker on being powerful.

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

Audre Lorde on speaking up.

“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.”

Hillary Clinton on criticism.

“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.”

Arlene Rankin on your place in the world.

“The way in which we think of ourselves has everything to do with how our world sees us and how we see ourselves successfully acknowledged by the world.”

Arianna Huffington on failure.

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

Sarah Hyland on not giving up.

“Don’t be afraid to have your own opinion. Don’t take no for an answer. Fight. Because people try to bring you down, and people try to get in the way of your dreams. But if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish that—and then some.”

Helen Keller on optimism.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.”

Amelia Earhart on having the courage to act.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”

Jane Goodall on your ability to make a difference.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Kerry Washington on being a leading lady.

“You can be the lead in your own life.”

Quotes from Badass Women to Boost Your Self Confidence