15 Brave Quotes to Inspire You to Be Yourself

There’s something special about a person who knows—and shows—how unique they are. Whether it’s an eccentric sense of style or a mind full of unusual ideas that challenge the norm, they don’t hold back. You can see their confidence from across the room, and it’s an aura we should all aspire to radiate.

So without caring what other people think, start telling your story the way it was meant to be told. Embrace all your distinctive quirks, and don’t forget that your opinion of yourself is what matters most.

Related: 8 Tips for Being Authentic

These 15 inspiring quotes will help you stay true.

1. Be yourself.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Embrace yourself.

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” —Oscar Wilde

3. You are more than you think you are.

“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.” —Rita Mae Brown

4. Find your quirks.

“Where’s your will to be weird?” —Jim Morrison

5. Don’t be someone else.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” —Steve Jobs

6. Your opinion of yourself is what matters most.

“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” —Beyoncé

7. Unchain yourself.

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” —Lao Tzu

8. Challenge the norm.

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” —Bertrand Russell

9. Embrace being weird.

“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” —Johnny Depp

10. Outshine the world.

“Follow your own star!” —Dante Alighieri

11. Be your own kind of beautiful.

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” —Coco Chanel

12. Don’t worry about what others think.

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

13. Own your story.

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” —Brené Brown

14. There is no wrong way.

“Some people say you are going the wrong way, when it’s simply a way of your own.” —Angelina Jolie

15. Who you are is all that matters.

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” —Dolly Parton

Related: Are You an Original?

This article was originally written in January 2017 and has been updated. 
Photo by bea.revay/Twenty20