BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Inspiration Inspiration Quote

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Dolly Parton

In 1974, Dolly Parton — who has written more than 3,000 songs — was ecstatic when Elvis Presley wanted to record a cover of her latest hit, “I Will Always Love You.” But Presley’s manager told Parton the deal could only move forward if she signed away half the song’s publishing rights. “I cried all night,” she said about declining the offer, one of the smartest decisions of her career. Within the next 18 years, the song made two major film appearances: Parton sang a rendition in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982) and Whitney Houston made the ballad one of the biggest recordings of all time via “The Bodyguard” (1992). Before Parton, no artist had garnered two No. 1 records with the same song, let alone three as a writer — and she kept all her royalties. As Parton acknowledges in this quote, sadness is finite, and enduring hardship is necessary to appreciate life’s joys.

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.

Victor Hugo

According to popular folklore, every French town has a street named after 19th-century writer Victor Hugo. While the “Les Misérables” author was not beloved by the imperial Bonapartist regime — which forced him into exile for 19 years — he collected friends among many creatives, especially musicians. Besides being close with pianist Franz Liszt and conductor Hector Berlioz, Hugo also wrote the libretto for Louise Bertin’s “La Esmeralda,” an opera based on his 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” Today, Hugo’s texts have inspired more than 1,000 works of ballet, opera, and musical theater, and every two years, in the Channel Islands, fans celebrate him at the Victor Hugo International Music Festival. With this quote, he underscores how our feelings can be intensified and alleviated by the movement of melody. From a single piano to a symphony of 100, music can conjure a shared emotional catharsis from thin air.

I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.

Joan Rivers

Legendary comedian Joan Rivers was just the second woman in U.S. history to helm her own late-night talk show. Before that opportunity arrived in 1986, she spent decades forging a path for future comics. In a 2012 interview with NPR’s “Fresh Air,” Rivers recalled her first break as a comedy writer: scripting dialogue for Topo Gigio, a mouse puppet slated to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” While Topo Gigio’s 1961 debut could have been a one-off occurrence, Rivers’ words connected with the audience, and the puppet enjoyed an 11-year run on the series. During this time, Rivers became a familiar face on both “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” By consistently recognizing and accepting challenges, she expanded her career into the realms of author and entrepreneur. Saying yes to opportunities is how you discover what you’re good at, and what you love.

I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.

Sylvia Plath

Although Sylvia Plath won a Pulitzer Prize for her book “The Collected Poems,” she is perhaps best known for “The Bell Jar,” a 1963 novel based on events that shaped her life. Alfred A. Knopf, Plath’s first American publisher, passed on “The Bell Jar” twice. But through the author’s strong belief in her talent and her dedication, she acquired a measured response to such brushoffs. Plath understood that professional writing meant courting criticism — first from editors, then reviewers, and finally readers. Rather than fretting over responses she couldn’t control, Plath celebrated each time she was vulnerable enough to send her work out into the world.

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

Judy Garland

Onstage and on-screen, Judy Garland was splendid at channeling characters, especially through song. Yet in private moments — which, for the lifelong star, were few and far between — she prided herself on her authenticity. The Oscar nominee and Grammy winner found that highlighting her favorite parts of her personality — from her sense of humor and strong convictions to her encyclopedic entertainment knowledge — drove others to embrace her even more. Long before her daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft became performers, Garland taught them that people who are true to themselves leave the strongest imprints on the world.

Great difficulties may be surmounted by patience and perseverance.

Abigail Adams

First Lady Abigail Adams and second U.S. President John Adams were the earliest occupants of the White House. From the start of their courtship until the end of their public service, the couple exchanged more than 1,100 letters. These historical documents verify that Abigail was her husband’s closest political adviser for decades. On November 27, 1775, while home with their children in Quincy, Massachusetts, she wrote to John in Philadelphia, where he and his fellow Second Continental Congress delegates were debating which principles should underpin the fledgling U.S. government. Given their formidable challenge, Abigail offered these words of advice, maintaining that haste rarely fosters meaningful solutions.

Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.

Joan Didion

In 2005, Joan Didion (1934-2021) published her memoir about the recent, sudden death of her husband, fellow writer John Gregory Dunne. About two months before the book's publication, Didion also lost the couple's only child, daughter Quintana Roo. When she adapted her book on grief “The Year of Magical Thinking” — a National Book Award winner — into a one-woman Broadway show starring Vanessa Redgrave, she broadened its scope to consider the two great losses of her life. With these lines, Didion reflects that life’s most meaningful moments aren’t likely to feel grand or cinematic — profound events are still surrounded by normal context. Didion compels us to embrace each mundane-seeming moment, because we never know when things are going to change.

That's a great quote, Angie. Thanks, Joy

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.

Alice Walker

Alice Walker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer with more than 30 literary works under her belt, including her most famous novel, "The Color Purple." Her writing often explores the crossroads of race and gender — particularly centering the experiences of Black women. A former social worker and teacher, Walker also has a long history advocating for civil rights. “Activism is my rent for living on the planet,” she has said. Her commitment to equal rights and representation encourages us to stand up for our own beliefs and values, and to never let society or other people diminish our sense of self-worth.

No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.

Virginia Woolf

One of the most famous writers of the early 20th century, Virginia Woolf is known for her fluid and experimental style across forms, from novels and essays to biographies and letters. Woolf also championed feminism and pacifism at a time when neither was popular. Though she won few accolades during her lifetime, her groundbreaking work has cemented her legacy as a literary and social pioneer. Her words here remind us that we can make more of an impact than we realize by simply being ourselves, without pretense or expectation.