Words are powerful! The right phrase or sentence can inspire you, challenge you or lift you out of a terrible mood. This is how I feel about quotes. One minute I may be scrolling mindlessly on social media and the next, I experience a full mental shift, a real ‘AHA!’ moment because of a quote or an excerpt someone shared online.
Truth is, not many of us have the time or desire to consume long form texts, and this is what makes quotes extra special. Because it condenses the text and gives it to you in sound bites. We may not always be able to read full books and speeches (though I encourage this) but we can still gain little nuggets of wisdom from quotes.
I have so many quotes that inspire me, that have addressed different seasons in my life as well. I can’t share all so I’ll share ten quotes that have inspired and guided me over time.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Lao Tzu
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style.” – Maya Angelou
“Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there.” Diana Ross
“We should always have three friends in our lives – one who walks ahead, who we look up to and follow, one who walks beside us, who is with us every step of our journey and then, one who we reach back for and bring along after we’ve cleared the way.” – Michelle Obama
“If you want to make/create a legacy, then get ready to work hard. Hard work is not a bad word.” – Jumoke Adenowo
“Risk is the essence of any reward – to try the thing that no one else is willing to try.” – Bozoma Saint John
“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
“I need to see my own beauty and continually remind myself that I am enough, I am worthy of love without effort, I am beautiful and that the texture of my hair, the shape of my curves, the size of my lips and the colour of my skin are all worthy and okay.” – Tracee Ellis Ross
“We have a tendency to network up but it really is about networking across. Who’s next to you? Who’s struggling? Who’s just as hungry as you are? Those are the people that you need to build with.” – Issa Rae
“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams
Bonus
“It’s only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you’re not expressing the utmost of your human experience.” – Lupita Nyong’o
What are your favourite quotes?