Maya Angelou Quotes That Have Inspired Me Most

Poet laureate Maya Angelou has passed away at the age of 86.  The timing of her death holds irony for me as I wade through one of the most personally devastating times of my life.  Today, I find myself not only sifting through her endless inspirational quotes and poems, but turning to them for strength and courage.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite Maya Angelou quotes, and hope they provide you with comfort and clarity if you're in need.

“Because of our routines we forget that life is an ongoing adventure.” – Maya Angelou

“Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.” – 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

“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.” – Maya Angelou

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

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” – 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

“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

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou

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

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” – Maya Angelou

“It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” – Maya Angelou

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

“Nothing hurts more than realizing they meant everything to you, but you meant nothing to them.” – 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

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

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou

“The need for change bulldozed road down the center of my mind.” – Maya Angelou

“There’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.” – Maya Angelou