Sometimes, life can be a bit daunting. Between big life decisions, heartbreaks, tragedies, and even simple bad days when nothing seems to go right, it's easy to get down on your outlook on life. That's where these moving life quotes come in. When you (or a friend or family member) need a pick-me-up, these quotes about life will turn your day around. From some of our favorite famous authors, musicians, and public figures, these life quotes are beyond motivating.
These uplifting messages aren't reserved for just the not-so-good days, though! If you're about to make a big life change or know a friend who's about to, these life quotes are perfectly inspiring for any situation. If you want to make someone's day, write one of these inspirational quotes on a sticky note and put it somewhere you know it will be seen. Soon, you'll be spreading inspiration all around. Plus, we all know a good quote makes an amazing Instagram caption (admit it). Whatever situation you're in, these quotes about life will motivate you, inspire you, and we'll be honest, might make you tear up a bit.
Rosa Parks
Southern Living"I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom." — Rosa Parks
Lilly Pulitzer
"Being happy never goes out of style." — Lilly Pulitzer
Helen Keller
Southern Living"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." — Helen Keller
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
Mark Twain
"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." — Mark Twain
Ann Richards
"I have very strong feelings about how you lead your life. You always look ahead, you never look back." — Ann Richards
Barbara Bush
Southern Living"Never lose sight of the face that the most important yard stick to your success is how you treat other people." — Barbara Bush
Johnny Cash
"All your life, you will be faced with a choice. You can choose love or hate…I choose love." — Johnny Cash
Princess Diana
"I don't go by the rule book…I lead from the heart, not the head." — Princess Diana
Eudora Welty
Southern Living"The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order the continuous thread of revelation." — Eudora Welty
Martin Luther King Jr.
"The time is always right to do what is right." — Martin Luther King Jr.
Audrey Hepburn
Southern Living"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." — Audrey Hepburn
Jackie Robinson
"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life." — Jackie Robinson
Dolly Parton
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." — Dolly Parton
Lilly Pulitzer
"Despite the forecast, live like it's spring." — Lilly Pulitzer
Willie Nelson
Southern Living"If I'd have done all the things I was supposed to have done, I'd be really tired." — Willie Nelson
Reba McEntire
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." — Reba McEntire
Rebecca Wells
"Life is short, but it is wide. This too shall pass." — Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Mark Twain
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." — Mark Twain
William Faulkner
"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." — William Faulkner
Rosa Parks
"Each person must live their life as a model for others." — Rosa Parks
Dr. Seuss
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." — Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go
Jackie Robinson
Southern Living"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." — Jackie Robinson
Julia Roberts
Southern Living"The older you get, the more fragile you understand life to be. I think that's good motivation for getting out of bed joyfully each day." — Julia Roberts
Joanna Gaines
Southern Living"Now it's the little moments that stop me in my tracks, because that's what life is all about." — Joanna Gaines
Oprah Winfrey
Southern Living"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." — Oprah Winfrey
Helen Keller
Southern Living"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." — Helen Keller
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
Eudora Welty
"All serious daring starts from within." — Eudora Welty
Emeril Lagasse
"Life just doesn't hand you things. You have to get out there and make things happen. that's the exciting part." — Emeril Lagasse
Dolly Parton
Southern Living"You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try." — Dolly Parton
Ralph Ellison
"It takes a deep commitment to change and an even deeper commitment to grow." — Ralph Ellison
Loretta Lynn
Southern Living"I've been around a long time, and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me." — Loretta Lynn
Martin Luther King Jr.
Southern Living"Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are." — Martin Luther King Jr.
Joel Osteen
"You're going to go through tough times - that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events." — Joel Osteen
Beyoncé Knowles
"If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow." — Beyoncé Knowles
Fannie Flagg
Southern Living"Being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but by what you have overcome." — Fannie Flagg, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
Barbara Bush
Southern Living"You have two choices in life; you can either like what you do or dislike what you do. I have chosen to like what I do." — Barbara Bush
Billy Graham
Southern Living"The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith." — Billy Graham
Johnny Cash
Southern Living"You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space." — Johnny Cash
Dr. Seuss
"You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut." — Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut
Eudora Welty
"The excursion is the same when you go looking for your sorrow as when you go looking for your joy." — Eudora Welty
William Faulkner
"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." — William Faulkner
Truman Capote
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." — Truman Capote
Mark Twain
Southern Living"The secret to getting ahead is getting started." — Mark Twain
Ralph Ellison
"Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." — Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Rosa Parks
Southern Living"Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground." — Rosa Parks
Maya Angelou
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back." — Maya Angelou
William Faulkner
Southern Living"Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." — William Faulkner
Jimmy Carter
Southern Living"We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon." — Jimmy Carter
If you're feeling lost or blue (or need to encourage a friend who might be), these inspirational quotes about life will pep you right up. And if you're feeling just fine today, bookmark these quotes for a time when you or a friend might need to hear them.