2016 has been a hard one when it comes to celebrity deaths. Many of us braced ourselves when we heard about Carrie Fisher’s hospitalization, and for a moment we thought she would pull through. Of course, this was not to be as the news spread quickly of her untimely death on social media. As a huge Star Wars fan, this was a huge blow to my fandom.
Carrie Fisher, 60, was daughter to stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. A child of Hollywood, Carrie also became an actress and played one of the most memorable characters movie history. Princess Leia was an iconic figure and showed us girl power before it became the soup d’ jour.
Carrie also was an author in her own right and a mental health advocate as she suffered with her fair share of the blues. She taught us to live life boldly while being true to yourself and those around you. Never fake, phony, or pretentious, Carrie was always a girl interrupted.
A wordsmith and critically acclaimed writer, I wanted to share with you 7 Carrie Fisher Quotes to Work By to not only pay homage to her brilliance, but to also help motivate.
On success:
“The best part is money, traveling and the people you meet. The worst part is, again, money, travel and the people you meet.” (Rolling Stone)
This is one of my favorite Carrie Fisher quotes. We all want success and we all think that it’s going to magically make our lives better. But what we fail to realize that after putting in the work, the result may not be all wine and roses. More money, more problems. There’s a lot of travel and spending time away from those you love, and the people you meet may not be good for the soul.
Success can be a gift and a curse, and if anyone understood this, it was Carrie.
On the grind:
“There is no point at which you can say, ‘Well, I’m successful now. I might as well take a nap.’ “
If you want to stay successful at work (or anywhere else), there are no breaks. Continued success means continuing to work hard for everything you accomplish. You can’t phone it in or do it halfway, or even stop. The grind is free but the hustle is sold separately. Act accordingly.
On negotiation:
“Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.”
As women, we fail when it comes to the art of negotiation, especially as it relates to our salaries. Men hardly ever pass up the opportunity to ask for more while us women are always playing the “am I worthy” game.
Ladies, we have to stop being afraid. We have to stop wanting it to be easy. We are talented, we are smart, we are worth it. Let’s leave not up-leveling and not advocating for ourselves back in 2016.
On ageism:
“Females get hired along procreative lines. After 40, we’re kind of cooked.”
No matter how we feel about it, ageism exists, especially when you’re a woman. In most industries, being over 40 means that you are old news and your stock goes down. We all know that this isn’t true, but societal norms dictate these kinds of things.
Boo.
Out of all of the Carrie Fisher quotes I found relating to work and career, this one stings the most. How can we change it?
As women, we have to band together and stop this double standard.
On limitations:
“I’ll never be known for my work with boundaries.”
When it comes to your career and building an empire, you have to work by the no limits motto. When reaching for your goals, dreams, and career ambitions, the pie is the sky. Carrie worked without boundaries, and we should all take note and adapt this credo.
On owning it:
“I have been Princess Leia exclusively. It’s been a part of my life for 40 years.”
I am sure at some point, Carrie got tired of trying to run away from Princess Leia. Like many of us who want to perhaps get away from our gifts or what we are known for, the magic truly happens when you embrace who you are. No need to reinvent yourself or hide from what you are known for.
Own it!
On doing it afraid:
“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” (Mental Floss)
In the business world, there is plenty to be afraid of. What we cannot do, however, is make that fear paralyze us from moving forward. Do it afraid. Create momentum for yourself, and push yourself even if you are scared. Sure things are easy. Give up the good to go for the great.
Carrie Fisher the actress, author, feminist, advocate, and icon will be missed. But her quotes will live on forever.
She will always be the princess who was a badass.
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