Are you looking for motivation and need some inspiration? It’s not uncommon to go through slumps where you don’t feel like doing anything beyond binge-watching your favorite TV show. Rather than watch TV, why not read something that will give you a shot of motivation and be uplifting? One of the best ways to do that is by focusing on inspirational sayings and quotes. Inspiring sayings can be found for all types of emotions and life’s challenges, but some motivation quotes are universal bits of wisdom that give you that “Aha!” moment of inspiration or motivational bounce that you need. This collection of inspirational quotes includes some classics you’re probably familiar with and some that may be new to you that you’ll love too.
100 of the Best Inspirational Sayings And Quotes Of All Time
Popular Inspirational Quotes And Sayings
Choose one of the 25 of the best inspirational quotes below:
1. “Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you.” — Grace Coddington
Never stop paying attention or think there is nothing out there for you. You can find inspiration in the most unlikely places.
2. “You cannot save people, you can just love them.” — Anaïs Nin
You can’t control the destiny of other people. All you can do is support people on their journey.
3. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale
Pursue your dreams no matter what hurdles you think you have in front of you. If you don’t try, you will never reach your goal.
4. “It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” — Howard Ruff
Be prepared for what might come, so if the worst happens, you have what you need to survive.
5. “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”— Buddha
There is no question that holding onto anger has consequences for you. And the truth is, it does nothing to hurt the other person.
6. “Numbing the pain for a while will only make it worse when you finally feel it.” — Albus Dumbledore
Allow yourself to feel the negative emotions that come along with life. Work through them and accept them so you can move on and live the rest of your life in happiness.
7. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” — Lao Tzu
Every step you take toward a goal may seem insignificant, but you must have confidence in your destination. Be clear about your goal so you know that the steps you’re taking will help you end up where you ultimately want to be.
8. “You must not only aim right, but draw the bow with all your might.”— Henry David Thoreau
Getting focused in the right direction is only the first step to success, you then need to give as much effort as you can to move forward. You may know where you want to go, but if you can’t gather up the motivation to get there, you will never succeed.
9. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”— Will Rogers
It can be hard to get on the right track, but once you’re there, you have to take action. Things will get easier as you move down your path, and you will get the hang of it as you keep moving forward.
10. “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”— Roger Staubach
Very few people go the extra mile in their work. Make yourself stand out from the crowd by doing a bit more than is expected from you. This will always work out to your benefit.
11. “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”— Teddy Roosevelt
Take a look around to see what you can do with what you have. Don’t spend your time thinking about the things that you don’t have. Work on your endeavors, and you will realize you have what you need to accomplish big things.
12. “The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.”— John Madden
Of course, people want things to be easy quickly and make it to their goals right away. However, you have to pay your dues. Most people will avoid the challenges and think things will never get easy. However, the tough parts are simply a way of weeding out the people who want success from those who are all talk.
13. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”— Tim Ferriss
Instead of feeling bad about being fearful of something, you can use those feelings to figure out what is most important to you. Fear can help you get anything accomplished because it requires moving past the fear to meet your goals.
14. “The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.”— Richard Bach
Change your viewpoint on what “work” is. You can either think of it as being miserable and tedious, or you can look forward to accomplishing your work every day.
15. Do what you love and the money will follow.”— Marsha Sinetar
People say you should start doing what you love as early as you can in life, and after you do it for long enough, you should be able to make money from it. If you work only for the money, it’s harder to enjoy your work because you become stuck in a job you’re not passionate about.
16. “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”—Victor Kiam
This quote shows that a failure is not the end of the world. When you try and fail, you’re still moving forward. It’s better to risk failure than not do anything at all.
17. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”— Henry David Thoreau
Whenever you buy something or invest in an outcome, you’re exchanging the time and energy it takes to earn the money or make the effort to get it. Make sure your purchases (and outcomes) merit the time and energy you invest.
18. “Someday is not a day of the week.”— Denise Brennan-Nelson
It is easy to push things off to the vague “someday.” But this is a method of procrastinating and fooling yourself into believing your goals will happen without planning for them. If something is really important to you, set a specific deadline for it.
19. “Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.”— Arthur Christopher Benson
If you aren’t self-examined, you will replicate your patterns no matter where you are. But if you self-aware and work to change your limiting beliefs, bad habits, and self-defeating behaviors, you don’t need a change of scene.
20. “If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.”— Ben Hogan
If you find yourself outmatched in life, you can still increase your work ethic to maximize your potential for success. All is not lost if you lose to someone else — you just have to put in extra work to become victorious.
21. “Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.”— Russell Warren
When you have your sights set on achieving your goals, the rest of your life can fade into the background. But the more you think about your goal, the more likely the more likely it will come true.
22. “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” — Elbert Hubbard
No one likes criticism, but it is inevitable when you take risks, express opinions, or follow your dreams. You can’t allow potential criticism to hold you back from taking action — unless you want to remain stuck in life.
23. “The power of imagination makes us infinite.” — John Muir
Never stop using your imagination. No matter the size of your accomplishments, they always begin with your imagination. The power of your imagination is the impetus behind all great achievements.
24. “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
If you fail at an endeavor, you have to pick yourself up and keep going. Don’t let failures get you down because they move you one stop closer to achieving your goals.
25. “Never apologize for having high standards. People who really want to be in your life will rise up to meet them.” — Ziad K. Abdelnour
Don’t compromise. When you have demanding standards, you will attract people who hold the same values and want to help you succeed.
Inspirational Quotes About Life
Have a look at the 23 inspirational quotes about life below:
26. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” — Coco Chanel
If something isn’t working in life, move on. Stop wasting your time on something that will never work out.
27. “Optimism is the one quality more associated with success and happiness than any other.” — Brian Tracy
No matter what your situation is, if you are able to look at it with a positive attitude, you can transform the challenges and turn them into stepping stones to success.
28. “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” — Robin Sharma
You need to get out there and try new things to live a fulfilling life. If you remain stagnant, your life will be wasted.
29. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King
Don’t give up, no matter how many times you fail.
30. “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” — Author Unknown
You have to get out there and experience things in order to learn and grow as a person. You can’t just stay in one spot for your entire life.
31. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.” — Albert Einstein
You can’t count on other people to make you happy, and you certainly won’t be fulfilled by material things. A productive life of achievement based on your goals and values will foster sustained happiness.
32. “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — Seth Godin
Create a life that you love to live by following your dreams and living out your passions. Don’t settle for less than you truly want.
33. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb
Don’t procrastinate on your dreams. Think about how happy you will be in a year with the progress you make on your dreams if you start today.
34. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”— George Eliot
You are never too old to pursue your dreams. No matter how off course you have gotten, you can start working toward your dreams starting today.
35. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” — Beverly Sills
If something in your life is worthwhile, then it’s worth doing it right and enjoying the process. Taking shortcuts will prevent you from having the full experience.
36. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay
The future doesn’t exist yet, so you can come up with a version of it that best suits your needs. Put your best efforts into creating the life you want.
37. “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” — Arnold Palmer
You may want to give up when the odds are against you, but you have to give everything as much effort as you can. You never know how your efforts might pay off.
38. “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda
There is no in-between with finishing what you start. Choose to finish that one thing you’ve been trying.
39. “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn
It’s more productive to improve yourself than to wish the task was easier. Grow to the challenge.
40. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
Don’t be a spectator in life. It’s more important that you have the courage to take a shot than whether or not it goes in. But you are guaranteed to fail if you don’t try.
41. “The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.” — Ann Landers
Treat other people as you want to be treated, no matter what they can or will offer you. Kindness and respect with all people set you apart.
42. “One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments.” — Henry Ward Beecher
No matter how bad your failure may seem, don’t quit because often this is the time you are on the brink of success.
43. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” — Harry Truman
Keep your eye on your goal, not on how many people are watching you get there. Don’t let yourself get distracted by your own ego needs.
44. “Many of the things you can count, don’t count.”—Albert Einstein
Material things and money are not what is important in this life. What count are your experiences, relationships, and achievements.
45. “Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Everyone experiences struggles. While your struggles might be unique to you, life challenges are universal.
46. “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” — John E. Southard
Don’t spend time or energy on getting back at those who have hurt you. Instead, help those who have helped you.
47. “Say what you want to say when you have the feeling and the chance.” — Jim Keller
If you pass up the opportunity to express your true feelings, you may regret the missed chance.
48. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Ryun
Your desire to do something consistently must be supported by your willingness to make it a habit. You must work on it daily until it becomes automatic.
49. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”— Muhammad Ali
You don’t want to breeze through life just marking time waiting for something to make your life better. Be joyful, present, and mindful every day to get the most from your life.
Short Inspirational Quotes
I think you’ll enjoy a look at these 25 short inspirational quotes:
50. “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein
Creative endeavors are another way of expressing your intelligence. You can apply creativity to anything you do to make it more interesting and enjoyable.
51. “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal.” — Author Unknown
Never give up on your goals. Just reassess your strategies if you aren’t getting traction.
52. “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” — Abraham Lincoln
Kill your enemies with kindness and respect, and more often than not, they will become your friends.
53. “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.” — Thomas Edison
You have to put in the work to get the results you are looking for.
54. “Do it with passion, or not at all.” — Rosa Nouchette Carey
Don’t bother doing something if you are only going to do it halfway. Do it with energy and joy.
55. “The grass is greener where you water it.” — Neil Barringham
You have to nurture the relationships and efforts that you want to grow and thrive.
56. “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” — Seth Godin
Don’t let fear stand in your way of accomplishing things.
57. “I never dream of success. I worked for it.” — Estee Lauder
You can’t sit back and expect success to fall in your lap. It requires hard work and dedication.
58. “Dream big and dare to fail.”— Norman Vaughan
If you have a fear of failing, you’ll keep your goals small. By overcoming this fear and being fully willing to fail, you allow your mind to expand your dreams.
59. “The best dreams happen when you’re awake.”— Cherie Gilderbloo
You must be fully present and attentive to make your dreams a reality. You can’t keep dreams in your mind — you must take action.
60. “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
You can start over with every passing moment. You can forget the past, release anything holding you back, and start over doing the things you want to do. Remember that your future is being created every moment.
61. “Light tomorrow with today.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Whatever you do today is either moving you forward or backward. Make the most of each day, and eventually, you will start to notice that your days are improving, which will set you up well for the future.
62. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Believing in yourself and your abilities will encourage you to take action and do your best. Start by believing that you can take the first step to reach your goal.
63. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” — George Addair
You have to move past your fears so you can get what you want. You have to face fear, no matter how big or small, and take action anyway to get what you want.
64. Change your thoughts and you change your world.”—Norman Vincent Peale
The beginning of all positive change begins with your thoughts. Negative, limiting thoughts will hold you back. Optimistic thoughts will pave the way for success.
65. “If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough.” — Mario Andretti
If you are living in your comfort zone, you aren’t achieving as much as you are capable of achieving. Stir up your life so you can accelerate your growth.
66. “Action is the foundational key to all success. — Pablo Picasso
Nothing gets accomplished without taking the actions needed to reach your final goal. Remember, being busy and actually taking goal-oriented action are different.
67. “I will go anywhere as long as it is forward.” — David Livingston
Time and your life should move in the same direction. Keep looking forward and your final destination won’t matter, as long as it represents progress forward.
68. “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all? — Joe Namath
Don’t start a journey that you don’t plan to finish. Don’t start something if you can’t put your best foot forward.
69. “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” — Napoleon Hill
There will always be a reason to not start something new in your life. While the timing might not seem perfect, you have to get started right now. You can improve things as you go along and make adjustments as necessary.
70. “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” — Christopher Reeve
But once you give up hope, nothing is possible. Hope is believing things will work out and having an optimistic outlook. Never give up hope because life can surprise you, even in the darkest times.
71. “Make each day your masterpiece.” — John Wooden
Never take a day for granted. When it comes to an end, your life will ultimately be made up of the accumulation of your days, so make sure you value each day as a precious gift.
72. “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
If you’re having a hard time in life, it’s tempting to try to quit, but this quote reminds us that we have to keep going. You can’t escape your problems by ignoring them. You must experience them to find solutions.
73. “Avoiding failure is to avoid progress.” — Author Unknown
Accept the fact that you will have times in your life when you fail. You have to look at these experiences as opportunities to learn and grow so you can make progress in the future.
74. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” — John Maxwell
There is really no losing in life. If you don’t succeed in doing something, you still will have learned a valuable life lesson that you can take with you when you try again in the future.
Uplifting Quotes For Everyday
75. “Anyone who has ever made anything of importance was disciplined.” — Andrew Hendrixson
Success does not come without discipline, and if you want to do something important, you must remain committed and steadfast from beginning to end.
76. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
If you want to effect change, you can’t rely on other people to do it for you. You need to take action and initiative to make things happen for yourself.
77. “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.” — Doug Ivester
Don’t rest on your laurels. Enjoy your successes but keep moving forward toward your next goal.
78. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Dr. Robert Schuller
Adversity is fleeting, but the strength you build by coping with adversity will be with you always.
79. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King
Part of being successful at anything is tenacity. Keep trying as many times as it takes to master your goal.
80. “Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.” — Ted Williams
Getting started is the hardest part. But, if you stick with it, you will improve and become proficient. You learn through doing.
81. “Choosing a goal and sticking to it changes everything.” — Scott Reed
Once you learn how to commit to your goals and follow through, you have the power to change your entire life.
82. “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Don’t feel discouraged if your tasks seem minuscule. The potential of each task is big and can lead to great things.
83. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” — Vince Lombardi
Everyone gets knocked down at some point, but getting back up is the key to success. Pick yourself up and keep going.
84. “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”—Napoleon Hill
Whatever you can dream in your life, you can accomplish, but only if you put your imagination into action.
85. “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Words often belie our true feelings and intentions, but our actions rarely do. Pay attention to how people behave if you want to know the truth of who they are.
86. “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” — Stephen R. Covey
If you want to succeed at anything, you must feel self-motivation. No one can pull you or push your toward your goals if you aren’t ready to work on them.
87. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can´t have it.” — Robert Anthony
What you can or cannot do is all about your attitude toward your abilities.
88. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” — Ella Fitzgerald
You can succeed at just about anything you want to do as long as you are passionate about it.
89. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth
With enough attempts, you will eventually succeed, no matter what your goal is. Thomas Edison made 10,000 attempts before he created a successful light bulb.
90. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson
Going the extra mile to push things past mediocre can make a huge difference in your life. Always ask yourself if your actions are ordinary or extraordinary and give the little extra if necessary.
91. “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” — Charles Kettering
Take bold actions without worrying about failure. If things don’t work out, you still have learned so much to use for the next attempt.
92. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow.” — Helen Keller
31 Quotes About Boredom To Revive You 101 Positive Affirmations And Thoughts To Practice Daily 25 Best Right Person Wrong Time Quotes Keep looking on the bright side. Whatever you give your attention to will grow, so when you only pay attention to what’s going wrong in your life, so focus on the positive and the things that make you happy.
Funny Inspirational Sayings
Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of humor. These funny inspirational sayings are sure to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.
93. Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. — Charles Schultz
Don’t spend so much time worrying about things that may not happen. Try to enjoy the present moment and stop fretting.
94. Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. — Benjamin Franklin
It’s the little things in life, like a nice glass of wine, that bring us the most happiness.
95. If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. — The Dalai Lama
Even if you don’t see yourself as important or powerful, you can still make a positive impact on the world.
96. We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know. — W.H. Auden
We need to be good neighbors, friends, and family members and serve our communities in some way — even if it’s not always reciprocated.
97. Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn’t spend half our time wishing — Alexander Woollcott
Too much time hoping and dreaming, and not enough time doing, leads to wasted energy and few accomplishments.
98. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. — Wayne Gretzky
If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed. If you try, you chances for success increase dramatically.
99. I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book. — Groucho Marx
Use your brain power on creative endeavors that require you to think, rather than on mindless activities that don’t elevate you.
100. The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time. — Joe Girard
Reaching success isn’t a quick and easy process. There are no shortcuts. You have to do the hard work.
How will you use these inspirational sayings?
Now that you have this resource with inspirational quotes and sayings, how can you best use them to improve your life? We suggest:
Speak them out load as affirmations in front of the mirror.Write them down on sticky notes and post them around the house.Journal about your favorite quotes or sayings.Use these sayings when you write a card or letter to someone. Have your favorite quote printed on your coffee mug so you can see each morning.
No matter how you decide to use the inspirational messages, find a way to make them a part of your daily life. Create action steps based on your favorites to make real progress with positive life change.
