"Grey's Anatomy" is a television drama where life-or-death consequences occur on a daily basis. The doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital continually realize neither relationships nor medicine are ever in black and white.

Meredith Grey, one of the show's main characters, never lets a story go untold. Her patience, intellect, and charisma create the perfect balance for ideologies that continually define our undefinable, "real life" experiences.

Nevertheless, her quotations make us braver or shier, stronger or weaker, younger or older, wiser or duller, crazier or safer, richer or cheaper...the list goes on and on. Here are 16 Meredith Grey quotes that remind us how even when real life is grey...

1. "Knowing is better than wondering, waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying."

2. "Time waits for no man. Time heals all wounds. All any of us want, is more time. Time to stand up-time to grow up-time to let go."

3. "I think you can't wait for someone to fly underneath you and save your life. I think you have to save yourself."

4."Just because we can live without something, it doesn't mean we have to."

5. "I think it is important to take the time to tell the people you love how much you love them while they can still hear you."

6. "We're friends, real friends, and that means no matter how long it takes, when you finally decide to look back...I'll still be here."

7. "More tequila. More love. More anything. More is better."

8. "Sometimes it's good to be scared. It means you still have something to lose..."

9. "Life is not a spectator sport. Win, lose, or draw, the game is in progress, whether we want it to be, or not. So, go ahead, argue with the refs, change the rules… cheat a little, take a break… and tend to your wounds. But play. Play. Play hard. Play fast. Play loose and free. Play as if there's no tomorrow."

10. "You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations. Because the expected is just what keeps us steady… standing… still. The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected… is what changes our lives."

11. "But here's the truth: Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, oh, sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, change is… everything."

12. "When we follow our hearts, when we choose not to settle, it's funny isn't it? A weight lifts. The sun shines a little brighter and for a brief moment at least, we find a little peace."

13. "Maybe I do believe it, all this 'meant to be' stuff. Why not believe it, really? Who doesn't want more romance in their life? Maybe it's just up to us to make it happen. To show up and be meant for each other. At least that way you'll find out for sure – if you're meant to be or not."

14. "We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future. As if figuring it out will somehow cushion the blow. But the future is always changing. The future is the home of our deepest fears and our wildest hopes. But one thing is certain: When it finally reveals itself, the future is never the way we imagined it."

15. If there's just one piece of advice I can give you, it's this – when there's something you really want, fight for it – don't give up no matter how hopeless it seems. And when you've lost hope...ask yourself in 10 years from now...you're gonna wish you gave it just one more shot. Because the best things in life, they don't come free."

16. "We'll try and we'll fail again because that's what progress looks like. Progress looks like a bunch of failures. And you're going to have feelings about that because it's sad, but you cannot fall apart. And then one day, we will succeed and save a person's life and we will walk on the moon."

Sincerely,

Dr. Meredith Grey