“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
― Maya Angelou
Famous Maya Angelou Quotes
Maya Angelou was an author and poet who spent her life creating amazing works designed to inspire people and bring them together. Her passing in 2014 had people sharing their favorite works and Maya Angelou quotes on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites. Here we’ve collected the most inspiring quotes from the amazing life of this inspiring writer.
Top 10 Inspiring Maya Angelou Quotes
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
― Maya Angelou
There’s a big difference between being defeated and giving up. We will all face obstacles in our lives, many of which may seem like they are insurmountable. Just remember that there is nothing that cannot be overcome, no matter how overwhelming the situation may seem. Just pick your head up, brush off the dust, and take another step forward. Each time you do that, it will become easier to brush off the defeats.
“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.”
― Maya Angelou
Too many people spend their entire lives working to make just enough money to pay their bills, scraping and scrounging to buy things that they don’t need. This is just survival, but there is something more important than mere survival. Find something that makes you happy, and you will thrive.
“My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college processors”
― Maya Angelou
Not everyone has the opportunity to obtain an education. Illiteracy does not indicate the level of intelligence that someone has. You can learn the most amazing things from people who can’t read. The understanding of the written word is not a requirement for knowledge.
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
― Maya Angelou
Life sneaks up on you and bites you when you least expect it. When these unexpected things happen, you have two choices: You can either allow yourself to be defeated buy it, or you can overcome it. Those who choose to overcome will become stronger; those who choose to be defeated will remain as they are.
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
― Maya Angelou
This is a quote that holds special significance after the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding marriage equality. There is nothing that can stop love, not even hate. The world has begun to understand this, and from here, love can only spread.
“You are the sum total of everything you have ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
― Maya Angelou
Everything that you surround yourself with has an impact on your life, right down to the foods that you eat and the music that you listen to. Don’t surround yourself with negative experiences. These will bleed into your life, making you a negative person. Enjoy positive experiences, and these will make your life a more enjoyable experience.
“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
― Maya Angelou
Everyone has the potential for courage, whether they believe it or not. Without that potential for courage, it is impossible to foster any of the other amazing things that we need to survive and thrive in the world today. We cannot live without compassion, kindness, or mercy, and to obtain any of these things, we must first begin with courage.
“What is a fear of living? It is being preeminently afraid of dying. It is not doing what you came here to do, out of timidity and spinelessness. The antidote is to take full responsibility for yourself – for the time you take up and the space you occupy. If you don’t know what you’re here to do, then just do some good. “
― Maya Angelou
There is no reason to be afraid of dying. It is the unavoidable end state for all living things. What you should be afraid of is being so afraid of dying that you refuse to live. Take the time to know yourself and discover why you are meant to be here, on this Earth, for this length of time. If you can’t figure that out, then just try to do something to make the world around you a better place. Its effects will ripple out from your center point and make amazing positive changes in the world.
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, it need not be lived again.”
― Maya Angelou
The world we live in has an awful and bloody history, but we should not block it out just because it is unpleasant to look upon. Instead, it is important to learn as much as we can about our history, because by knowing what mistakes we have made in the past, it is much easier to avoid making the same mistakes again in the future.
“I’m grateful to intelligent people. That doesn’t mean educated. That doesn’t mean intellectual. I mean really intelligent. What black old people used to call ‘mothers wit’ means the intelligence you had in your mother’s womb. That’s what you rely on. You know what’s right to do.”
There is more to intelligence than what you learn while you’re in school. Intelligence can mean anything from knowing what spices to use on a roast chicken to instinctively knowing how to bandage a wound or provide first aid. These are the things that you learn before you even know that you’re learning, and they can be the most important resource that you will ever have.
Hopefully, these Maya Angelou quotes can help you find a bit of inspiration and beauty in the world around you. There is beauty in the simplest of things; it’s just up to us to see it.
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