On March 6th, Nancy Reagan passed away at the age of 94. The former First Lady is a true icon that women of all ages can look up to, known just as much for her regal style and fashionable taste as she was for her powerful influence over President Reagan and passionate beliefs that she rarely kept to herself.
The morning after news of her passing was announced, The Today Show dedicated nearly their entire broadcast to remembering and honoring the formidable former First Lady, and while watching the show I realized just how much we all can learn from the life of Nancy Reagan.
Below are five of her most famous and insightful quotes and the lessons that we can take from them.
1. “You learn something out of everything, and you come to realize more than ever that we’re all here for a certain space of time, and, and then it’s going to be over, and you better make this count.” It’s safe to say that Nancy Reagan made the most out of her time on Earth, and spent her life making an impact on the lives of Americans throughout the country. While we may not all be on the path to becoming the next First Lady, we do all have the ability to make the most out of the time we have here and make sure we enjoy our lives to the fullest.
2. “Feminism is the ability to choose what you want to do.” Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing about feminism that has anything to do with hating men or wanting to be better than men. Feminism is about wanting equal opportunities for all genders and making sure that the doors open for men are also open for women should they choose to pursue the same path. Nancy Reagan worked for decades to communicate her beliefs in the importance of equality for women, and her words still resonate today and likely will for decades to come.
3. “I have been criticized and ridiculed for turning to astrology, but after a while, I reached the point where I didn’t care.” Who cares what people think about the stuff you enjoy? Do what you love and ignore what others say.
4. “Just say no to drugs!” It would be ridiculous to not include this, seeing as Mrs. Reagan was responsible for launching the Just Say No campaign coinciding with her husband’s launch of the “war on drugs.” While the effectiveness of the war on drugs is debatable, comparatively the Just Say No campaign has been used successfully widely throughout the country to education American children on the dangers of drug use, and is still used today decades after it began. Just Say No is just another important component of the legacy of Nancy Reagan.
5. “To my young friends out there…say yes to your life.” This is one of the most important lessons we can take away from Nancy Reagan: that we should all use our youth to make sure that we are setting ourselves up to have a life that is fulfilling and inspiring.
