As a compliment to this edition Common Ground is pleased to present a collection of quotes and images honoring Strong Women, past and present.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ARTISTS LAYLA LOVE, ALES PRIKRYL AND ELENA RAY.
“A strong woman is one who feels deeply and loves fiercely. Her tears flow as abundantly as her laughter. A strong woman is both soft and powerful, she is both practical and spiritual. A strong woman in her essence is a gift to the world.”
—Native American Saying
“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint—and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
–Oprah Winfrey
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
–Anaïs Nin
“Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt
“You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess. Even when the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake. You are not mature enough to tell it like it is. Even that burden you leave to your children.”
—Greta Thunberg
“I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.”
–Frida Kahlo
“The principle of motherhood is as vast and powerful as the universe. With the power of motherhood within her, a mother can influence the entire world”
–Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi)
“Every social justice movement that I know of has come out of people sitting in small groups, telling their life stories, and discovering that other people have shared similar experiences.”
–Gloria Steinem
“Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.”
–Pink
“If you’re going to change things, you have to be with the people who hold the levers.”
–Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“Whatever you do, be different—that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.”
–Anita Roddick
”Don’t talk to me about rules, dear. Wherever I stay I make the goddamn rules.”
–Maria Callas
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.”
–Maya Angelou
“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”
–Mother Teresa
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
–Rosa Parks
“When your intuition is telling you that the time has come to leave behind your moderation, do it!”
—Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot)
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
–Katharine Hepburn