Brittney M. HelmrichI don’t think there’s anyone out there who doesn’t think Lupita Nyong’o is a goddess. Sweeping awards season thanks to her talent, beauty, and grace, Lupita quickly became America’s sweetheart (sorry, Jennifer Lawrence — we love you, too, just for different reasons!) It seems as if every time someone utters the name “Lupita” someone in the room makes a swoony, sparkly-eyed face, sighs, and says, “she’s flawless…”
Lupita’s fashion sense is so good that she even matches the meme I put next to her… HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!
We all better hope that Lupita Nyong’o isn’t actually subliminally brainwashing us a la Josie and the Pussycats because resistance would be futile. Lupita is perfect. And she’s more than just a beautiful, talented actress with impeccable style who carries herself like a princess — you don’t have to admire her just because she’s an Oscar-winner. College students can learn a thing or two (or ten!) from her because she is also incredibly inspiring. Here are some of Lupita’s best quotes that will push you to always be the best you that you can be. Don’t worry; for every moment in your life, there’s a Lupita Nyong’o quote that fits just right.
1. For when you’re not sure what path to choose:
“I thought I was going to school to be other people, but really, what I learned was to be myself – accepting myself, my strengths and weaknesses.” (via)
2. For when you’re stressing out:
“In the madness, you have to find calm.” (via)
3. For when things get rough:
“I discovered that joy is not the negation of pain, but rather acknowledging the presence of pain and feeling happiness in spite of it.” (via)
4. For when you’re feeling held back:
“Human beings have an instinct for freedom.” (via)
5. For when you need help accepting yourself as-is:
“Personally, I don’t ever want to depend on makeup to feel beautiful.” (via)
6. For when you need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes:
“It’s in understanding yourself deeply that you can lend yourself to another person’s circumstances and another person’s experience.” (via)
7. For when you need to remember that it’s what’s inside that counts:
“I hope that my presence on your screen and my face in magazines may lead you, young girls, on a beautiful journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty, but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside.” (via)
8. For when you need a confidence booster:
“I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be.” (via)
9. For when you have to take on a challenge:
“You have to allow for the impossible to be possible.” (via)
10. And of course, the all-purpose perfect quote:
“Your dreams are valid.” (via)
How has Lupita Nyong’o inspired you?
Photos via Getty Images, GIF via Giphy.