Make your own collection of inspirational sayings and refer to it often. Write your favorite inspirational quotes about life lessons on index cards and carry them with you wherever you go. When you need a little encouragement, take out a card and gain strength from the quote you read.
Here are 20 inspirational life quotes to kick start your collection.
20 Uplifting Quotes to Motivate and Encourage You
“Happiness is a choice.” – Barry Neil Kaufman
Many people believe they’ll be happy at some point in the future, perhaps after they meet their soulmate or get a better job. If you think like this, you’re missing an opportunity – the opportunity to feel happy right now.
You can choose to be happy today, no matter what your circumstances in life are. You can decide to appreciate the beautiful sunrise, the food you eat, the clean water you drink, and the many other good things in your life.
“You can’t always change the way things are, but you can change the way you wish to see them. Never stop looking for the brighter side and beyond.” – Eric T. Moore
Always focus on the positive things in life, even if you face challenges and difficulties.
Inspirational sayings, such as this one, remind you that you can choose to think of “brighter” things every minute of every day.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt.
Once you choose to be happy, you’re in a better position to accept your life as it is. Then, you can see clearly what you can do in the circumstances you find yourself in.
No matter how difficult your life is, you will find something positive that you can do to move forward, if you look for it.
“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” – Demosthenes
With a positive outlook on life, you’ll recognize and take all the opportunities that are open to you. Don’t worry if they appear to be small opportunities because they can lead to great things.
These words from Demosthenes, the ancient Greek statesman and orator, who lived from 384 BC to 322 BC, are still true today.
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney.
Be like Walt Disney and never give up on your dreams. Believe you can achieve them.
“If one advances confidently in the direction of their goals and endeavors to live the life that they have imagined, they’ll meet with success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau
Set and achieve goals that will move you in the direction of creating the life you want to live. If you do this consistently, you’ll be surprised by the success you’ll achieve, according to the philosopher and writer, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862).
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, encourages you to start doing whatever you want to do in life today. The words “power” and “magic” suggest that you’ll see wonderful and unexpected things happen if you start pursuing your dreams.
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.” – Mark Twain.
Don’t let fear stop you from pursuing your dreams. Inspirational sayings such as this one from Mark Twain encourage you to move away from your comfort zone, explore the world, and pursue your dreams.
“The journey of life is towards freedom. A bird cannot hold its perch and fly. Neither can we grasp anything and be free.” – Deborah Adele.
Let go of things you may be clinging onto. These could be people, possessions or a false sense of security. Once you’ve let go of these things, you’ll be free to bring exciting new experiences into your life.
“You have to love yourself because no amount of love from others is sufficient to fill the yearning that your soul requires from you.” – Dodinsky
If you always seek love from other people, you’ll always be disappointed because no one knows you the way you know yourself. Only you can recognize your own true needs and meet them.
“You cannot love others unless you love yourself first: how can you give away what you don’t have?” – Swami Prem Priyadha
If you don’t love yourself, then it’s impossible to love anyone else. Many people think they’ll be happy after they meet someone they can love but this is putting things in the wrong order. Love yourself first. Then and only then will you be capable of loving other people.
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” – William Shakespeare
You can’t love yourself unless you get to know yourself and find out what you truly need and want in life.
In all circumstances, know your true self and be true to yourself, as the great writer William Shakespeare reminds you, so that you can love yourself and move forward in life.
“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease.” – Eckhart Tolle
Although it’s important to have dreams, it’s also important to focus your full attention on the present moment. If you do this, you’ll live in a state of flow, where you become one with whatever you’re doing, forgetting the passage of time and feeling intense joy.
For almost two years Eckhart Tolle was homeless, jobless, and friendless, yet he spent that time in “a state of the most intense joy” because he focused only on the present moment, forgetting the past and not worrying about the future.
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius
Your mind can play tricks on you. It can dissuade you from doing something by telling you that it’s impossible to achieve. This may not be true but you have no way of knowing unless you refuse to listen to your thoughts and try anyway.
The Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, reminds you that you have the power to change your mind about any external situation you find yourself in.
“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” – Lloyd Jones
Failure is a part of life and you may face many failures on the road to success. Don’t let failure or the fear of failure stop you from trying to succeed.
“You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried. If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try – you don’t take the risk.” – Rosalynn Carter
Indeed, the possibility of failure allows you to set the bar higher and, over time, encourages you to achieve greater things.
“Success is a journey not a destination.” – Ben Sweetland
View success as a journey during which you may experience many failures. Enjoy the journey because it is your life. Focus on the present (the journey) rather than the future (the destination) to make the most of your life every day.
In closing, here are three short uplifting quotes that are easy to learn and repeat to yourself when you’re feeling stuck:
“Do it now!” – Napoleon Hill
“Be here now.” – Ram Dass
“Count your blessings.” – Og Mandino
Let these and other inspirational quotes about life and happiness become part of your daily life. Let inspirational quotes about life and struggles give you the courage to move forward on even the darkest days. Repeat short inspirational quotes to give yourself a quick confidence boost whenever you need it.
