28 inspirational quotes for inspiring your life

If you’re striving for meaning in your life and the courage to overcome failure, empower yourself with inspirational thoughts—especially by those who’ve faced similar challenges. You can often find these quotes from others who’ve shared their wisdom to encourage us through tough times and enable us to keep reaching for our dreams.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration to find purpose, courage, or hope, these uplifting quotes can motive you to create positive change.

Be true to yourself

“The only person you should strive to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” – Tony Robbins

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Never give up on finding your purpose

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw

Hope can provide the power to go on

“Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” – Sir Winston Churchill

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” – Barbara Kingsolver

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

Failure can make us stronger

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.” – Maya Angelou

“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future.” – Steve Marabella

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

Each day is a gift

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

Accepting challenges now can lead to great destinations

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” – John A. Shedd

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Someday is not a day of the week.” – Janet Dailey

 Find joy in life’s simple things

“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” – Louisa May Alcott

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” —Dalai Lama

Let go of what holds you back

“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” – Mark Twain

“If you can’t change your fate, change your attitude.” – Amy Tan

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs

And lastly…Don’t take yourself too seriously                       

“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.” – Betty Reese

“It’s okay to look at the past and the future. Just don’t stare.” – Lisa Lieberman-Wang

“Age is of no importance unless you’re a cheese.” – Billie Burke

“Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie

 

Looking for more inspiration? Here are 5 ways to create your bucket list and 8 ways to find hope in difficult times.