Whether you want a laugh or are looking for inspiration, there's no one better to turn to than TV personality, comedian, and best-selling author Ellen DeGeneres.
While the pop culture icon has made her way onto everyone's television at one point or another, she's also used her upbeat personality to help others, whether it's launching a young artist's career or raising awareness about an important social cause.
And if there's one thing DeGeneres is known for, it's being true to herself and not letting others get in her way. While her career began in the late '90s when she starred in her own sitcom Ellen, it was also during that time that Ella Degeneres publicly came out on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Despite what people said against her, DeGeneres ignored her detractors and went on to have an extremely successful career. In 2003 she started the popular Ellen Degeneres Show, and today she has won several awards, including 30 Emmys, 20 People's Choice Awards, and even the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
Here are some of her best quotes:
About the passion
“Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else's path unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path. Of course, you must follow that.”
Over time
"Life is short. If you don't believe me, ask a butterfly. Their average lifespan is just between five to fourteen days.
About happiness
"What everyone needs to realize is that the key to happiness is to be happy by yourself and for yourself."
About attitude
“Happiness comes from within. You have the power to change your own mindset so that all the negative and horrible thoughts trying to invade your psyche are replaced with happy, positive and wonderful thoughts.”
About balance
“Life is about finding balance. The good and bad. The highs and the lows. The pineapple and the colada”.
About growth
"Stay open to learning new lessons, even if they contradict the teachings you learned yesterday."
About being yourself
“I had everything I wanted, but I wasn't being myself. So I decided to be honest about who I was. It was weird: People who loved me for being funny suddenly didn't love me for being... like me."
About being unique
“We are all different people and we are allowed to be different from each other. If anyone ever says you're weird, say thank you."
About perseverance
“When I go hiking and get to the top of the hill, it means I'm past the hard part and I'll be able to have a snack soon. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned."
On taking risks
“When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you will succeed and there will be times when you will fail, and both are equally important.”
About leadership
“Don't worry about what people say or think about you. Let the naysayers speak. They will eventually tire of attacking you.”
