We all go through phases of despair, hopelessness and defeat. We all feel like life is not in our favor and the odds are stacked against us. It can be difficult to rise above these tough times and carry on. However, it is important to remember that these moments are not meant to break us, but to build us into becoming the best versions of ourselves. Instead of giving up, one can look towards the wisdom of groundbreaking women leaders for inspiration and motivation.

Anne Sweeney, the President of the Disney Channel from 1996 – 2014, believed in defining success on one’s own terms, achieving it by one’s own rules and building a life that one could be proud of. Success is not simply achieving the preset standards society expects of us, but about creating one’s own journey and setting one’s own goals. Success should not be viewed through the eyes of others but should be an individualized and personalized journey.

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian who believes in living life without guilt and judgment. Living life on impulse is possible as long as it does not hurt another person intentionally. One should live freely without judgment and with an open heart.

J.K. Rowling, the British novelist and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, believes that standing up to friends and enemies requires great bravery. It is easy to follow one’s friends blindly but taking a stand requires courage and strength of character.

Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America, believed in creating one’s own opportunities, rather than waiting for opportunities to come. Sitting down and waiting for opportunities to come is wasteful, one needs to get up and make their opportunities.

Oprah Winfrey, an American media proprietor, producer and philanthropist, believes in being like everybody else and learning from experiences. Life is not dull, and we can learn from every conflict and experience we encounter during our journey.

Michelle Obama, the first African-American First Lady of the United States, believes that even though we may not always have a comfortable life and may not be able to solve all the world’s problems at once, we shouldn’t underestimate the importance we can have. Courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, believes that understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, but part of it, is a valuable lesson in life. Failing is an inevitable part of our journey and we should embrace it as a valuable lesson for success.

Miuccia Prada, the Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur behind Prada and Miu Miu, believes that the only way to do something in depth is by working hard. When one is in love with what they are doing, and they think it is beautiful or rich, they are in danger of losing sight of their goals.

Mary Kay Ash, an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc., believed that having a theme, goal or purpose in life is vital. If one doesn’t know where they are aiming, they do not have a goal. The aim should be to live life in such a way that when we die, someone can say, ‘she cared.”

Helen Keller, the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor’s degree, believed that when one door of happiness closes, another opens. Often, we focus so much on the closed door that we do not see the ones that have opened for us.

Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates and the co-founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, believes that if one is successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave them a life or an idea that started them in the right direction. Remembering that they are indebted to life until they help someone less fortunate is vital.

Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, believes that true leadership is not presenting a list of carefully defined qualities but stems from individuality honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed. Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.

In conclusion, finding inspiration and motivation during trying times can be difficult. However, the words of groundbreaking women leaders who have overcome various obstacles to achieve success can help remind us that we too can overcome our challenges. These women provide us with guidance, and their wisdom can be applied in our daily lives. Defining success on our own terms, taking responsibility for our lives, standing up for ourselves and others, and striving for authenticity over perfection are some of the keys to achieving success. May their wisdom guide us towards resilience, hope and success.