Finding motivation and inspiration to power through life's daily obstacles can be tough — let alone if tragedy or conflict is in the way of an optimistic outlook. The stress in your career, amid relationships and in life can take a mental toll before you know it. Taking the time to look to other inspiring leaders, both within your own circle and the world at large, can help keep the flame of positivity burning bright within your life (at any age!).
Our list of the very best inspirational quotes can help; these short, powerful and often funny metaphors, written excerpts and snippets of historical speeches can provide a much-needed spark of motivation. Hearing from these celebrated personalities and notable thought pioneers can get you started on brand-new goals in 2023, get you through recent personal tragedies or empower you to take charge of your relationships.
Below, you'll find our collection of quotes from beloved figures — powerhouse actors, musicians, authors and more — who have experienced a lot of ups and downs, but still managed to derive some insight through it all. From Michelle Obama to Marilyn Monroe, C.S Lewis to Franklin Roosevelt, these positive affirmations will uplift you and prepare you for what lies ahead.
1
Queen Elizabeth II
It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.
2
Nelson Mandela
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
3
Amanda Gorman
There is always light. If only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.
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4
Booker T. Washington
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.
I scorched the earth with my talent and I let my light shine.
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7
A.A. Milne
You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
8
Madeleine Albright
It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.
9
Lupita Nyong'o
You can't rely on how you look to sustain you, what sustains us, what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion; for yourself and your those around you.
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10
Winston Churchill
Attitude is the 'little' thing that makes a big difference.
All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.
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13
Olivia Newton-John
Once you face your fear, nothing is ever as hard as you think.
14
Loretta Lynn
I don’t go to church regular. But I pray for answers to my problems.
15
Thomas Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
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16
Madam C.J Walker
Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.
17
Steve Jobs
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
18
Esteé Lauder
I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.
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19
Billie Jean King
Champions keep playing until they get it right.
20
Naomi Judd
A dead end street is a good place to turn around.
Zee Krstic
Content Strategy Manager, Hearst Magazines
Zee Krstic is a content strategy manager for Hearst Magazines, focusing on SEO optimization and other editorial strategies for four brands, including Country Living, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor and VERANDA. He previously served as Health Editor for Good Housekeeping between 2019 and 2023, covering health news, diet and fitness trends as well as executing wellness product reviews in conjunction with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Prior to joining Hearst, Zee fostered a strong background in women's lifestyle media with eight plus years of editorial experience, including as a site-wide editor at Martha Stewart Living after developing a nutrition background as an assistant editor at Cooking Light. Zee produces service-based health coverage, as well as design and travel content, for Hearst brands on a contributor basis; he has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications.
Caroline Picard
Contributing Writer
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
Do not look back on happiness-or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated out of it. The past, the present and the future are really one-they are today. One today is worth two tomorrows; what I am to be, I am now becoming.
You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. In every day, there are 1,440 minutes.
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”― Martin Luther King, Jr.
Life is not always perfect.Like a road, it has many bends, ups and down, but that's its beauty. I marveled at the beauty of all life and savored the power and possibilities of my imagination.
Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching: "When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be." Rosa Parks: "When one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear." Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."
Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart. Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.
Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet. Life is so transient and ephemeral; we will not be here after a breath. So think better, think deeply, think with kindness, and write it with love so that it may live a little longer.
Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be — Eckhart Tolle. Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm —Winston Churchill. A real man smiles in times of trouble, gathers strength from distress and grows brave by reflection — Thomas Paine.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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