Looking for the best collection of inspirational yet funny Ellen Degeneres quotes about life? Then look no further!
Ellen Degeneres is an American comedian, actor, television host, writer and producer. She made history back in April 1997 when came out as a lesbian, first on The Oprah Winfrey Show and then on on a special episode of her sitcom, Ellen, which also starred Oprah Winfrey as a therapist.
She was the first openly gay actress to play a lesbian character on television and inspired countless LGBT teens and adults who were struggling to accept themselves.
While it was a courageous decision at that time, it was met with backlash as she came under a lot of criticism. Her sitcom was cancelled shortly after, she was blacklisted by casting agents and was unemployed for over three years. It caused Degeneres to fall into depression.
She was able to battle through the adversity and emerge stronger and more successful then ever. In 2003, she became the host of her own talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Since its inception the popular show has no fewer than 59 Daytime Emmy Awards and 17 People’s Choice Awards. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
Ellen Degeneres has inspired millions of people to accept who they are to achieve to happiness and success. These are the best Ellen Degeneres quotes about life, love, kindness and success. They’re inspirational but also funny quotes too! Hope you enjoy them.
77 Inspirational Ellen DeGeneres Quotes
1. “It’s our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique.” – Ellen DeGeneres
2. “True beauty is not related to what color your hair is or what color your eyes are. True beauty is about who you are as a human being, your principles, your moral compass.” – Ellen DeGeneres
3. “We’re all supposed to be different. I want so badly to encourage everyone to say, “Who am I and how do I want to live my life?”” – Ellen DeGeneres
4. “Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this Earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth, and everything else will come.” – Ellen DeGeneres
5. “Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.” – Ellen DeGeneres
6. “Don’t worry about what people say about you. Let the naysayers nay. They will eventually grow tired of naying.” – Ellen DeGeneres
7. “Life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing boobs, show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you’ll have more beads than you know what to do with.” – Ellen DeGeneres
8. “I think one of the turning points in my life came a few years ago. I started going to sleep at night just talking to myself, saying… You Are Perfect Just The Way You Are.” – Ellen DeGeneres
9. “Do things that make you happy within the confines of the legal system.” – Ellen DeGeneres
10. “If we’re destroying our trees and destroying our environment and hurting animals and hurting one another and all that stuff, there’s got to be a very powerful energy to fight that. I think we need more love in the world. We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that.” – Ellen DeGeneres
11. “While I was doing stand-up, I thought I knew for sure that success meant getting everyone to like me. So I became whoever I thought people wanted me to be. I’d say yes when I wanted to say no, and I even wore a few dresses.” – Ellen DeGeneres
12. “Most comedy is based on getting a laugh at somebody else’s expense. And I find that that’s just a form of bullying in a major way. So I want to be an example that you can be funny and be kind, and make people laugh without hurting somebody else’s feelings.” – Ellen DeGeneres
13. “I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that’s ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” – Ellen DeGeneres
14. “I am saddened by how people treat one another and how we are so shut off from one another and how we judge one another, when the truth is, we are all one connected thing. We are all from the same exact molecules.” – Ellen DeGeneres (one of the most powerful Ellen Degeneres quotes!)
15. “Though you feel like your not where you’re suppose to be, you shouldn’t worry because the next turn you take, it will lead you to where you wanna go.” – Ellen DeGeneres
16. “I think beauty comes from actually knowing who you are. That’s real beauty to me.” – Ellen DeGeneres
17. “It is failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” – Ellen DeGeneres
18. “Do we have to know who’s gay and who’s straight? Can’t we just love everybody and judge them by the car they drive?” – Ellen DeGeneres
19. “Be open to learning new lessons, even if they contradict the lessons you learned yesterday.” – Ellen DeGeneres
20. “When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail and both are equally important.” – Ellen DeGeneres
21. “Embrace who you are. Literally. Hug yourself. Accept who you are. Unless you’re a serial killer.” – Ellen DeGeneres (one of my favourite funny Ellen Degeneres quotes…what’s yours?)
22. “We focus so much on our differences, and that is creating, I think, a lot of chaos and negativity and bullying in the world. And I think if everybody focused on what we all have in common – which is – we all want to be happy.” – Ellen DeGeneres
23. “To me, beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.” – Ellen DeGeneres
24. “It’s funny how the universe guides you to where you’re meant to be. I wanted to make people Happy.” – Ellen DeGeneres
25. “Beauty is not between a size 0 and size 8. Its not a number at all.” – Ellen DeGeneres
26. “Sometimes you can’t see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others.” – Ellen DeGeneres
27. “We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that.” – Ellen DeGeneres
28. “The only thing I really recommend, if you’re starting out in stand-up is to not try to copy anybody else. You can be influenced by people. I was influenced by Steve Martin and Bob Newhart and Woody Allen, but I never tried to be someone else. I always tried to be myself. And the reason people are successful is they’re unique.” – Ellen DeGeneres
29. “A lot of money with the wrong career is not going to make you happy. If you have money without happiness, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s all about happiness.” – Ellen DeGeneres
30. “I work really hard at trying to see the big picture and not getting stuck in ego. I believe we’re all put on this planet for a purpose, and we all have a different purpose… When you connect with that love and that compassion, that’s when everything unfolds.” – Ellen DeGeneres
31. “Start thinking positively. You will notice a difference.” – Ellen DeGeneres
32. “So many people prefer to live in drama because it’s comfortable. It’s like someone staying in a bad marriage or relationship – it’s actually easier to stay because they know what to expect every day, versus leaving and not knowing what to expect.” – Ellen DeGeneres
33. “I used to beat myself up about weight and working out, and no matter what I did I never felt good about myself. I decided to accept myself and know that I am good.” – Ellen DeGeneres
34. “Life is short. If you doubt me, ask a butterfly. Their average life span is a mere five to fourteen days.” – Ellen DeGeneres
35. “Procrastination isn’t the problem, it’s the solution. So procrastinate now, don’t put it off.” – Ellen DeGeneres
36. “I say always follow your passion, no matter what, because even if it’s not the same financial success, it’ll lead you to the money that’ll make you the happiest.” – Ellen DeGeneres
37. “If someone says you’re weird, say Thank You.” – Ellen DeGeneres
38. “You are never too old to play. You are only too old for low-rise jeans.” – Ellen DeGeneres
39. “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” – Ellen DeGeneres
40. “Laugh as much as you can. Laugh until you cry. Cry until you laugh. Keep doing it even if people are passing you on the street saying, ‘I can’t tell if that person is laughing or crying, but either way they seem crazy, let’s walk faster.’ Emote. It’s okay. It shows you are thinking and feeling.” – Ellen DeGeneres
41.”The most important thing in your life is to live your life with integrity and not to give into peer pressure to try to be something that you’re not, to live your life as an honest and compassionate person, to contribute in some way.” – Ellen DeGeneres
42. “You should never assume.” – Ellen DeGeneres
43. “It always helps to think about other people instead of ourselves.” – Ellen DeGeneres
44. “The thing everyone should realize is that the key to happiness is being happy by yourself and for yourself.” – Ellen DeGeneres
45. “There’s nothing I know for sure because I know for sure that things change.” – Ellen DeGeneres
46. “Be kind to one another.” – Ellen DeGeneres
47. “My life is perfect even when it is not.” – Ellen DeGeneres
48. “There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin color, or religion.” – Ellen DeGeneres
49. “When your heart is broken, when your heart has cracks in it, it lets the light in.” – Ellen DeGeneres
50. “It’s hard to understand failure when you’re going through it, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s good to fall down – not because you’re drunk and not near stairs.” – Ellen DeGeneres
51. “You just have to keep driving down the road. It’s going to bend and curve and you’ll speed up and slow down, but the road keeps going.” – Ellen DeGeneres
52. “You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 today and we don’t know where the hell she is.” – Ellen DeGeneres
53. “Just keep swimming.” – Ellen DeGeneres
54. “My point is, life is about balance. The good and the bad. The highs and the lows. The pina and the colada.” – Ellen DeGeneres
55. “Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values. That’s what I stand for.” – Ellen DeGeneres
56. “I know there are going to be days where things don’t go as planned and that’s why I’ll always remember this quote: ‘Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.’ And that is either from the Bible or Instagram but either way it applies.” – Ellen DeGeneres
57. “What you look like on the outside is not what makes you cool. I had a mullet and I wore parachute pants for a long time and I’m doing OK.” – Ellen DeGeneres
58. “Contribute to the world. Help people. Help one person. Help someone cross the street today. Help someone with directions unless you have a terrible sense of direction. Help someone who is trying to help you. Just help. Make an impact. Show someone you care. Say yes instead of no. Say something nice. Smile. Make eye contact. Hug. Kiss. Get naked.” – Ellen DeGeneres
59. “Gratitude is looking on the brighter side of life, even if it means hurting your eyes. Anger and aggression weaken you because they take so much energy to hold in place, but kindness is a strength that makes you more serene.” – Ellen DeGeneres
60. “Don’t hold onto things, it will only bring you pain.” – Ellen DeGeneres
61. “Life is about balance. The good and the bad. The highs and the lows. The thing everyone should realize is that the key to happiness is being happy by yourself and for yourself. Happiness comes from within. You have the power to change your own mindset so that all the negative, horrible thoughts that try to invade your psyche are replaced with happy, positive, wonderful thoughts.” – Ellen DeGeneres
62. “I think there’s too much multi-tasking going on. I think people need to quiet down and focus and be still more.” – Ellen DeGeneres
63. “I’m glad I’m funny. I’m glad I make people happy because that’s very important. But I’m most proud to be known as a kind person…Because kindness spreads, and the world is a little nicer out there.” – Ellen DeGeneres (one of the best
Ellen Degeneres quotes about kindness)
64. “Do you feel insecure because you keep getting the nagging feeling that you’re not that smart? Well, I’ve got good news for you, my friend. You have no need to be insecure. That nagging feeling is absolutely right on target. You are not that smart. But I have more good news for you. You are also not alone.” – Ellen DeGeneres
65. “Above all things physical, it is more important to be beautiful on the inside – to have a big heart and an open mind and a spectacular spleen.” – Ellen DeGeneres
66. “Our flaws are what makes us human. If we can accept them as part of who we are, they really don’t even have to be an issue.” – Ellen DeGeneres
67. “If we don’t want to define ourselves by things as superficial as our appearances, we’re stuck with the revolting alternative of being judged by our actions.” – Ellen DeGeneres
68. “Who’s to say what’s better or worse anyway? Who’s to even say what’s normal or average? We’re all different people and we’re allowed to be different from on another. If someone ever says you’re weird, say thank you.” – Ellen DeGeneres (this is one of the best Ellen Degeneres quotes about being yourself)
69. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, there are a lot of self righteous people out there. And if you try to adjust your life to please them – by the way you dress, your sexuality, or the ass faces you like to make – you are just going to go crazy and risk being as unhappy as these self righteous kooks are.” – Ellen DeGeneres
70. “Enjoy your life. God gave us our bodies as a gift. (Granted, to some of us it’s kind of a gag gift, but that’s okay too.) Wear what you want, love who you want, and have fun.” – Ellen DeGeneres
71. “Some people believe that to find happiness, you should live each day of your life as if it’s your last because that way you will appreciate every single moment you have. Other people believe that you should live each day as if it’s your first because then every day can be the beginning of a new journey.” – Ellen DeGeneres
72. “We walk by beautiful flowers and trees every day without looking at them. We rush through our day without even saying hi to most of the people we see. We take a lot for granted.” – Ellen DeGeneres
73. “Haters are my motivators.” – Ellen DeGeneres
74. “Don’t look behind you. Unless someone yells, “Look out behind you!” Then you should definitely look behind you because there’s a good chance a Frisbee is being thrown at your head or, if you’re in a movie, an attractive teenage vampire is about to attack you.” – Ellen DeGeneres
75. “I think that kindness is an innate quality that we all have. We need to see more of it in the world.” – Ellen DeGeneres
76. “Don’t give advice; it will come back and bite you in the ass. Don’t take anyone’s advice, either. So my advice to you is to be true to yourself and everything will be fine.” – Ellen DeGeneres
77. “Some of the most devastating things that happen to you will teach you the most.” – Ellen DeGeneres
Did you like these funny and inspirational quotes by Ellen DeGeneres?
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