While I respect the historical women from prior generations (shout to Eleanor Roosevelt, Joan Rivers, and Audrey Hepburn for providing us with so much inspiration!), I believe there is something to be said for the power behind the words of women who are not making millions off of our entertainment. None of these quotes that you are about to read have been doctored to please you (well, except grammar, because weak journalist!), but all of them are real and evoke real emotion.

1. "Life isn't [always] sunshine and rainbows. It's in the darkness where we grow, and find our true strength." JimmiAnne D.

2. "I have learned that when I'm frustrated, if I just walk away and come back to it later, the answer is almost always obvious." Hayla P.

3. "If there is anything 2016 has taught me, it is that you cannot have all light with no darkness. Life is all about balance." Maggie W. B.

4. "Vodka and bacon go with everything." Katie T.

5. "Eat the whole cake, sleep an extra hour, burn your exes house down, start working out." Katie T.

6. "The hardest part in life- well its what has been hard for me- is forgiving yourself of your regrets and trying to make the best out of them. Because it's too late to change them, you gotta make do, sadly." Vivian S.

7. Devynn P. D. & Amber L. both agree that "fake it till you make it" is a necessary mantra for everyone to own.

8. "I think what I've learned about life, especially in this year itself, is that not everything happens for a reason. Some things do, and that's beautiful. But sometimes something is just a tragedy, sometimes we lose someone and it doesn't make sense, and it never will. And you know what? That's okay. Recognizing that something happened and nothing good came of it is actually okay, and really pivotal in the healing process. At least for me it was." Jordyn H.

9. "Something I've learned this year is that it is okay to not be okay. It took awhile for me to realize this but it has made me a lot happier, and I think stronger." Sam H.

10. "You don't have anything if you don't have bad luck. Put your big girl panties on and keep on hustling. Live life like a duck in a pond: look calm and relaxed to the eye, but paddling like hell beneath the water." Kathryn L.

11. "Life is bullshit. Life is unfair. All you need to do is blast some good music and breathe. It does actually get better." Rachel K. F.
12. "Everybody's gonna judge you regardless so you might as well do whatever the fuck you want." Hunter G.

13. "When life gives you lemons...fuck lemonade...grab some salt and a bottle of tequila and woman up." Sara P.

14. "'I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as where we are moving.' An old white dude said this (Oliver Wendell Holmes), but I really like it because it helps me remember that even though things are shitty now, progress is happening behind the scenes." Samm W.

15. "Everything happening right now--good or bad--won't be bothering or blessing you in 6 months...live in the present and always move forward." Nikki S.

16. "My tattoo from a Regina Spektor song says 'potentially lovely, perpetually human,' and to me that means always go after what you want, but remember that you're human, and humans make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you can't be lovely. Forgive yourself and keep trying." Madison D.

17. "Be patient with yourself. You will always be learning new lessons for as long as you live." Toni M. M.

18. "Forgiveness does NOT mean reconciliation." Sara P.

19. "Bad times make the good times better." Alyssa G.

20. "Life motto: I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm doing it." Cherise A.

21. "Confidence comes from within. Smile at babies, pet puppies, enjoy innocence. Harboring hate is like swallowing poison in hopes the other person will die. Clear up that head space! No one is perfect. We are conditioned to have negative thoughts about ourselves, but by having a rebuttal to them we turn the dialogue into something positive! Don't listen to the self-defeating voices in your head." Amber L.

22. "Judge me if you wish, but one day we will all die. I, however, intend to deserve it." Maeghan H. O.

23. "Stop giving a fuck what other people think and find your zen. Demand happiness NOW. In your life, as it is, on your terms. If you are waiting for that to spontaneously occur, you'll be waiting forever. Don't ever apologize for who you are - but cultivate her into someone you adore." Jessica T.

24. "Life can be hard--there's no doubt about that. But, our hardest battles produce the best versions of ourselves." Bri C.

25. "My philosophy is this: You. Can. Do. Anything. But not everything. So ask for help when you need it, humbly request advice from people who are wiser than you, and put in the work that's going to get you where you're going. It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop moving forward." Shelby S.

26. "You love everyone differently." Samantha S.

27. "Sometimes, I've felt like I'm on top of the world. My life is perfect and nothing can phase me, but then I fuck up, make a mess, and have to start over... but that's okay. Damn frustrating, but okay. We all make mistakes, we all screw up a good thing, we all make messes sometimes. It's not always the mistake itself that defines who we are, but the way we're able to come back from it, and the amends we're able to make. Forgiveness is a virtue, and we all have to forgive ourselves sometimes." Ashley R.