Audrey Hepburn is regarded as the epitome of grace and elegance in Hollywood’s golden age, as she rose to fame in classic films like Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Funny Face, and many others. Adding to her fame, she became a style icon after playing Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As one of the classiest ladies who ever lived, Audrey’s influence extends beyond her elegant fashion taste. Her life provides some really important lessons that we should all strive to live by.
It’s Possible to Overcome Your Obstacles
“If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough.” -Audrey Hepburn
Audrey’s courage and determination teaches us a powerful lesson about overcoming obstacles in our lives. During her childhood, Audrey lived with her family in Nazi-occupied Holland. She nearly starved to death, and on occasion had to eat tulip bulbs. However, she showed courage by acting as a courier to pass messages between Dutch Nazi-resistance groups. Though she lived through one of the greatest tragedies in history, Audrey’s resolve led her to live a fulfilled life, and her actions teach us that even the greatest hardships can be overcome and shape us into better people.
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Use Your Gifts for Good
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -Audrey Hepburn
Later on in her life, Audrey became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF to help children in the world suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Part of her reason for doing so was that the United Nations Relief and other world hunger organizations had aided her and her family after World War II. Through volunteer work with UNICEF, she selflessly used her influence to help those in need. Acting with compassion became her main focus after retiring from Hollywood, as she continued to volunteer for UNICEF until her death. Audrey’s charitable work speaks to the idea that we must use our gifts for good, rather than harboring them for our own benefit.
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Take Some Time for Yourself
“I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.” -Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn called herself an introvert, and admitted that she sometimes needed to take time to be by herself. That was part of what made Holly Golightly such a challenging role for Audrey to play. She explained, “I’m an introvert. Playing the extroverted girl was the hardest thing I ever did.” Audrey’s need to recharge after experiencing the demanding social life of Hollywood serves as a reminder that sometimes you just need to take time for yourself and reenergize, and that’s okay.
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Information gathered from Biography.com, Lifetime.co.uk, Brainyquote.com