50 Short Inspirational Quotes About Life and Happiness, Love, Success, and Change

We all want the best in life.

Drawing from other people’s life experiences, most of us do not know how to start and complete the same process for achieving that which we wish to have in life.

All other factors held constant…

Most people don’t know how to dedicate themselves and have the discipline to see it to the end.​ Therefore, for most of us, we tend to look elsewhere for motivation, inspiration, and hope.

By faith, all things are possible.

​I do believe that the following inspirational quotes will point you in the right direction to that which you desire to accomplish in your life.

Motivational quote by Nelson Mandela

It is everybody’s dream to achieve success in life. To make it big! But, unless you are the lucky few, we all know that nothing comes easy.

Life has its challenges.

If you have decided to be successful, you may go all in and give it your best shot, but things may not always all work in your favor all the time.

That is life. It is what it is.

Never sit and do nothing even when we are in our worst, terrible moments.

When you struggle or fail in your endeavors, do not make it your habit to stay down for long and wallow in regrets and self-pity, worrying about what you could have done differently.

If that ever happens to you, remember to stop yourself.

The best thing you can do is to start looking forward to a better situation. The one you dream of accomplishing. Look forward to it, hold on to it.

Never let go.

Even if you have fallen a hundred times, you have to pull yourself together and gain the energy you need to face the next challenge in your life.

You have got to learn how to heal from failure, gather positive energy, and be ready to try again, and the next time, be prepared to work smarter, harder than anybody else, and above else improve your strategies.​

When your mind, eyes, and body are all set up to do something, no matter what, no matter how long, if you keep getting up and you keep moving forward.

That which you want, in due time, you shall have it.

Everything is possible.

Do not let the fear of the unknown stand between you and your success.

Let failure be the fuel and the driving force that makes you want to make it in life. Inch by inch, step by step, move towards the goals you want to achieve. Soon or later, you’d be glad you did!

According to Zig Ziglar, time can be a double-edged weapon.

Time can be man’s best friend and, at the same time, his worst enemy.

That is why we need to arrange our precious time.

Too much time at our disposal creates boredom, while too little time overloads us and makes us nervous.

Time is the only thing we cannot control. We cannot stop it or change it. It flows in its course and passes no matter what we do or where we are.

Inspirational quotes by Zig Ziglar

Maya Angelou’s quote is another one of those inspiring quotes that make me think more carefully about my actions to others.

Our actions and words matter. The way we make those close to us feel is how they will remember us for the rest of their life.

Motivational quotes by Maya Angelou

This quote hits home because many times in the past, I believed that my job was secure due to how hard I worked. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I now realize that just how my career turns out to be is up for me to decide and not anybody else. I know that with the right mindset and work ethic, our profession can become anything we all want it to be. 

Inspirational quote

Albert Einstein is a big inspiration of mine.

Despite what people thought about him, he still became successful and is one of the smartest people in history.

He knows as well as anyone that we can learn from our experiences if we choose to. But we can’t always live in the past. It’s important to reflect on it and try to learn from it, but that’s it.

By continually thinking about the past, we will be living in the past. 

We should live for today because today has so many opportunities that are just waiting for us. Each day we wake up, we should be grateful because tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Inspirational quotes by Albert Einstein

This is an excellent quote that shines a light on braggadocious people.

He highlights a few things in this quote, including the seemingly frequent occurrence of those without credentials, experience, and accomplishment who claim – often loudly, about their dubious achievements.

He also highlights the fact that the group of people who have accomplished things is much smaller and quieter than the other group of people. This majority only brag about empty or false accomplishments.

Motivational quotes

People say that knowledge is power.

With knowledge, you can do so many things. Learning is the beginning of wealth, in my opinion, doesn’t mean you will learn to make lots of money (although this is a possibility).

It means that knowledge is the greatest thing you can have.

Learning about who you are, what you want, and everything that the world has to offer is the most significant wealth you can acquire. 

Inspirational quotes by Jim Rohn

Legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi achieved a lot during his life. This particular inspirational quote focuses on the elements that it takes to achieve success.

The three cornerstones noted in the quote are hard work, dedication, and determination.

Lombardi ends the quote with a great statement…

You should you and those within your team apply themselves to the task at hand to the best of their abilities, then there is no shame, win or lose, as you gave it your best shot. 

Inspirational quotes by Vince Lombardi

Henry Ford was an astounding individual, and his accomplishments have had a lasting impact on humanity as a whole.

If you start out seeking only wealth, you will have a tough time trying to find any. 

Seeking wealth on its own gives you no leverage with which to earn it. Instead, take the time to develop something useful for your fellow man.

When you find your worth to the world, the world will have no problem increasing your fortune in exchange.

Motivational quotes by Henry Ford

This is one of Steve Jobs inspiring quotes that talks about the essence of time.

According to him, the best things in life don’t cost money, and that time is the greatest asset that we all have, and it comes at no cost.

Time is standard for everybody, and it is precious.

How we choose to spend our time determines our success. Using time wisely, one makes the best out of life. With proper time management, one can achieve virtually anything that one wishes for in life. 

Inspirational quote by Steve Jobs

I love this quote from legendary basketball coach.

It is brief and simple, yet clear and vital.

One of the biggest obstacles in life is often our self-doubt.

When we doubt, we allow ourselves to be defeated by our inadequacies. Consequently, we hold ourselves down and miss the opportunity to grow and develop.

Know your strength and weakness. No one is perfect.

Inspirational quotes

This quote from Helen Keller asserts that Love, friendship, passion, loyalty are the most valuable things in the world. You can’t always see them, but you can feel them.

To enjoy life, you need to focus on your feelings and what the heart is telling you. Beauty is not only perceived with the eye but also with the heart.

If you want to fill your life with happiness and passion, open your heart and start to appreciate your emotions more.

Motivational quotes by Helen Keller

This is one of Winston Churchill’s great quotes talking about how you perceive an opportunity, will determine how successful you will be in life.

For some people, they only see the negative side of every opportunity.

Therefore, they will most likely hesitate to exploit any chance that comes their way no matter how good it may seem to be.

Some people will always find a reason to discredit it.

On the other hand, it’s better to follow Winston Churchill’s quote above and be like those people who will try to make good of anything that comes their way regardless of how challenging it might seem.

Inspirational quote by Winston Churchill

You can gain a lot of insight into what a person is like whenever they open their mouths to talk.

Eleanor Roosevelt warns against people who only talk about other people – more often than not, they’re shallow and either blame or gossip as if their lives depended on it.

Small-minded people often speak about events and ramble on about what they think should be done. The greatest inventors, entrepreneurs, and leaders focus on ideas rather than events or other people.

If you’re aspiring to be great… 

This is the time to start focusing and implementing ideas that will improve your home, community, country, or even the world.

Inspirational quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe was a writer and a diplomat. This is one of his inspirational quotes that talk about how we often fail to implement our thoughts.

The human mind is full of imagination. We love to imagine.

Whenever we see a problem, we think of its solution.

Thinking is easy. Anyone can do it. But, thinking is not enough.

This motivational quote tells us that the difference between thoughts and reality is the action. 

Motivational quotes by Johann Wolfgang

It is our conscious effort to decide what our life will be about that will make us pursue what matters to us.

Getting outside help is important. It is one of the best ways for us to learn how to navigate the paths that we want to take.

However, finding one’s life purpose starts by taking full responsibility for our actions and inactions.

Inspirational quote by Stephen Covey

People you spend time with will determine your health, well-being, and level of happiness.

It’s best to spend time with people who are happy, cheerful, and positive

Think about it.

If you spend days with someone who always complains and is mad at the world, pretty soon, you’ll transform into one. Unknowingly, these people emit bad auras and infect you with their unhappiness.

Booker Washington says that it’s better to be alone than be surrounded by those who are always sad, whiny, and with no goals or motivation.

Inspirational quotes by Booker Washington

Thomas Edison accomplished a lot during his life, from the invention of the light bulb to establishing large scale research institutions.

As a man who accomplished so much, his knowledge is valuable and pertinent. Edison lists three essentials to achieve anything worthwhile.

And that if we persevere even when times are tough and things are not going our way, we can move past rainy-days into a brighter future. 

Motivational quotes

You only live one life.

There is no room in life for excuses and failure makes us stronger.

No one shouldn’t be afraid of failing.

Struggles in life are inevitable in our quest to succeed. Be brave, be hopeful, stay positive, and work hard. It’s the only way to achieve our maximum potential. It’s never too late to be what you might have been.

Inspirational quote by George Eliot

The nature themes that permeate his poetry are a vehicle through which he examines how humans string together moments, like mosaic pieces, to create the full picture of one’s life.

Nowhere is this more evident than in his famous quote about taking the road less traveled.

He’s saying that the mosaic of his life would have been less vibrant if he’d followed the worn path trudged by those who came before.

Inspirational quotes

The world today full of distractions from social media and technology.

We tend to get carried away by technology and fail to focus on ourselves.

Michelle emphasizes the need to turn the focus on oneself at times, and this means shutting down phones and social media.

Having a break from social media will have focus drifted to what’s essential, and this will inspire long-term success.

Motivational quotes by Michelle

This motivational quote is explicitly about motherhood.

We well know that mothers develop essential skills of love, understanding as well as compassion.

A mother is protective of her children, but she will always be compassionate and will try to understand everything about her child.

It is merely an act of love for her children.

Inspirational quote by Erma Bombeck

Love is the most critical part of any artwork.

Love strongly affects the artwork final artistic quality.

Love can be observed everywhere throughout the creative process of an artwork, but Van Gogh narrows this to the love for others.

In the end, the artwork will end up being the medium through which an artist expresses love for the public. The higher the love for the people, the more exceptional artistic quality the artwork will have.

Inspirational quotes by Van Gogh

One of the biggest keys to success and spiritual tranquility is to be grateful and appreciative of the things we have.

If all our focus is on the things in life we do not own, we will end up in a never-ending cycle of misery and self-pity.

Remember to wake up every day grateful for waking up again, and appreciate the small gifts life gives to us each day.

Motivational quotes

This is one of William James’ inspirational quotes that is a compelling portrait of the subtle ways in which we can change the world.

Our attitudes, the prejudices we hold end up shaping not only our lives but those of the people around us.

Transcending our prejudices enables us to aim higher and to achieve so much more in life. It allows us to engage with the world more widely, and to move beyond the limits we had set for ourselves.

It is a personal process, but one with far-reaching ramifications.

Inspirational quote by William James

In life, you have to keep on trying.

You should never wait for the perfect time to work towards achieving goals because there is no ideal time in life.

Stop waiting for the perfect time because it will never be. You should never be afraid of making mistakes, for you can use them to gain experience.

Give it your best, and each day you will get closer to achieving your goals.

Read also about 30 funny inspirational quotes about life and happiness

Inspirational quotes by Bernard Shaw

You cannot become confident in your ability to do something when you’re just beginning the process of learning something new.

The journey to success, the trial and error.

The time and effort, and the process of learning and acquiring knowledge will eventually determine how confident we are as an individual.

Motivational quotes

Woody Allen’s short little treatise on happiness is a typically neat and concise assessment of a complex psychological state.

The key take away from this inspirational quote is that happiness equates to looking at yourself and what you have and taking it at face value.

We have to learn to transcend the feelings of jealousy and covetousness, which can be a burden and obstacle to happiness.

Inspirational quote

The fear of failure is something that everyone will experience, no matter how good-looking or exceptionally skilled they at what they are doing. 

It’s a creeping feeling that you will not succeed no matter how hard you try and that perhaps it’s not even worth the effort.

Babe Ruth himself experienced failure, but he didn’t let failure stop him.

You need to give it absolutely everything that you’ve got if you want to succeed in anything you want to achieve in this life.

Inspirational quotes

This quote is telling us to be wary of what we put into our life.

If you are filling your life with negativity, you will receive negativity back from your experiences. Conversely, if you put positivity back into your life by working hard, you’ll reap positive benefits.

Always be the best you that you can be, and your experience will follow suit.

Motivational quotes by Jack Canfield

This motivational quote by Tony Jay Robbins is a powerful and poignant examination of how we respond to the world around us.

Our lives are such a precious commodity.

In effect, by living a good life and engaging positively with those we come into contact with, we are repaying the higher intelligence responsible for our existence.

Inspirational quote by Tony Jay Robbins

Will Rogers’ recipe for success might seem a little basic, but it is, in fact, a powerful philosophy for life and prosperity.

Stripped back to its bare bones, it is about the importance of authenticity in everything we do. It’s also about the value of setting tangible goals and a concrete plan about you will accomplish those goals.

Inspirational quotes by Will Rogers

Some inspirational quotes signify the value of thinking outside the box.

People who can look beyond accepted conventions of the status quo tend to have the most significant achievements in life.

To truly push boundaries, we need a level of creativity and a willingness to take risks. The key to success is to take a leap of faith.

Motivational quotes

Most people react badly in adverse situations.

The motivational quote above tells us to keep calm and serenity in the face of any circumstance, good or bad, will help you be a successful person.

Being relaxed and sure of ourselves will undoubtedly help us a lot in life. And not only that, we will stand out from anyone else.

Inspirational quotes

You can spend your entire life searching for the meaning of life.

You will read book after book, talk to plenty of people with different opinions, and you will never come to a definitive answer as to what the meaning of life truly is.

One possible reason for this can be summed up quite nicely by one of Joseph Campbell’s inspirational quotes.

Make yourself available to live, and your experiences will give you a unique perspective that may very well give you that meaning that you have been searching for the entire time. Live your life.

Inspirational quotes by Joseph Campbell

Improvements stem from the idea of forward progress. 

Without a starting point and a method of measuring your forward progress, you cannot claim that there has been any improvement.

Achieving your goals relies on growth and not remaining static.

Motivational quotes

Mahatma Gandhi was an exceptional human being, and his words are a true testament to what he stood for. 

Gaining power through love, as Gandhi puts it, is in a different category on its own.

Power gained through love is immeasurably more powerful than one through the use of force or fear.

Inspirational quote

​To achieve anything, you must first have a goal.

Having a plan and passion for achieving your goal is essential to success.

A plan allows you to take concrete steps towards your goal with mini achievements along the way. Read about 25 books for success at success.com

Once you have your goals and your plan, you must put this into action and take the steps necessary to achieve success.

Inspirational quotes

You should always be polite to people you meet.

Ask questions.

A lot of people enjoy talking about themselves, so this is an easy task to accomplish. Get to know them while at the same time remaining mysterious about yourself.

You should proceed to cautiously offer little tidbits of information about yourself and gauge their reaction and their response.

Inspirational quote by George Washington

What makes Hawthorne’s assessment of the power of language so compelling is because it so neatly demonstrates his argument.

In essence, he is pointing out the power of language as a tool.

It yields no strength of its own, but words can be used to achieve all manner of effects depending on the individual who is making use of it.

Inspirational quotes

Contentment is the simplest way to feel true happiness and peace.

It is learning to appreciate what you have, who you’re with, and where you are at present. Developing a sense of thankfulness and an attitude of gratitude will make you feel the joy that is not fleeting.

It is a form of happiness that doesn’t depend on your circumstances.

It’s more like an inner certainty that everything is going just as it should be. Learning to appreciate your life for what it is at this very moment is the key.

Inspirational quote by Lao Tzu

This statement from John F. Kennedy is a highly complex and nuanced discourse on truth. He is talking about the subtle means by which deceptions are perpetrated, and the truth suppressed.

While the notion of the lie is the natural antithesis to that of the truth, it is not necessarily harmful because lies are often easy to spot and easy to counteract.

Inspirational quotes by John F. Kennedy

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s succinct yet insightful statement is a caution against anger. Anger, his quote implies, is entirely futile and accomplishes nothing.

Anger is a baseless and directionless emotion that serves no purpose whatsoever, with no practical application and no benefit for ourselves or anyone else.

For Emerson, peace of mind is the optimum state, which is equal to anger in terms of efficacy but generally a more pleasant state of mind.

Inspirational quote

Without creativity, there is no forward progress.

It’s the curiosity that allows us to expand our horizons and uncover new ideas and opportunities.

All of our greatest inventions came to because someone had enough curiosity to wonder and the question of why.

Curiosity leads us to places that are new because when you already know the answer, you don’t bother asking why.

Inspirational quotes by Walt Disney

This is one of the inspirational quotes that talks about taking accountability for one’s actions and words.

It relates to the influence the words we speak can have on those around us, and how the scope of that influence can often be underestimated even by ourselves.

If we speak carelessly and in an ill-thought-out way, we leave ourselves open to misinterpretation, and we risk the substance of our message getting lost in the fray.

Inspirational quotes

In life, you don’t get what you deserve; you get what you take.

Everything is possible. It is only a matter of how much we want something.

There are no things like too big dreams or challenges because there are no limitations. Everything is available and achievable, only if we decide so.

It is all in our minds. The key is to be persistent.

If we give out best a little bit longer, we can achieve whatever we want to.

Inspirational quotes by Donald Trump

This inspirational quote by Theodore Roosevelt is a call for decisive action.

Even if you do the wrong thing, at least you attempted to do something. If you never try to do anything, then you’ll never succeed at doing the right thing. 

When you make a decision, you have a 50/50 chance of doing the right thing, whereas, if you do nothing, then you have a 100% chance of doing the wrong thing. 

Action always beats inaction.

Inspirational quotes by Theodore Roosevelt

Rihanna’s inspirational quote is an entirely non-judgemental statement about the different ways in which we perceive the world.

Her quote indicates an understanding and appreciation for different cultures and different viewpoints.

This is one of the inspiring quotes that point out that it does not matter if we disagree or argue, so long as we understand that trying to impose one’s viewpoint on another by force is immoral.

Inspirational quote by Rihanna

Taylor Swift’s message here is about the importance of bringing positivity into the world.

Kindness in the face of adversity, her quote implies, is a vital component in bringing about better overall societal conditions.

While behaving kindly towards others will benefit them in the short term, making their lives that little bit more pleasant, it will help us more significantly in the long run. 

Inspirational quotes by Taylor Swift

​It can be challenging to see the positive side of things in our darkest moments; however, In our darkest moments, it is more important than ever to try to focus on the positive.

You can’t fight your way out of a depression or hardship by focusing on everything that is going wrong in that moment.

By focusing on the positive, we can lift ourselves out of the darkness.

Inspirational quote by Aristotle

Barack Obama’s decries procrastination and an unwillingness to take action.

The idea that “we are the ones we have been waiting for” is also a positive, motivational statement about not underestimating our capabilities.

It relates to the notion that sustainable and long-lasting change is only possible when we all take a role in facilitating that change. 

Inspirational quote by Barack Obama

All of us are born with a burning desire to excel.

It can be in different fields, can be science for one and art for another, but whatever it is, when you make your life’s purpose to excel in an area that you are genuinely passionate about, then you are living your life.

Else, you are just pretending to be someone else, and it’s not worth living that way. It was the famous American motivational speaker Zig Ziglar who said that:

Inspirational quotes by Zig Ziglar

Cheers to your success

The best way to get our dose of daily motivation is by reading some of the most Inspirational Quotes, which will prepare you to take on the most significant challenges of life.

Hopefully, the above 50 best Inspirational Quotes by famous people will help you in good times and through rough.