When the army doesn’t come for you, when no one chooses to fight for you, when no one dives in after you with fairy tales and promises, you write a different story. You write a tale of adventure and chaos, of survival and fortitude, and instead of wishing to be saved, you save yourself.

Self-respect is a lonely emotion. It is the quietest dignity…self-respect doesn’t wrap you gently in warmth - it is a steel rod in your spine. It is height and pride and honor. It is better than being wrapped in warmth because it is warmth from the inside. It is the fire of dignity

"I am excited to see a generation of women who will raise their boys to be good rather than their girls to be scared."

If you ask someone out and they say no you didn't receive an insult, you gave a compliment. Act accordingly.

When the army doesn’t come for you, when no one chooses to fight for you, when no one dives in after you with fairy tales and promises, you write a different story. You write a tale of adventure and chaos, of survival and fortitude, and instead of wishing to be saved, you save yourself.

You can sit back and rely on luck, or you can know that luck's a bunch of bullshit and warriors go get what they want.

Our whole generation is under the delusion that our careers are meant to be satisfying joy rides and that if we settle for anything less, we’ve failed. I’m not one for settling, but I also don’t consider having a steady paycheck for a few years at a dead-end job settling as long as you are actively pursuing your better self. Maybe it’s finding that “passion job.” Maybe it’s learning the violin. Maybe it’s teaching your son to be a great man and a better feminist. Jobs are not all there is in this life. You can stay optimistic by staying realistic, by remembering not every day will be the best, by knowing that no good thing ever came from complaining, by knowing that if there were never any bumps in the road, you would fall asleep at the wheel.