Even the most confident among us can feel a little low about ourselves at times, but when our self-esteem isn’t as good as it could be we need some words of wisdom to pick it back up. We’ve found some of the most motivating and best self-esteem quotes from significant minds and personalities to help you love yourself a little bit more.
Most Motivating and Best Self-esteem Quotes from Significant Minds and Personalities
Kate Winslet
Kate is no stranger to critics, and although she had her breakout acting performance in the 1997 hit Titanic, people tended to focus on shaming her body. Thankfully, she didn’t let it get her down and even offered some advice on how she’s preventing her daughter from going through the same thing she did.
“When I grew up, I never heard positive reinforcement about body image from any female in my life. I only heard negatives. That’s very damaging because then you’re programmed as a young woman to immediately scrutinize yourself and how you look… I stand in front of the mirror and say to [daughter] Mia, ‘We are so lucky we have a shape. We’re so lucky we’re curvy. We’re so lucky that we’ve got good bums.’ And she’ll say, ‘Mummy, I know, thank God.’ It’s paying off.”
George Clooney
Being an actor can no doubt be unnerving, but this is a pressure many of us feel every day, regardless of our profession. Clooney had a change of mind that helped him to build his self-esteem that each one of us can use, even if we’re not globally celebrated actors. This his self-esteem quote:
“I had to stop going to auditions thinking, ‘Oh, I hope they like me.’ I had to go in thinking I was the answer to their problem. You could feel the difference in the room immediately. The greatest lesson I learned was that sometimes you have to fake it. And you have to be willing to fail.”
Emma Stone
When it comes to self-esteem, we’re often our own worst critics. Sometimes the voice in our heads can be doing more damage than anyone we ever meet will, and you need to keep it in check. Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone found a great approach that works when talking to yourself and it’s one that we could all learn from.
“Am I taking care of myself in a healthy way?’ ‘Am I respecting myself and being responsible?’ And over and over, I answer yes to that question. Then I remind myself to be kind to myself, and as slightly ridiculous as it may sound, to treat myself in the same gentle way I’d want to treat a daughter of mine. It really helps.”
Ellen Degeneres
Ellen has faced a lot of troubles in her career, particularly when she came out as gay on television in a time that wasn’t so accepting of such things. Her reminder that we always need to love ourselves no matter how different we might feel is important, as being proud of yourself is one easy way to ensure your self-esteem stays topped up.
“I wanna say also it feels good to be chosen, but there was a time in my life that I was not chosen. I was the opposite of chosen because I was different, and I think I wanna make sure that everyone knows that what makes you different right now, makes you stand out later in life. So you should be proud of being different, you should be proud of who you are.”
Beyonce
We could all take a lesson from Beyonce on self-confidence as it seems she has some to spare. The singer and mother of three are always looking for ways to inspire women and lift them up, and this quote she gave in GQ magazine sums it all up perfectly. Rather than looking for others to build us up, we need to be doing it ourselves.
“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.”
Amy Poehler
You know yourself how harsh you can be inside your own head, criticizing your choices or picking apart things that you might have said and done. Funny lady Amy Poehler has a great trick to try next time that evil voice starts attacking you, so it’s worth a shot if you need to boost your self-esteem.
“When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit about me I turn around and say, ‘Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don't talk about her like that.’ Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it works.”
Diane Von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg isn’t just a successful fashion designer, she also seems to know quite a bit about self-esteem. Furstenberg understands that loving ourselves is the key to happiness in life, and she delivers her thoughts eloquently with this timeless quote that we could all take to heart.
“You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.”
Sally Field
When you think about how you’d talk to a friend or family member when they were done, it’s likely going to be soft, gentle, and uplifting. However, when we’re trying to talk to ourselves we’re often quite harsh. Take some advice from Sally Field about look at yourself as if you were a friend and you’ll find a fresh new approach for self-esteem.
"It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes."
Maya Angelou
She’s regarded as one of the great thinkers of our time and a beautiful poet, with words that have helped so many. Maya Angelou seems to fully understand the secret to self-esteem and that it comes from within, with amazing advice that we should all be working at daily to achieve.
“I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.”
Taylor Schilling
The Orange is the New Black star plays an extremely open and honest character on TV, but it turns out Taylor Schilling recommends much the same in real life. Rather than being bogged down by what others think and trying to change ourselves to suit, we’ll really love ourselves (and others will too) if we offer up our most authentic version to people.
“It takes a lot of bravery to be authentic and honest and to take that social mask off in order to connect with another human being. So much of what makes us who we are is smoothed away online. And what truly connects us is the wrinkles, not the smoothness.”
Muhammad Ali
It didn’t seem that Muhammad Ali ever had a problem with self-esteem, but when you hear his advice then it makes sense why. Ali reminds us all that we have to believe in ourselves even when nobody else does, and the rewards for this will be endless.
“Its lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself."
Golda Mier
Although not an A-list celebrity like some other names here, the former president of Israel had a lot to say about self-esteem. The amazing lady had many great quotes about confidence and loving yourself, but not more poignant than this.
"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."
Adele
Adele is one of the most talented singers we’ve ever been lucky enough to hear, but she still gets criticized regularly for her body shape. Rather than taking them to heart, she has some great advice for keeping these negative voices out and learning to love yourself from within.
“I have insecurities of course but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.”
Lucille Ball
The I Love Lucy star was a source of inspiration for many young women, and she seems to really understand the secret to life. Rather than waiting for others to make you happy, you’re the only one who can be in charge of it. Take her advice and start putting this quote into practice today.
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
So there. Best self-esteem quotes from famous personalities. May they inspire you to love and be confident in yourself.
