Maya Angelou (4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Hope, our collection of Maya Angelou Quotes will inspire you to live your great life.
We are only as blind as we want to be.
– Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou Quotes
1. “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
2. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
3. “You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one’s own self.” – Maya Angelou
4. “I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare.” – Maya Angelou
5. “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou
6. “Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art.” – Maya Angelou
7. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
8. “To develop courage you have to start developing courage as you do any other muscle. You have to start with small things and build it up.” – Maya Angelou
9. “Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.” – Maya Angelou
10. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
11. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
12. “If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” – Maya Angelou
13. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
14. “You don’t need another person, place or thing to make you whole. God already did that. Your job is to know it.” – Maya Angelou
15. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Maya Angelou
16. “We must be warriors in the struggle against ignorance.” – Maya Angelou
17. “Love life. Engage in it. Give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.” – Maya Angelou
18. “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.” – Maya Angelou
19. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.” – Maya Angelou
20. “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
21. “It’s hard to make the prettiest clothes fit a miserable man.” – Maya Angelou
22. “Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.” – Maya Angelou
23. “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
24. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
25. “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” – Maya Angelou
26. “The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible.” – Maya Angelou
27. “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” – Maya Angelou
28. “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” – Maya Angelou
29. “Always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy.” – Maya Angelou
30. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” – Maya Angelou
31. “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.” – Maya Angelou
32. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
33. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou
34. “When I forgive other people, I let them go, I free them from my ignorance. And as soon as I do, I feel lighter, brighter and better.” – Maya Angelou
35. “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” – Maya Angelou
36. “Whining is not only graceless, but can be dangerous. It can alert a brute that a victim is in the neighborhood.” – Maya Angelou
37. “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.” – Maya Angelou
38. “If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou
39. “Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.” – Maya Angelou
40. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou
