33 Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Personal Growth
“Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.” – Maya Angelou
This collection of quotes by Maya Angelou will help you navigate life’s challenges with grace and courage.
Use these quotes to inspire personal growth, develop empathy, and celebrate the brilliance of resilience.
General Information about Maya Angelou
Name | Maya Angelou |
Birthdate and Place | Faced racial discrimination growing up in the southern United States. She experienced early trauma and was mute for several years. |
Occupation | Poet, Author, Civil Rights Activist |
Early Life | Actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. |
Education | Graduated from the California Labor School; much of her education came from life experiences rather than formal education. |
Key Works | “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, “Gather Together in My Name”, “And Still I Rise”, “The Heart of a Woman”, “On the Pulse of Morning” |
Career Highlights | Actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. |
Awards and Honors | Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Grammy Awards for her spoken word albums, over 50 honorary degrees |
Philanthropy and Activism | Advocated for women’s rights and taught about inclusion and understanding. |
Personal Life | Had one son, Guy Johnson. She married Paul du Feu (m. 1974–1983) and Enistasious Tosh Angelos (m. 1951–1954). |
Influence and Legacy | Influential in promoting African-American culture and rights, female empowerment, and overcoming adversity. Her works continue to inspire and educate on the human condition, equality, and the power of storytelling. |
Top 10 Maya Angelou Quotes
1. “Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou
!["Nothing will work unless you do." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about work](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-about-life.png)
2. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou
!["Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about kindness](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-about-love.png)
3. “All great achievements require time.” – Maya Angelou
!["All great achievements require time." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about greatness](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-about-success.png)
4. “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.” – Maya Angelou
!["If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes that will make you smile](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/motivational-Maya-Angelou-Quotes.png)
5. “Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.” – Maya Angelou
!["Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about love](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/inspirational-Maya-Angelou-Quotes.png)
6. “I believe that every person is born with talent.” – Maya Angelou
!["I believe that every person is born with talent." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about talent](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/wise-Maya-Angelou-Quotes.png)
7. “At 50, I began to know who I was. It was like waking up to myself.” – Maya Angelou
!["At 50, I began to know who I was. It was like waking up to myself." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about self discovery](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/powerful-Maya-Angelou-Quotes.png)
8. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
!["We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about perseverence](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-to-inspire-you.png)
9. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
!["If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes about change](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-to-motivate-you.png)
10. “I know for sure that loves saves me and that it is here to save us all.” – Maya Angelou
!["I know for sure that loves saves me and that it is here to save us all." - Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Quotes and sayings](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maya-Angelou-Quotes-and-sayings.png)
Inspirational Maya Angelou Quotes About Hope
11. “While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else is also God’s creation.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About God](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-11.jpg)
12. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Love](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-12.jpg)
13. “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Courage](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-13.jpg)
Uplifting Maya Angelou Quotes About Loving Others
14. “My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Hope](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-14.jpg)
15. “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
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Forgetting](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-15.jpg)
16. “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
![Maya Angelou Quotes About](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-16.jpg)
17. “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About potential](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-17.jpg)
18. “A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Women](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-18.jpg)
19. “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Words](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-19.jpg)
20. My life has been one great big joke, a dance that’s walked, a song that’s spoke, I laugh so hard I almost choke when I think about myself.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Life](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-20.jpg)
Maya Angelou Quotes about Love
21. “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
![Maya Angelou Quotes About Forgiving](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-21.jpg)
22. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes About History](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-22.jpg)
23. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” – Maya Angelou
![Maya Angelou Quotes to change your attitude](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-23.jpg)
24. “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
![Powerful Maya Angelou Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-24.jpg)
25. “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” – Maya Angelou
![Smart Maya Angelou Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maya-angelou-quotes-25.jpg)
Heart Warming Maya Angelou Quotes
26. “If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.” ― Maya Angelou
27. “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
28. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ― Maya Angelou
29. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” ― Maya Angelou
30. “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ― Maya Angelou
31. “If you are going down a road and don’t like what’s in front of you, and look behind you and don’t like what you see, get off the road. Create a new path!” ― Maya Angelou
32. “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.” ― Maya Angelou
33. “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
Renee
January 2, 2023 at 3:33 PM
Thank you. I am a huge fan and love reading her works. She was so powerful with a strong aura the 2 times I met hher in person
Kathy
February 13, 2020 at 11:59 AM
I’ve been looking for days to find a great reflection for a meeting. And here I’ve found so many that are powerful and truly inspirational! Thank you for this great compilation of loving wisdom from Maya Angelou:)
PADDY CREAN
December 21, 2019 at 8:42 AM
I first read Maya in my 80s and I began life all over. The most remarkable person I have come across
Edna
April 1, 2019 at 10:11 AM
What an inspirational, phenomenal woman. Her words pierce the soul in a way that provokes introspection and action. if you are not moved by her words, check your pulse.
DoloresTighe
March 16, 2019 at 9:47 PM
I am watching Maya on the opera show. Fantastic..I hope to share her quotes with my friends
Glenda
February 14, 2019 at 3:18 AM
They are amazing and so true.
Heartfelt and applicable to everyday life