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Mommy dearest -

Carrie Fisher's mother was famed actress Debbie Reynolds, who died a day after her daughter left this world. "Debbie remains the girl-next-door, whereas I live somewhere down the street," Fisher once told TV Times.

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On the (Jedi) master -

The actress always knew 'Star Wars' would be a big hit. The only one who seemed to be in doubt was George Lucas himself. "Of course I knew. We all knew. The only one who didn’t know was George Lucas," she wrote in her 2008 book 'Wishful Drinking.' She also stated: "George Lucas ruined my life. And I mean that in the nicest possible way."

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Her youth -

Carrie Fisher was a bona fide star at a young age. In her 1987 semi-autobiographical novel 'Postcards From the Edge,' she wrote: "I shot through my twenties like a luminous thread through a dark needle, blazing toward my destination: Nowhere."

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A man's universe? -

On 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in 2016, Fisher explained why Leia never got a light saber: "Even in space, there’s a double standard."

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Self-awareness -

The actress showed she didn't walk around with the same self-importance seemingly dominating most of Hollywood. "I quote fictional characters, because I'm a fictional character myself," she wrote in 'Wishful Drinking.'

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On- and off-screen lovers -

In her final book, 'The Princess Diarist,' released five weeks before her death, Fisher wrote about her affair with 'Star Wars' co-star Harrison Ford. "It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend."

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Forever royalty -

'A New Hope' was Fisher's second film ever, and yet it would change her life. "I had never been Princess Leia before and now I would be her forever. I would never not be Princess Leia. I had no idea how profoundly true that was and how long forever was," she wrote in 'The Princess Diarist.' 

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An archaeologist actress -

Despite her complicated history with the role of Leia, Fisher always knew the character closely resembled her. "I’m not really one of those actresses like Meryl Streep. Those actresses travel outside themselves and play characters. And I’m more of an archaeologist. I play what I am. I dig what I can. It's a character that's not too far from myself, except I don’t have any laser guns," she told the CBC.

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Owning her power -

Returning to the role in 2015's 'The Force Awakens,' she discussed what Leia meant for "girl power" during a press tour. "I am the beginning with 'girl power'—deal with it," she said.

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On aging -

Unfortunately, the renewed attention on her in 2015 came with body shaming. But she had the perfect response. "Please stop debating about whether or not I aged well. Unfortunately, it hurts all three of my feelings. My body hasn’t aged as well as I have. Blow us," she tweeted.

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More thoughts on aging - She double-downed on that line of thought with the following tweet: "Youth and beauty are not accomplishments, they're the temporary happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either."

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Gravitational forces - It's a bit of a sad quote to look back on now, but it's a funny story all the same. Fisher shared that George Lucas told her that Leia couldn't wear underwear for reasons of gravity. "I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra," she wrote in 'Wishful Drinking.'

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A famous family -

With the iconic Debbie Reynolds as her mother, the actress also had a star father in singer-actor Eddie Fisher. "I am truly a product of Hollywood in-breeding. When two celebrities mate, someone like me is the result," she described in 'Wishful Drinking.'

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Mother to daughter advice -

Fisher also had some helpful advice for her daughter, actress ‎Billie Lourd. She wrote about it in 'Wishful Drinking.' "My daughter, she tells me when she grows up she wants to be a singer or a comic. I said 'Well, baby, if you wanna be a comic, you gotta be a writer. But don’t worry, you've got tons of material: Your mother is a manic depressive drug addict. Your father's gay. Your grandmother tap dances and your grandfather eats hearing aids.' And my daughter laughs and laughs and laughs and I said, 'Baby, the fact that you know that's funny is gonna save your whole life.'"

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Dog lover -

Fisher's pet French bulldog became a common sight at the events she attended shortly before her death. This is what she told Good Housekeeping in January 2016: "The most important things in my life now are my mother, my daughter, my friends and my dog, Gary. He travels everywhere with me! I love that saying: make me become the person my animal thinks I am. If I am who Gary thinks I am, I’m fantastic!"

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The realities of dating -

On dating as you get older, Fisher had this to say in her 2011 book 'Shockaholic:' "As you get older, the pickings get slimmer, but the people don't."

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On mental illness -

Fisher's legacy also includes being one of the most outspoken celebrities when it comes to mental illness. "At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you're living with this illness and functioning at all, it's something to be proud of, not ashamed of," she wrote in 'Wishful Drinking.'

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More on mental illness - "I've never been ashamed of my mental illness... it never occurred to me. Many people thank me for talking about it, and mothers can tell their kids when they are upset with the diagnosis that Princess Leia is bipolar too," she said during an acceptance speech.

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Keeping things light -

Fisher also knew how to poke fun at her mental health issues. "I feel I’m very sane about how crazy I am," she described in 'Wishful Drinking.'

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Finding the funny - "If my life wasn't funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable," Fisher wrote in 'Wishful Drinking' about keeping her sanity.

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An open book -

"I do believe you’re only as sick as your secrets. If that’s true, I’m just really healthy," she described in 'Postcards From the Edge.'

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Bottled-up feelings -

Fisher is also renowned for her one-liners. Here are her thoughts from 'Wishful Drinking' on bottling up your feelings: "Resentment is like drinking a poison and waiting for the other person to die."

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On patience - This one's a classic: "Instant gratification takes too long," she wrote in 'Postcards From the Edge.'

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The cruelty of life -

Another great line from 'Postcards From the Edge:' "Life is a cruel, horrible joke and I am the punch line."

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On success -

In 'Wishful Drinking,' Fisher described how success doesn't mean slowing down. "There is no point at which you can say, 'Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap.'"

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An uplifting nature -

One line in particular captures Fisher's energetic nature and notable need to make others laugh. "I act like someone in a bomb shelter trying to raise everyone's spirits," she wrote in 'The Princess Diarist.'

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On our motivations - "No motive is pure. No one is good or bad—but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away," she described in 'Wishful Thinking.' It's hard to imagine, however, what life gave us by taking Carrie Fisher away.

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Thoughts on dying -

This one's hard to read. A month before she passed away, Fisher told Rolling Stone she feared not death, but dying. "Anything with pain associated with it, I don't like. I've been there for a couple of people when they were dying; it didn't look like fun. But if I was gonna do it, I'd want someone like me around. And I will be there!"

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On happiness -

Let's end on a somewhat happier note, shall we? Carrie Fisher certainly didn't have the easiest of journeys, but she clearly believed you could find your own happiness. "Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell," she wrote in 'Wishful Drinking.'

Sources: (TV Times) (Rolling Stone) (Good Housekeeping) 

See also: Top tips on confidence from some of the world's most influential women

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