Here are 100 of the best Maya Angelou quotes.

But first, who was Maya (1928-2014) (born Marguerite Annie Johnson)?

• She was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist
• She published 7 autobiographies, 3 books of essays, and several books of poetry
• She is also credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows (spanning over 50 years)
• She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees, including a Pulitzer Prize

She also worked with Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X to advance equality.

On top of that, she influenced people like:

• Oprah Winfrey
• Toni Morrison
• Alicia Keys
• Common
• And many more

What you’ll learn from her?

• The value of courage
• The value of resilience
• The value of authenticity and truth

I hope you’ll love her quotes as much as I do.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Maya Angelou Quotes

This is a wonderful day, I have never seen this one before. Maya Angelou

I do my best because I’m counting on you counting on me. Maya Angelou

Only equals can become friends. Maya Angelou

If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be. Maya Angelou

Nothing will work unless you do. Maya Angelou

You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody. Maya Angelou

If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded. Maya Angelou

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. Maya Angelou

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Maya Angelou

If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me? Maya Angelou

The Most Famous Maya Angelou Quotes

Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Maya Angelou

If one has courage, nothing can dim the light which shines from within. Maya Angelou

When you get give. When you learn teach. Maya Angelou

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Maya Angelou

Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women. Maya Angelou

I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare. Maya Angelou

Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option. Maya Angelou

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. Maya Angelou (Source disputed)

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. Maya Angelou

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage. Maya Angelou

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. Maya Angelou

I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it. Maya Angelou

Related

• 100 Dalai Lama Quotes On Compassion, Humanity, Peace
• 85 Mother Teresa Quotes On Love, Generosity, Kindness
• 100+ Most Famous Quotes Of All Time

Short Maya Angelou Quotes

Your belief and your work will speak for you. Maya Angelou

Life loves the liver of it. Maya Angelou

All great achievements require time. Maya Angelou

Determine to live life with flair and laughter. Maya Angelou

We need much less than we think we need. Maya Angelou

I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh. Maya Angelou

I have respect for the past, but I’m a person of the moment. Maya Angelou

Only equals can become friends. Maya Angelou

The honorary duty of a human being is to love. Maya Angelou

When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou (Related: Simple Ways to Give Back and Help Others Starting Today, tinybuddha.com)

Your legacy is every life you’ve ever touched. Maya Angelou

Everybody is worth everything. Maya Angelou

Achievement brings its own anticlimax. Maya Angelou

Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant. Maya Angelou

Whining is just unbecoming. Maya Angelou

I believe that every person is born with talent. Maya Angelou

The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind. Maya Angelou

I know why the caged bird sings. Maya Angelou

If someone shows you who they really are, believe them. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes About Life

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Maya Angelou

There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it. Maya Angelou

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. Maya Angelou

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. Maya Angelou

We are here to love each other. That is why you are alive. That is what life is for. Maya Angelou

Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art. Maya Angelou

Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told, ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go’. Maya Angelou

Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging. Maya Angelou

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Maya Angelou

Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself. Maya Angelou

I believe in living a poetic life, an art full life. Everything we do from the way we raise our children to the way we welcome our friends is part of a large canvas we are creating. Maya Angelou

I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people. Maya Angelou

If we live long enough, we may even get over war. I imagine a time when somebody will mention the word war and everyone in the room will start to laugh. And what do you mean war?

I encourage courtesy. To accept nothing less than courtesy, and to give nothing less than courtesy. Maya Angelou

We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives. Maya Angelou

To those who have given up on love: I say, “Trust life a little bit”. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes About Love

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Maya Angelou

This is what I am learning, at 82 years old: the main thing is to be in love with the search for truth. Maya Angelou

You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it. Maya Angelou

I am grateful to have been loved and to be loved now and to be able to love. Maya Angelou

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. Maya Angelou

Suddenly we see that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free. Maya Angelou

First best is falling in love. Second best is being in love. Least best is falling out of love. But any of it is better than never having been in love. Maya Angelou

When we find someone who is brave, fun, intelligent, and loving, we have to thank the universe. Maya Angelou

It’s very hard for adults to maintain respect and romance so that a love affair can be sustained over years. Maya Angelou

The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise. Maya Angelou

You listen with interest. That gives some sense of confidence to the speaker. Maya Angelou

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Maya Angelou

Self-pity in its early stages is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable. Maya Angelou

Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time. Maya Angelou

Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it. Maya Angelou

Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time. Maya Angelou

If you want to liberate someone, love them. Not be in love with them – that’s dangerous. Maya Angelou

If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes About Courage, Success

Every storm runs out of rain. Maya Angelou

Whining lets the brute know there’s a victim for him in the neighborhood. Maya Angelou

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. Maya Angelou

Those who have something to say accept the fact that that’s lonely. One already knows that there will be adversaries. Maya Angelou

At fifteen, life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice. Maya Angelou

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. Maya Angelou

She comprehended the perversity of life, that in the struggle lies the joy. Maya Angelou

The only way you can be a mark is if you want something for nothing. If you’re greedy, you’re set up. Maya Angelou

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Maya Angelou (Related: 14 Ways to Be Fearless, lifehack.org)

All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened. Maya Angelou

Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else. Maya Angelou

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. Maya Angelou

When you know you are of worth — not asking it but knowing it — you walk into a room with a particular power. Maya Angelou

If I’m here, I’ll be trying to be a better human being, a better writer, a better friend and a better beloved. Maya Angelou

Courage, I don’t think anybody is born with courage. I think you may be born with a flair to braggadocio, you know. That’s not courage. Maya Angelou

We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat, so that we can know who we are. Maya Angelou

The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination, as are intelligence and necessity when unblunted by formal education. Maya Angelou

If I am going to do the most difficult and frightening thing – dying – is it possible that I could do some difficult and impossible things that are good? Maya Angelou

Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it! Maya Angelou

You have to deal with what you encounter. But you must not be reduced. And so a way not to be reduced is don’t whine! Don’t let the incidents which take place in life bring you low. Maya Angelou

I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world, and I rose. I didn’t run away – I rose right where I’d been knocked down. And then that’s how you get to know yourself. Maya Angelou

In order to win, we pay with energy and effort and discipline. If we lose, we pay in disappointment, discontent, and lack of fulfillment. Maya Angelou

I am not competing with anyone other than myself. I want to be excellent at whatever I do. Maya Angelou

Conclusion

If I could give you one thought, it would be to lift someone up. Lift a stranger up – lift her up. I would ask you, mother and father, brother and sister, lovers, mother and daughter, father and son, lift someone. The very idea of lifting someone up will lift you, as well. Maya Angelou

Key Takeaways

• Courage. Maya Angelou reminded us often to live with more courage. Pro tip: Take more risks and never hesitate to tell the truth.
• Resilience. She taught us to rise despite hardships. Pro tip: When life knocks you down, stand up stronger and keep moving forward.
• Authenticity. Maya valued being true to yourself. Pro tip: Speak and act in ways that reflect your inner truth, not others’ expectations.
• Compassion. She lived with empathy for others. Pro tip: Show kindness in your interactions, be more patient, and understand the struggles around you.
• Voice. She believed in using your voice for change. Pro tip: Speak up on what matters and share your story with conviction.

Further Readings

• Topic: Life And Inspiration
• 57 Life Goes On Quotes That Will Move You
• 100 Short Quotes That Will Inspire You (Fast)
• 100 One Word Quotes (For Quick Inspiration)
• 101 Two Word Quotes (Find Motivation And Inspiration)
• “NOBODY Has a Right to Treat You BADLY!” – Maya Angelou (YouTube video from Evan Carmichael)
• 100 Inspirational Quotes For Women To Empower You
• 75 Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)
• Maya Angelou books (Amazon)

Hope you enjoyed these beautiful Maya Angelou quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!

What’s your favorite Maya Angelou quote? Did you know about her before? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

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