Maya Angelou words have the power to move hearts, inspire minds, and uplift souls. Her timeless quotes are more than just phrases—they’re profound lessons on courage, resilience, love, and self-expression. Whether you’re seeking motivation to overcome challenges or wisdom to embrace life’s beauty, Maya Angelou’s words are a guiding light.
In this article, we’ve curated some of her most iconic and thought-provoking quotes to inspire, empower, and enlighten you. From her poetic reflections to her sharp insights on humanity, these quotes will resonate deeply and leave you feeling enriched.
So, grab a cozy spot, dive in, and let Maya Angelou wisdom transform your day. ✨ Let’s explore the magic of her words together!
Maya Angelou Quotes About Life 🌍
- “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
- “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
- “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
- “Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” 🌈
- “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
- “Courage allows the successful woman to fail and learn powerful lessons from the failure so that in the end, she didn’t fail at all.”
- “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”
- “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
- “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”
- “Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About the Self 🪞
- “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”
- “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.”
- “If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”
- “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” 🦋
- “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
- “As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.”
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
- “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- “When you know better, you do better.”
- “A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.”
- “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.”
- “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Love ❤️
- “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
- “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.” 😊
- “Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”
- “The love of the family, the love of the person can heal. It heals the scars left by a larger society.”
- “If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.”
- “First, best is falling in love with yourself.”
- “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
- “Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.”
- “Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.”
- “Love is an endless act of forgiveness.”
- “You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m done with it.’”
- “Love is many things. It’s varied. One thing it is not and can never be is unsure.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Motivation 🚀
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
- “Nothing will work unless you do.”
- “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- “I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”
- “Don’t let the incidents which take place in the world make you cynical. Make it an opportunity to stay strong.”
- “We need much less than we think we need.”
- “All great achievements require time.”
- “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”
- “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.”
- “Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” 🌈
- “The question isn’t whether or not you will struggle. The question is, how will you struggle?”
- “I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.”
More Words from Inspiring Women 🌟
- “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” – Audre Lorde
- “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
- “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” – Coco Chanel
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” – Simone de Beauvoir
- “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” – Maya Angelou
- “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron
- “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson
- “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” – Helen Keller
- “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
- “Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.” – Beyoncé
- “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” – Michelle Obama
Maya Angelou Quotes About Courage 💪
- “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
- “Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage mean we face our fears.”
- “Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
- “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
- “Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.”
- “Courage is daring to take the first step, or a different path. It is the decision to place your dreams above your fears.”
- “I am convinced that courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently.”
- “All great achievements require time and courage.”
- “Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you tower over your circumstances.”
- “If one has courage, nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
- “Be courageous enough to forgive yourself and move forward.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Strength 🌟
- “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
- “Strong women aren’t simply born. They are made by the storms they walk through.”
- “You can’t really know how strong you are until you face adversity.”
- “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
- “A wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.”
- “In the flush of love’s light, we dare be brave. And suddenly we see that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.”
- “Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger, if managed, can be strength.”
- “Success is loving yourself, loving what you do, and loving how you do it.”
- “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” 🦋
- “Sometimes, we don’t appreciate our own strength until tested.”
- “Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” 🌈
- “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Wisdom 📖
- “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
- “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
- “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
- “When you know better, you do better.”
- “You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end, the real forgiveness is in one’s own self.”
- “Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.”
- “Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.”
- “Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant.”
- “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.”
- “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love.”
- “Nothing will work unless you do.”
- “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Hope 🌟
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” 🌈
- “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
- “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.”
- “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.” 😊
- “Nothing works unless you do.”
- “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
- “Without hope, we lose the strength to move forward.”
- “The most beautiful things in life are not just seen, they are felt by the heart.”
- “Don’t let the incidents which take place in the world make you cynical.”
- “We need much less than we think we need.”
Maya Angelou Quotes About Gratitude 🙏
- “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.”
- “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
- “As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.”
- “I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”
- “You can’t forgive without loving.”
- “A thankful heart opens the door to abundance.”
- “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- “The love of the family heals the scars left by a larger society.”
- “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.”
- “Gratitude transforms common days into thanksgivings.”
- “Every storm runs out of rain.”
