Hey #GirlBoss! I am pulling my blog inspiration from a book I read called Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso. Sophia Amoruso takes you through her journey from shoplifting to becoming the CEO of her own company, Nasty Gal.
I fleeeew through this book and by the end of it I was ready to launch my vintage clothing company on eBay and pay for a porsche in cash like Sophia. (Kidding! Kidding) On a real note, I loved this book and think it can really relate to so many of us in different ways! Hopefully this post leaves you feeling more motivated!
Here are some of the best quotes from the book.
- “You create the world, blink by blink. It is entirely yours to discover and yours to create.”
- “No matter where you are in life, you’ll save a lot of time by not worrying too much about what other people think about you. The earlier in your life that you can learn that, the easier the rest of it will be.” *THIS!*
- “Good old-fashioned manners can get you very far.” So hey, hold the door or elevator when you can.
- “A #girlboss knows when to throw punches and when to roll with them.” Not everyone will agree with you. People will step on your toes and push your buttons. Trust you gut on when to speak up and when to just let stuff go.
- “No one will ever be able to love you if you don’t love yourself.”
- “Focus on the positive things in your life and you’ll be shocked at how many more positive things start happening.” The more you do this the more the negativity just seems to fall away.
- “The #GIRLBOSS who is willing to do a job that is below her — and above — is the one who stands out.”
- “Each time you make a good decision or do something nice or take care of yourself; each time you show up to work and work hard and do your best at everything you can do, you’re planting seeds for a life that you can only hope will grow beyond your wildest dreams. Take care of the little things—even the little things that you hate—and treat them as promises to your own future. Soon you’ll see that fortune favors the bold who get stuff done.”
- “Money looks better in the bank than on your feet”
- “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. —Abraham Lincoln”
- “You don’t get taken seriously by asking someone to take you seriously. You’ve got to show up and own it. If this is a man’s world, who cares? I’m still really glad to be a girl in it.”
- “When you believe in yourself, other people will believe in you too.”
- “If you’re frustrated because you’re not getting what you want, stop for a second: Have you actually flat-out asked for it? If you haven’t, stop complaining. You can’t expect the world to read your mind. You have to put it out there, and sometimes putting it out there is as simple as just saying, ‘Hey, can I have that?'”
- “Abandon anything about your life and habits that might be holding you back. Learn to create your own opportunities. Know that there is no finish line; fortune favors action. Race balls-out toward the extraordinary life that you’ve always dreamed of, or still haven’t had time to dream up. And prepare to have a hell of a lot of fun along the way.”
- “Naturally, every boyfriend comes with an ex-girlfriend, every business comes with competitors, but it is entirely up to you to decide how much time you spend thinking about them.”
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One big thing I learned from my mom was that you can still be in charge of your own life and run your game without stepping on others to reach what you feel to be the top. There’s a difference in being assertive and speaking up for what you believe in vs being mean and manipulative to get ahead. A true leader would rise by lifting others.
“It’s cool to be kind. It’s cool to be weird. It’s cool to be honest and be secure with yourself.”
Fail. Fail a lot. Fail really really badly. Try again. Fail again. Try AGAIN. Try to think of your failures in a new light. Sometimes it is so hard to see how a setback can be a stepping stone.
Missing my state exam by a few points taught me so much. I was told I should probably take time off and try again next fall. I learned who will hold me and lift me up when I felt my world crashing down at rock bottom. I learned to push harder in the face of the word “no.” I learned how good it felt to fail but try again and succeed. The only way to go from any rock bottom, is up.
When you are pushed back just once more, know that better things are waiting for you just around the corner. Sometimes when things go wrong it is meant to push us to the path that will be right. The sooner you learn to fail, maybe cry it out but pick yourself back up and try again the better. Some people have more bumps and more hurdles but you will still make it one way or another.
Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. You still opened the book. You are still learning. You will still get there.
Do I believe in fate? Sure.
Does everything happen for a reason? I guess?
Are tough endings just disguised as new beginnings? Yeah, yeah.
Do I believe that you create your own future because you worked for it? Absolutely.
“Learn to create your own opportunities. Know that there is no finish line; fortune favors action.”
Some of us have studied the stock market, law, learned how to deliver a baby, know the best way to design a skyscraper, can flawlessly edit a commercial, know how to teach a child math and empathy, can create breathtaking art, know how to fix a car, how to build a medical device…the list goes on. Your passion is your purpose. Work for it, pour your whole soul into it and never let anyone tell you that what you are doing isn’t valuable. Your path is your own!
“A #girlboss is in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.”
You are doing so much better than you think you are. So get out there, work hard and support other gals (& guys) and don’t forget to support yourself too!
Always,
Madison
