11 Quotes That Showcase The Brilliance of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

I have a big, old-fashioned girl crush on Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. They’re hilarious, confident, beautiful, and talented, but most importantly – they’re smart. They’re original. They don’t pretend like they have their entire life together (BTW, Liz Lemon is my hero), and they aren’t afraid to look silly. They pursue new ideas and cheer on their peers. They can make you laugh about night cheese or fake boobs and still be the smartest person in the room. In short, they’re my type of girls. Today I’m sharing eleven of my favorite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler quotes to give you a little inspiration as we head into the weekend.

The Best Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Quotes

This quote was actually the main inspiration for this post. It’s easy to dream out loud and share our goals, but it seems to be extremely difficult to actually achieve them. The truth of the matter is that it’s not that hard. You make a goal, and you take one little step toward accomplishing that task each day. It may not be quick, it may not be incredibly easy, but it’s doable. The people that I admire most in this world decide they’re going to do something and then actually do it. Like Amy says, I want to surround myself with people who are working towards their dreams each day and supporting their peers along the way. 

Have you ever read a quote and thought “yep, she’s talking to me.” That’s how I feel about this message from Tina Fey. I am that kid. I overthink everything, and I constantly have to force myself to do things before I can talk myself out of it. If there’s something that you want or need to do, take the risk. Just close your eyes, grit your teeth, and go down the slide. Once you get over the initial fear and uncertainty, you’ll find that most situations are actually not as scary as they seem. Plus, when you take one step, it’s much easier to take the second. 

I find that women in particular can be extremely competitive and/or resistant to ask for help. Both qualities limit our success and well-being. Be kind and supportive to others. Ask for help when you need it. Give help when you can, and always, always, always choose the kind action. We rise by lifting others.

Unfortunately, some people can be jerks, and unfortunately, you might have to work for or with some of those jerks. When you have to deal with an unfair situation, rise above it. Work harder. Be better. Use that success to rise above the jerks. And once you do, you don’t get to be a jerk to the jerks. That’s a waste of time and energy, and it will ultimately leave you feeling worse. Instead, you just don’t include them in your life, and you use your new power to help the non-jerky people below you rise up. Positive things can come out of negative situations.

Things change. Plans change. Instead of drowning in “what ifs” and “how comes,” just try to stay grateful for what you have and keep moving forward. If your life goes off plan, that’s OK. Stay in the moment, be flexible, and adjust your life according to the curve balls thrown your way. Your life may not go according to plan, but guess what? Your new plan might be even better. 

This quote is simple but brilliant. If there’s something that you want to do that seems scary or intimidating or over your head, just say yes. Things will work out. You will find a way to make it work. Honestly, if you feel a like an opportunity is a little bit out of your league, it’s probably exactly where you need to be grow. The temporary discomfort and anxieties are just growing pains. If you want to listen to me ramble about this quote even more, you can read about why it was part of my 2014 New Year’s resolutions here.

This quote is one of my favorites. In fact, the last post I featured it in turned out to be the most shared post (105.5k shares and counting) on my blog, and I understand why. It has nothing to do with my writing. It has to do with Amy Poehler’s ability to boil down huge life advice into a perfect, pocket-sized nugget of wisdom. Don’t postpone your dreams – go do them. Don’t worry about failing because that part doesn’t matter. What matters is that you tried, and I guarantee that you’ll learn way more from failure than you ever will from success. When you fail at something, it doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. It just means that you need to try again, but this time, you’ll be able to use the wisdom gained from your previous failure. 

Tina Fey has managed to boil down one of the most important lessons from my Masters program in psychology into three sentences. Don’t try to change people’s minds because advice doesn’t work. In fact, your advice will only work if it is something that the person already believes or wants to do. For example, these inspirational quotes aren’t going to convince someone that Tina Fey is a genius if that person hates Tina Fey. They will read the quotes and still hate Tina Fey, and that’s ok. People change when they are ready, so go out and live a positive life without worrying about the haters. They will come around eventually – in their own time. If you’re making positive changes in yourself and your environment, you don’t need to get the validation or permission of others. 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. If I could plaster this quote on every wall in every room of every building in the world, I would. Her success is not your failure. If you can find inspiration in the other people’s success and learn to be genuinely happy for them, your life will change. Instead of stewing in jealousy and spitefulness, focus your energy on being grateful, positive, supportive, caring, inspired, and motivated. You won’t just feel better – you’ll be better. You’ll achieve more and be happier with what you achieve. 

I feel like I might’ve disregarded this quote if I read it a few years ago. I’ve always been a planner, and I had a very specific vision for how my life would go. Over the past few years, I’ve learned how silly my planning was. I’m obviously a fan of goals, but I’ve learned that you simply cannot predict how your life will unfold. Life will change, and you will change. As Amy says, if you can keep your mind open to new possibilities, you’ll learn that life has more in store for you than you could ever imagine.

Don’t go through life alone. Find your tribe and stick to them like glue. Creativity is contagious, and when you spend the majority of your time with creative, ambitious, smart, and supportive people, great things happen. My mom always told me “if you’re the smartest or most talented person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.” As I mentioned before, I truly believe that we grow as we help others grow. Your tribe’s success will help you succeed.

If you want to read more from Tina and Amy, I highly suggest that you pick up Bossypants by Tina Fey and Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I own both books, and I think they’re hilarious and brilliant. The Audible versions are possibly even more enjoyable. And of course watch all of their movies and T.V. shows because they’re amazing.

THE BEST OF TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER

For more inspirational quotes, follow my Make It Happen board on Pinterest or check out these posts: 10 Cheryl Strayed Quotes That Will Change Your Life, Leap And The Net Will Appear , and Say Yes, Do More, And Be Better.

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