Today, I felt really inspired by one of my best friends — she told me that the other day, she found a birthday present that reminded her of me when she saw it. Of course, I was puzzled; I honestly thought it would be pajamas or something to do with food. When I opened it, I saw it and was immediately overwhelmed with joy and excitement; it was a small black canvas and painted in gold was my favorite Shakespeare quote, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." Being only 5'2, I've always found this quote inspiring, but I never really considered myself fierce. I would see this quote everywhere, and I was always hesitant to buy anything with these words. I know it sounds crazy, but I guess what it boils down to is that I was always afraid to be confident with who I am. I think I was afraid that I would come across as narcissistic like I had some distorted self-perception, but if someone I love sees me as strong, fierce, and so many other wonderful things... Why can't I?

If you're struggling with being confident, too, here's a collection of quotes to get you through this week:

1. "Though she be but little, she is fierce." — Shakespeare

2. "Deep inside, she knew who she was, and that person was smart and often even funny, but somehow her personality always got lost somewhere between her heart and her mouth, and she found herself saying the wrong thing or, more often, nothing at all." — Julia Quinn

3. She was brave and strong and broken all at once." — Anna Funder

4. "She knew the power of her mind and so programmed it for success." — Carrie Green

5. "I figure, if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one." — Calamity Jane

6. "She always had that about her, that look of otherness, of eyes that see things much too far, and thoughts that wander off the edge of the world." — Joanne Harris

7. "That was her gift, she filled you with words you didn't know were there."— Atticus

Stay True,

Hannah