Let's be honest, anyone who has watched this show can understand how powerful any words out of Olivia Pope's mouth are. This woman is an icon every female should strive to live up to. She shows that women can be leaders, never lets a man determine her happiness, never backs down, and makes sure to always be the best she can for everyone. Scandal is a true godsend of a show. Not only does it empower women, but it also has the best cast all around. Every member of the cast has such a powerful role and a life we would all love to live. Now there are a thousand reasons to watch scandal, just like there are a thousand amazing quotes everyone should live by throughout the show, here are 20 of my personal favorites.

1. “I don’t want normal and easy and simple. I want painful, difficult, devastating, life-changing, extraordinary love” -Olivia Pope.

Never settle for anything less than life-changing love. If your love is anything other than extraordinary, you're truly missing out.

2. “Now, you can dance with me or you can get off my dance floor. I’m fine dancing alone” -Olivia Pope.

It's okay to be alone. Do things alone, find your own happiness.

3. “I wait for you. I watch for you. My whole life is you. I can’t breathe because I’m waiting for you. You own me, you control me, I belong to you” -Fitz Grant.

One of the hardest things is telling loved ones how much we care about them, especially if we have made a lot of mistakes in the past. As Fitz learned here though, say it and say it loud.

4. “I’ll be gracious out there. In here, I’ll be spiteful and petty” -Mellie Grant.

It's okay to break down and be angry. But when you're a public figure like Mellie Grant, you have to put on a face for the public eye. Meaning, basically, have your moment, be angry, but don't let it take over your whole life.

5. “I am not a toy you can play with when you’re bored or lonely or horny. I am not the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie. I am not a fantasy. If you want me, earn me.” -Olivia Pope.

Nowadays, women have a habit of not making the man work for it. That's the problem though, you see if he really wants you he will do whatever it takes to have you. Never let a guy play games with your heart or your head, let him earn you.

6. “I don’t want anything from you, at all. I just want to be the person you choose to sit next to in a room full with all the people you have known” -Olivia Pope.

If you don't feel this way about your significant other there is a problem. Everyone wants someone to make them a priority and put them first, make sure you're that person.

7. “You are a gladiator. Gladiators don’t run, they fight, they slay dragons, they wipe off the blood, they stitch up their wounds, and they live to fight another day” -Olivia Pope.

Don't let anything knock you down or make you small. You're strong enough to get through anything, pick up the pieces and fight for what you want in life. Life is too short to spend it down on the floor.

8. “You have to try. Because if you try, if you leap and you try, and it doesn’t work, it’s not on you".

Not everything is going to work out the way you'd hope it would. In reality, you will fail and you will fail a lot. But that is okay, because as long as you tried then you will never wonder what if.

9. “It hurts until it doesn’t. You think it’s going to break you, but it won’t. You may not sleep as well at night, but you will be fine. Numb, but numb and fine are the same.”

I know it feels like that break up is the worst thing or that it will never stop hurting. But it hurts until it doesn't, one day you will wake up and everything will be just as it was before.

10. “I love you. I’m in love with you. You’re the love of my life, my every feeling is controlled by the look on your face. I can’t breathe without you. I can’t sleep without you, I wait for you, I watch for you, I exist for you” – President Fitz.

Girls, who wouldn't wish for the person they love to utter these words to you? Fitz throughout the show has put Olivia through so much, just like many of your men have done as well. Find someone in life who will make you feel this way and never settle for less than a Fitz and Olivia type of love.

11. “You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have” -Eli Pope.

The sad reality of life is some people are just handed everything. While others have to work twice as hard to only receive half of that. That's the key though, work hard for all things in life. Prove to everyone you deserve as much as the person standing next to you.

12. “I wish you would have just stood in the sun with me” -Jake.

Life isn't always sunny and happy, occasionally there will be storms. Standing in the sun is nice, hold on to the better times and don't just focus on the negative aspects of life or relationships. Don't walk away from things because there are a few bad times, because eventually the clouds will shift and the sun will appear again.

13. “He calls you the love of his life. Don’t you dare give up on him” -Cyrus Beene.

This one is a tad controversial. Everyone says to never give up on the person you love, I totally agree. However, there are limits with this one. Do all you can always for the people you love, but don't let it ruin you. If there ever comes a point where you begin to lose yourself, or you become too unhappy, then it's okay to walk away.

14. “We know who we are, who we will always be and we have a choice, we can hide in the shadows, or we can stand in the light” -Olivia Pope.

We can't change some of the things we have done, or who we are because of it. But you can choose to remain in the same place, going through the same crap, or you can choose to stand up. Don't give up on yourself, ever.

15. “I want you to know, I need you to know, not choosing me is okay” -Jake.

Don't allow yourself to play second fiddle to anyone. Don't allow someone to choose you when it's convenient or when the person they really want doesn't want them. Make sure you're always a priority, or else you will be in an endless circle of being dicked around.

16. “Some men aren’t meant to be happy. They’re meant to be great” -Cyrus.

In life there are times we are meant to be a leader, anything less would be diminishing. We have to make sacrifices at times, and some we may not like. Now, I'm not saying it's okay to live your whole life unhappy by any means. I'm just saying there are times that the happiness of others needs to come before us, times when we have to do things even when we don't really want to.

17. “Dirty little secrets always come out” -Olivia.

Oh, this one is important. Everyone has secrets, that is no secret. The truth though is somehow they always come out, especially the really bad ones. Never think you can hide something forever, sometimes it's best to just get the truth out there from the start.

18. “Mediocrity is not an option for me. I don’t want that and neither should you” -Olivia.

Never settle for less than you deserve, less than the person you wanna be. Take charge in life, live a large life. You never wanna back yourself into a closet, and when the end of your life approaches you wonder how you allowed yourself to get there. Do all things in life the best you can and best of all, be spectacular.

19. “I'm not choosing Jake, I’m not choosing Fitz, I’m choosing Olivia” -Olivia.

We all tend to do this often. Ladies, I know what it's like to put that guy first, or guys... But sometimes it's okay to just choose yourself. Sometimes it's best to walk away from the person who you thought you couldn't live without and show yourself what you can do. You can never really let someone love you until you love yourself. How do you expect to make someone happy if you can't make yourself happy?

20. “You can’t change the choice you made, all you can do is not let it ruin you”

Like Olivia Pope said, "I always have cards left to play." Sure you made a decision you regret or did something you want to take back. The reality is sadly you can't, but you can choose to not let it destroy you. Not every mistake is a disaster, learn from it, grow from it, become a better person because of it.