We all have that big movie star that takes our breath away. Angelina Jolie has proved to be a star on and off the red carpet. Besides being a gifted actress who can be a fearless feisty female in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or a tortured soul who makes us cry in Girl, Interrupted, Ms. Jolie is a woman in the fullest sense. Whether it be her humanitarian work, her filmmaking or her award-winning acting – we are constantly in awe of her.
But it’s not just what this bold woman has done that fascinates and inspires us. It’s how she lives her life and her unashamed dedication to who she is, who she loves, and what she makes of her life. There are just a few of her quotes that have inspired a nation.
#1 She’s not afraid to be herself
“If I make a fool of myself, who cares? I’m not frightened by anyone’s perception of me.”
#2 She finds beauty in imperfection
“I like someone who is a little crazy but coming from a good place. I think scars are sexy because it means you made a mistake that led to a mess.”
#3 She knows that you can learn from hardship.
“Without pain, there would be no suffering. Without suffering, we would never learn from our mistakes. To make it right, pain and suffering is the key to all windows, without it, there is no way of life.”
#4 She knows the importance of following your dreams.
“If you ask people what they’ve always wanted to do, most people haven’t done it. That breaks my heart.”
#5 She knows you need to take risks to get rewards.
“You’d think, ‘What if I make a mistake today, I’ll regret it’. I don’t believe in regret, I feel everything leads us to where we are and we have to just jump forward, mean well, commit and just see what happens.”
#6 She lives for today
“The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So if I can’t have those things then I feel like a caged animal and I’d rather not be in a cage. I’d rather be dead. And it’s real simple. And I think it’s not that uncommon.”
#7 She knows that you need to stay true to yourself
“People say that you’re going the wrong way when it’s simply a way of your own.”
#8 She knows that giving is important, too!
“Save one-third, live on one-third, and give away one-third”
The biggest lesson we can learn from Angelina? We are beautiful, whoever, wherever, however, whenever we are. We only have one life, so let’s live it and be kind to one another! So let’s start off this year being who we are, living what we love, following our heart and loving our imperfections. Thanks, Angelina, you’ve inspired us all. If you need more inspiration, check out reasons why Audrey Hepburn is our career inspiration or try one of these 5-second stress busters.