23 of Pink's Ballsiest, Most Badass Quotes

In addition to being an amazing performer with an otherworldly set of pipes, Pink is also one of the realest, most outspoken stars there is today. Throughout her nearly 20-year career — she began performing in Philadelphia-area clubs when she was just 14 years old — she's never shied away from sharing her honest opinions about anything, including fame, relationships, motherhood (she and husband Carey Hart are parents to 5-year-old Willow), and her tumultuous upbringing. We've rounded up 23 of Pink's inspiring, badass quotes; keep reading to see them all now, then check out the reasons she should be a role model for your kids.

On Life

  • "You can't move mountains by whispering at them."
  • "My dad raised me with some good advice: 'Always tell the truth. Always shoot from the hip. You might not have many friends, but you'll never have enemies, because people will always know where you're coming from.'"
  • "Charting your own course isn't just more necessary than ever before. It's also much easier — and much more fun."
  • "I believe there's 31 flavors to be tasted. . . I'm just living my life. I don't want to be your kind of good."
  • "I wish that girls embraced their power and their worth and their value in their youth, and not sell it or barter it for anything and have to buy it back later in life. I wish for my daughter to grow up in a world where wonderful publications celebrate them for their originality, their individuality, their willingness to be true to themselves, and the courage to be scary and emotional to get sh*t done. I wish for women to stop apologizing for those very things that make us women."

On Her Past

  • "The problem was, I was labeled as trouble — so I was like, 'Trouble? I'll show you trouble. You want trouble, well here it is!' No matter what label they give you, the best thing you can do is prove them wrong."
  • "To experience the good you have to have seen the bad; plus it makes you appreciate blessings more. [Tough times] taught me to be a fighter."

On Her Career

  • "I decided at 15 that I didn't want to be one of those artists that gets up and sings love songs they don't mean. I decided that I was going to be me to the fullest extent, that my songs were going to reflect relationships I've had, things I've been through, and even the stuff I'm embarrassed about."
  • "Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention. But you have to get there."
  • "For so long, I was searching for something to be proud of. But at a certain point, I realized, 'Wait, I'm doing what I want to be doing. I'm not wanting to do it; I'm doing it.' And that's awesome."
  • "It's very easy for me to tap into 'go f*ck yourself. Maybe that's the only way I feel powerful. I'm in the best place I've ever been in my life, and I'd say it's 80 percent happiness and 20 percent sheer confusion and fear that I'll f*ck it up somehow. I'm consumed by my emotions."
  • "Every album, I'm worried that I'm a dork and a fraud; what if I can't sing anymore? Then I stop thinking and start playing guitar, and I realize that it's OK to suck, and move forward."
  • "I'm feeling really grateful. I'm feeling grateful that I've been able to participate in this game for as long as I have. I'm feeling grateful that I've been able to tell my stories. I don't know that my mom and dad are that grateful, or Carey [Hart, Pink's husband], but it's been good for me. I'm grateful if I've kept one girl from feeling different or ugly or unempowered."

On Being a Mom

  • "[Willow] was in the frank breech position, which is head up with her legs up by her head. We tried everything to turn her around. Turns out this little girl had other plans — she is my daughter, after all."
  • "The willow is my favorite tree. I grew up near one. It's the most flexible tree in nature and nothing can break it; no wind, no elements. It can bend and withstand anything. I love that sentiment. I want that for her."
  • "I look at Willow and she's so naughty and fiery, and I'm not going to take any of her fierceness personally — my mom took all of my behavior personally. Everything I did, she thought it was an act of rebellion against her. But it was just me being me. And that's something I want to post on every mirror in my house: 'This is not about you!'"
  • "I'm used to going into the studio and smoking and drinking until three in the morning. But I can't drink as much because I'm breastfeeding. See this glass of wine? Before, I'd have, like, four of them. Now, one is good. Oh, and I quit smoking. . . I've exorcised a lot of my demons, but I'm still working on myself. I think I'll be a work in progress for the rest of my life."

On Sex and Relationships

  • "I've always had an issue with [the idea that]: 'OK, we've both decided to do this. Why am I a slut and you're the player? You didn't get anything from me that I didn't get from you.""
  • "'Sexy' doesn't have to come with the price tag of being dumb."
  • "There's something about breaking up with someone; you just look hotter than you ever did before. I will never look as good as I did those six months after we broke up. Never!"
  • "People are always like, 'Why did you [and husband Carey Hart] get back together?'" Well, we weren't done. And now we have Willow, so we'll never be done."
  • "Accept that it's good? Are things ever good? I don't believe that exists. Long-term relationships are an everyday choice. It's harder to be in a marriage than it is to bounce from one relationship to the next. We're good because we communicate and we've grown up together, not because we don't fight."
  • "Boys go off to war and women wait. But we go off to war, too. In fact, we do more and more and we have to deal with sh*t you guys don't wanna know about like Spanx and body awareness and being pitted against each other, constantly in competition."