Last Updated on September 6, 2024
What makes a woman strong?
You’ll recognize a strong woman as soon as she walks into a room. She’s the epitome of grace, beauty, and confidence. A strong woman is someone who is empowered—someone who embraces all aspects of herself and isn’t looking for validation. She faces life’s challenges head on.
What do strong women like Beyoncé, the former first lady Michelle Obama, and Malala Yousafzai all have in common? These are women who use their respective voices to speak up and make an impact on the world.
Becoming a Strong Woman
So, how can you become a strong woman? Here are some inspiring and empowering tips:
Look up to other strong women.
Despite modern media depicting women in a different, often, commodified light, there are plenty of women who go against the grain and choose to stand as beacons of light and love.
Maya Angelou, Oprah, and Margaret Atwood are some of the inspiring personalities who have redefined what being a woman is in this day and age. They have changed perceptions about womanhood across the globe.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
There is a notion that strong, independent women don’t need help and that they can do everything on their own because, well—they’re strong. But tough women are not necessarily tireless and invincible.
Sometimes, strength comes from acknowledging your vulnerability and asking for help when you need it.
Be open to challenges.
Complacency kills the joy in life. Once you hit a plateau mentally and physically, try to challenge yourself and see how far you can go. Strong women test their limits or leave their comfort zones. They are unafraid to embrace the new and the challenges that come with them.
Learn to invest in yourself.
Whether it’s through finding new hobby, learning a new life skill, or undertaking new experiences, investing on yourself is one of the smartest things you can do.
The important thing is to not stop learning. Choose to see the world with curious eyes. Keep asking questions. Embrace your quirks and dare to be different.
Don’t be too dependent on others.
Don’t rely on anyone else for your happiness.
Know that you are enough. While relationships add value and meaning to your life, these aren’t the be-all and end-all means to achieving happiness.
Know your worth.
There can times when accepting yourself and maintaining self-confidence are challenging. Even strong women have bad days. However, they never let these moments get the best of them. Strong women know their worth.
They know how far they can go and what they can do to effect change. Look up to women who value themselves well.
Habits of a Strong Woman
Here are some of the healthy habits that strong women subscribe to:
- They don’t compare themselves to other people.
- They aren’t afraid of challenges or difficulties.
- They aren’t too hard on themselves, especially when things don’t turn out the way they expect them to.
- They embrace their vulnerability.
If you need a confidence boost or something to remind you of your inner strength, here are some quotes that celebrate the glorious strength of women:
Inspirational Quotes for Strong Women
- “We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas
- “I am a strong woman. I don’t sit around feeling sorry for myself, nor let people mistreat me. I don’t respond to people who dictate to me or try to bring me down. If I fall I will rise up even stronger because I am survivor and not a victim. I am in control of my life and there is nothing I can’t achieve.” – Anonymous
- “She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.” – Roman Payne
- “It is better to be looked over than overlooked.” – Mae West
- “I believe in the woman who doesn’t need to hide behind her husband’s back. I believe that if you have problems, as a woman you deal with them, you don’t play victim, you don’t make yourself look pitiful, you don’t point fingers. You stand and you deal. You face the world with a head held high and you carry the universe in your heart.” – JoyBell C.
- “For mad I may be, but I will never be convenient.” – Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution
- “I am the blood of the dragon. I must be strong. I must have fire in my eyes when I face them, not tears.” – George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
- “No one knows what you have been through or what your pretty little eyes have seen, but I can reassure you, whatever you have conquered, it shines through your mind.” – Nikki Rowe
- “She’s an old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind.” – Nicole Lyons
- “A strong woman builds her own world. She is one who is wise enough to know that it will attract the man she will gladly share it with.” – Ellen J. Barrier
- “With the spread of conformity and image-driven superficiality, the allure of an individuated woman in full possession of herself and her powers will prove irresistible. We were born for plenitude and inner fulfillment.” – Betsy Prioleau
- “We women talk too much, but even then we don’t tell half what we know.” – Nancy Astor the Viscountess Astor
- “One by one she slew her fears, and then planted a flower garden over their graves.” – John Mark Green
- “I’ve often thought it unfair that women are expected to stay at home when there’s a fight to be won. If a woman has the strength to bear a child, she can swing a sword as well as any man.” – Karen Hawkins, How to Abduct a Highland Lord
- “Everything is within your power, and your power is within you.” – Janice Trachtman, Catching What Life Throws at You
- “I am done looking for love where it doesn’t exist. I am done coughing up dust in attempts to drink from dry wells.” – Maggie Young
- “She will blaze through you like a gypsy wildfire. Igniting you soul and dancing in its flames. And when she is gone, the smell of her smoke will be the only thing left to soothe you.” – Nicole Lyons
- “No woman who had been intimate with a god was easily disturbed.” – Michael Cadnum
- “You’re a lady. It’s written all over you, but the West doesn’t forgive any woman-unless she’s got a man.” – Liliana Shelbrook, Lantern in the Mist
- “Standing in front of him I wipe his liquid from the corner of my mouth and stare deeply. I can see the panic in his eyes. I can smell his fear, deep, rich and growing, and for the first time tonight I’m actually aroused.” – Dennis Sharpe, Blood & Spirits
- “In writing, a good guy must never break any of the Ten Commandments. A bad guy must break every one. That’s why writing female characters is so much fun. They’re not GUYS at all.” – Kimberly Black, A Fiction Writer’s Character Workbook
- “She wears strenght and darkness equally well/The girl has always been half goddess half hell.” – Nikita Gill, Fierce Fairytales
- “We are the rare species we howl and moan at the same Time.” – Nancy Omar, A Glimpse Of Heaven
- “Need someone to always have your back? Try yourself…” – Samiha Totanji
- “She is thunder storm with a touch of lightening.” – Eman
- “All of my stubborn thoughts of dying with dignity melted away. Dignity was for the weak—I was full of fury.” – Rachel L. Schade, Silent Kingdom
- “I no longer trusted the sun. I kept half an eye on it, night and day. I told myself that the sun would not go full rogue on us and send a pulse to suck our atmosphere away, but I had a hard time believing it…” – Brenda Marie Smith, If Darkness Takes Us
- “He took her hand in both of his, feeling the warmth of it and the strength of her fine, long fingers. He was rather loath to let go and be escorted out.” – Karen A. Wyle, What Heals the Heart
- “Like ladies attending a Japanese tea ceremony, Ouma and I shared secrets between sips of steaming Rooibos.” – Bianca Bowers, Cape of Storms
- “I’m tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna
- “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn
- “A strong woman loves, forgives, walks away, lets go, tries again, and perseveres… not matter what life at her.” – Anonymous
- “And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” – Mark Anthony
- “Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.” – Jennifer Lopez
- “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.” – Pink
- “Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” – Lady Gaga
- “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
- “She was a wild one; always stomping on eggshells that everyone else tip-toed on.” – Kaitlin Foster
- “Strong women don’t play the victim. Don’t make themselves look pitiful and don’t point fingers. They stand and they deal.” – Mandy Hale
- “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.” – Atticus
- “A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.” – Nancy Rathburn
- “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Teresa
- “The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race.” – Susan B. Anthony
- “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” – Charlotte Whitton
- “Most people who meet my wife quickly conclude that she is remarkable. They are right about this. She is smart, funny and thoroughly charming. Often, after hearing her speak at some function or working with her on a project, people will approach me and say something to the effect of, you know, I think the world of you, Barack, but your wife, wow!” – Barack Obama
- “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” – Diane Mariechild
- “Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.” – Clare Boothe Luce
- “You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” – Rosalynn Carter
- “Take care of yourself now that you’re old enough to know how. Drink water, sleep eight hours (I wish), and don’t go within 400 feet of a tanning booth or I’ll slap you. Hard.” – Olivia Wilde
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “Women are never stronger than when they arm themselves with their weaknesses.” – Madame Marie du Deffand
- “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
- “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” – Melinda Gates
- “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
- “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour
- “Fearlessly Be You…Faith feels like your falling off a cliff…but you find the courage you jump anyway!” – Positively Sherry
- “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg
- “Figure out who are you separate from your family, and the man or woman you’re in a relationship with. Find who you are in this world and what you need to feel good alone. I think that’s the most important thing in life. Find a sense of self. With that, you can do anything else.” – Angelina Jolie
- “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” – Helen Keller
- “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher
- “You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.” – Mary Elizabeth Winstead
- “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie
- “Sometimes I wake up and think I look horrible. And sometimes I see a strong woman.” – Irina Shayk
- “I’m lucky my wife is a strong woman. She’s one of the stronger people I’ve ever met. It’s hard for me to be away, but I know my home life is fine because my wife is there.” – Darius Rucker
- “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” – Marge Piercy
- “I’ve often thought it unfair that women are expected to stay at home when there’s a fight to be won. If a woman has the strength to bear a child, she can swing a sword as well as any man.” – Karen Hawkins
- “I like to play a strong woman, but a strong woman can also be very fragile and vulnerable at the same time.” – Carice van Houten
- “Let’s be clear, I’m a strong woman.” – Bethenny Frankel
- “A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.” – Carly Simon
- “When you are a strong woman, you will attract trouble. When a man feels threatened, there is always trouble.” – Barbara Taylor Bradford
- “Always remember who you are and don’t ever dull your shine for anyone or anything.” – Tilicia Haridat
- “In the company of women like this – sharp-edged as raw diamonds but with soft hands and hearts, not strong in spite of anything but powerful because of everything – I feel invincible.” – Mackenzi Lee, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
- “Who are you to say that being a lady, in itself, is not its own kind of war.” – Meagan Spooner, Sherwood
- “It’s not my words that you should fear, but my silence. My words speak straight to the core but my absence will leave you speechless.” – Nikki Rowe
- “Karma is the best bitch around.” – Christina Strigas
- “Pop Idols or not, I prefer to have my hand shaken rather than kissed twice.” – Kailin Gow
- “Anyone who says women are weak is afraid they’re too strong.” – Cassandra Clare, The Land I Lost
- “Even when things are at their worst, I refuse to believe all is lost. I will never go down without a fight.” – Jacquelyn Middleton, Until the Last Star Fades
- “Instead of dying, instead of slowly disappearing until only a broken body remained, what happened was quite the opposite – my body began to repair itself.” – Leslye Walton
- “I did not tremble when his eyes met mine. One can only shudder in fear for so long until all trepidation is replaced by unearthly bravery.” – Meredith T. Taylor, Clashing Waters
