Maya Angelou, born in 1928, was an American poet, author, and civil rights activist. Her impactful works, including the autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” explored themes of racism, identity, and resilience. Angelou’s words continue to inspire and empower people around the world today.
Maya Angelou Quotes
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
Maya Angelou Quotes
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.”
“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”
“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same as making a life.”
“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.”
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve 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.”
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
“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.”
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it.”
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I’m going to be positive and not wake up feeling desperate.”
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
