Tina Fey: "So, my unsolicited advice..."

"So, my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this: when faced with sexism, or ageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive buddhism, ask yourself the following question... 'Is this person in between me and what I want to do?'

If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you're in charge, don't hire the people that were jerky to you.

If the answer is yes, you have a more difficult road ahead of you...

If your boss is a jerk, try to find someone above or around your boss who is not a jerk. Is there such a thing as an all-jerk workplace? Yes... But if you're lucky your workplace will have a neutral proving ground... if so, focus on that. Again, don't waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions. Go Over, Under, Through - and opinions will change organically when you are the boss.

Or they won't. Who cares? Do your thing. And don't care if they like it."

–Tina Fey, audio book of Bossypants, (disc 3 track 10)

Stacy Schiff: "Fiercely but compassionately, she..."

“Fiercely but compassionately, she plucked order from chaos.” 

—Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: A Life

Elizabeth Gilbert: "Like most of us..."

"Like most of us, this woman contains multitudes."

—Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed

Elizabeth Gilbert: "Kinship is to be..."

"Kinship is to be found within arm's reach in any direction, and many hands make light work, or at least lighter work, of the serious burdens of living."

—Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed

John Irving: "An old woman doesn't..."

"An old woman doesn’t always see herself as an old woman."

—John Irving, A Widow for One Year

Katherine Rosman: "At certain points in..."

"At certain points in a woman's life, there is something about vanity that reflects upon dignity, strength, and hope."

—Katherine Rosman, If You Knew Suzy