By Grace McGettigan
08th Mar 2020
08th Mar 2020
This International Women’s Day, we’re looking back on some of our favourite Amy Poehler quotes (all of which have the potential to change your perspective on life)
When it comes to life advice, Amy Poehler knows what’s up.
The 48-year-old (who has dipped her toe in many pools including acting, comedy, writing, producing and directing) has an excellent way with words. Whether she’s talking about careers, relationships, feminism, self-esteem or ageing – the Massachusetts-native seems wise on it all.
For that reason, we’re spending International Women’s Day looking back on some of her stand-out quotes. Here are 22 of our favourites:
1. “You have to be where you are to get where you need to go.”
2. “How a person treats their waitress is a great indication of their character.”
3. “I want to be around people that do things. I don’t want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do. I want to be around people that dream and support and do things.”
4. “However, if you do start crying in an argument and someone asks why, you can always say, “I’m just crying because of how wrong you are.”
5. “The only way we will survive is by being kind. The only way we can get by in this world is through the help we receive from others. No one can do it alone, no matter how great the machines are.”
6. “It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and seize your real estate.”
7. “Emotions are like passing storms, and you have to remind yourself that it won’t rain forever. You just have to sit down and watch it pour outside and then peek your head out when it looks dry.”
8. “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 leading.”
9. “The earlier you learn that you should focus on what you have, and not obsess about what you don’t have, the happier you will be.”
10. “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
11. “I’ve said this before, that, when you’re in school and you’re the class clown, men are really good at making fun at other people and women are really good at making fun of themselves.”
12.“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again: ‘Good for her; not for me’.”
13. “Telling me to relax or smile when I’m angry is like bringing a birthday cake into an ape sanctuary. You’re just asking to get your nose and genitals bitten off.”
14. “Fighting ageing is like the War on Drugs – it’s expensive, does more harm than good, and has been proven to never end.”
15. “Vulnerability is the key to happiness. Vulnerable people are powerful people. Opening your heart and sharing it means that you’re going to get so much love in your life. It’s the way to true connection and real purpose and meaning in your life.”
16.“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.”
17. “Power sometimes comes down to knowing the vocabulary, figuring out how the system works and how to work within it. You need to believe that you deserve to be in the room once you get there.”
18. “It’s okay to not be looking at what everyone else is looking at all the time.”
19. On people who say they’re not feminists: “That’s like someone being like, ‘I don’t really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don’t know what I would do without it.’ But that’s everyone else’s trip, not mine.”
20. “I cannot stress enough that the answer to life’s questions is often in people’s faces. Try putting your iPhones down once in a while, and look in people’s faces. People’s faces will tell you amazing things. Like if they are angry, or nauseous, or asleep.”
21. “Your career and your passion don’t always match up.”
22. “A person’s tragedy does not make up their entire life. A story carves deep grooves into our brains each time we tell it. But we aren’t one story.”
Photo: Amy Poehler via Wiki Commons
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