Motivational Advice From 35 Amazing People

We asked around and looked all over for the best pieces of motivational advice to help you live your best life.

It’s hard to take your own advice, but it often hits differently when you hear it from someone else.

Here is some of the best motivational advice we found.

We found:

• Success
• Pain
• Trouble
• Solutions
• Perseverance
• Grit.
• Joy.
• Love.
• Attention.
• Focus.
• Drive.
• Fun.

We asked people a simple question: what is the best piece of motivational advice you’ve ever received?

This is what we found…

35 Pieces of Motivational Advice

Amazing tips from CEOs, moms, fathers, entrepreneurs, employees, sons, daughters, and everyone in between.

“Work until you no longer need to introduce yourself. Work is what will make you successful and allow you to help others. Keep your eye on your goal and eliminate the activities that: 1. Keep you from it or 2. Don’t move you toward it.” – Beecher Bowers

This is great advice for a few reasons. When anyone says, “And this person needs no introduction…” you know you are about to meet someone who has made it.

You might not realize that they made it because of their ability to focus, use self-discipline, and prioritize their goals.

“You can do anything you want in life. No one can stop you, no one can distract you, no one can interrupt you except YOU! Chase your dreams and never give up because, eventually, something has to give. Don’t get discouraged when you suffer defeats.” – Unknown

This is a great piece of advice because it reminds you that there will be challenges.

It is not a matter of if but of when.

How you handle them matters!

More motivational advice to help you keep going

1. “Life is like riding a bike – you keep riding, or you fall off.” — Anna Ruth Cheek (my mother)—Lori Cheek

2. “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.” — Jim Carrey

3. “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then, you have to play better than anyone else.” — Martin Brooks

4. “When given advice, the best thing you can do to act on it is to do whatever you were told! I’m sure there’s no way it can harm you, but only benefit you!” — Jordan Sizelove

5. “The best piece of advice I ever received was the famous quote, ‘whether you think you can or think you can’t… you are right.’ They wanted me to know I had greatness in me, and as long as I believed it, I could achieve incredible things.” — Nicole Martinez

Deep motivational advice

6. “The best piece of motivational advice l have ever received is to create a philosophy for my life. l received this advice from Jim Rohn. Because of Jim’s advice, l created my own philosophy for life, which is: to live a fulfilling life.” — Marcus Kusi

7. “The best piece of motivational advice I ever received is to smile at myself in the mirror. What a difference it makes! Most women look at themselves in the mirror and scowl. The wrinkles! The fat! How depressing! Instead, if I smile, it makes me feel much like when another person smiles at me—happy, confident, strong!” — Jennifer Bright Reich

8. “The best motivational advice I was given was not things like take risks, be bold, etc. It was advice for when you had taken the risks and been bold over and over, and your grand dreams just weren’t working out as you expected. A friend then shared a quote from Rev. Andrew Mullins, who said, ‘lower your expectations and claim a victory.’ And that, for me, made all the difference.” — Susan Sparks

9. “While we often think that self-criticism is very motivational, it actually shuts us down rather than move us forward. Self-criticism, which comes from the fear of being worthless, provides an illusion of control and triggers fight-or-flight. In contrast, self-compassion comes from the desire for health and well-being; emphasizes self-acceptance, not self-improvement; triggers oxytocin, and provides the emotionally supportive environment needed for growth and change.” — Dr. Ellen Albertson

More motivational advice you can implement today

10. “The best piece of motivational advice I’ve ever received was, “Find a good mentor.” Seek out someone who’s achieved success in the field you desire and be willing to follow their advice.” — Richard London

11. “I heard a lady say this on television years ago, and it was life-changing for me because I just couldn’t argue with the logic of it. Yes, we are faced with challenges and opportunities for success and failure, but we’ll never know what the outcome will be if we don’t … ‘do it afraid!’ I have several examples in my own life where I’ve followed this advice and have always ended up glad that I did!” — Mary Kaarto

12. “The best piece of motivational advice I ever received was to touch a piece of paper that lands on my desk (or comes into my office) only once—file it, toss it, give it to someone else to take care of or respond to it immediately. This made me so much more willing to tackle paperwork and made me much more efficient. No more wasted energy and no more dreading what to do with whatever comes across my desk. It works with emails, too.” — Karen Koenig

Wise words to live by

13. “The best piece of motivation advice I ever received was from my mother. She spoke to me about expectations placed on others. If you don’t have any expectations for others, you can never be disappointed. This might sound grim or sad, but at the core of it is a belief in self-reliance. It taught me the importance of getting the job done without a helping hand. It also taught me to appreciate the people who actually come through for you.” — Sebastien Dupéré

14. “You can’t wait for outside inspiration. You’ve got to see motivating yourself as an essential part of the process, maybe the most essential part. Because when it comes right down to it, nobody else can motivate you. All anyone else can ever do is talk you into motivating yourself is sell you on the idea of motivating yourself. You motivate you. Nobody else can be with you every hour of the day or the night when all those thousands of little decisions that lead toward your goals or away from your goals have to be made. You’ve got to be your own guru, your own favorite motivational speaker.” — Barry Maher

15. “The best advice I ever got was to spend my time with the right people. When you’re surrounded by people you respect and who encourage, support, and believe in you, it’s a completely different experience than being with people whose judgment you question or who want to hold you back. That’s the advice I’d tell people to take when looking at their friends, jobs, and relationships.” — Holly Tierney-Bedord

Motivational advice can come from a variety of places

16. “If you are going through Hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill via my mother!

17. “My father always told me to be aware of what was going on around me. Follow your heart, motivate others to succeed, and always provide leadership to others.” — Gerry David

18. “The best piece of motivational advice I ever received was from Yoda: ‘Do or do not. There is no try.’ These simple words taught me the power of saying ‘no.’ Instead of relying on hedge words, maybes, and I’ll try for politeness, I simplified myself to doing it or not doing it. It also motivates you once you’ve committed to doing something; there is no half-way; go hard, or go home!” — Kristen Fusaro-Pizzo

19. “As a Brit who uprooted her life and came to America to start her own company a few years ago, my mother said to me as she dropped me off at the airport, ‘Well, as Winston Churchill once said…’ – and this advice has struck a note with me ever since. When my relationship broke down amid a critical business life cycle, I took great comfort in this statement. I would say it out loud to myself: ‘When you are in hell, and when you feel like the walks are coming in on you – KEEP GOING.’” — Kate Morgan

20. “The best piece of motivational advice I’ve ever received was when I asked my father for a new car, and he told me, ‘No, kid, you need to figure it out.’ While seemingly harsh, they were words that defined my life and ultimately motivated me to push for success. The automotive industry is a male-dominated business, so I had my work cut out for me. I had to figure it out.” — Lisa

Mentors are a great source of motivational advice

21. “When I was 13, I met Steve Jobs at Stanford University. He told me to ‘ignore what others say and follow who you want to be.’ I keep this in mind every day and use it to follow the path that is most authentic to me.” — Eric Schiffer

22. “My mentor taught me that having a strong passion for what you do is one of the most valuable philosophies a business can have. Don’t just start a business solely to make money, but also have a desire to make a difference and offer an experience designed to enhance your customers’ lives. It’s your passion that will give you purpose and will be what sustains you through the highs and lows of your entrepreneurial endeavors. Find one aspect of your business that you love and let that fuel your mindset.” — Ashley Chatman

23. “The best piece of motivational advice that I have ever received is “Listen to your elder’s advice, not because they are always right but because they have more experiences of being wrong.” What I love about this advice is that the action steps for it is to just LISTEN, which is one of the most powerful things you can do. Your elders have been there and done that, and if you just take the time to listen to their experiences and learn from their wisdom, you can get to where you want to get to a lot quicker by heeding their advice.” — Lane Fournerat

Motivational advice about your own power

24. “Identify, learn, and understand what you truly believe about yourself.” — Dr. Melanie Ross Mills

25. “Somebody else is working on their dream at this very second. What are you doing?” — Max Cron

26. “What’s happening in your life five years from now that makes you respond like this?” — Kathleen Kobel 

27. “‘All ships rise with the tide.’ I’ve always loved and been inspired by that sentiment. For me, it means that hard work is most effective when it’s done within the context of a team. When everybody is pushing towards the same goal, with the same enthusiasm, then everyone will be rewarded with the results.” — Jennifer A. Maguire

28. “It’s always your fault! If you fail… it’s your fault you didn’t succeed. If you get 90% on a test… it’s your fault you didn’t get 100%. If your business exits at $100 Million… it’s your fault it didn’t exit at $500 Million. Once a person recognizes that placing blame outside of oneself is a complete waste of time, personal growth happens exponentially.” — Mondo Davison

29. “Fifteen years from now, if your older self looks back and writes you a letter, what would your older self write? Would he/she say keep being miserable and unhappy, or would he/she say relax, have fun, and enjoy the ride? Steps to do it: Have a goal or a dream, but focus on the steps you take today to move towards it, not on being happy only when you achieve your goal. Be present with yourself and those you interact with in everything you do. Find the gift in the experience. There are always gifts in every task, experience, or meeting. Train yourself to look for them. Take responsibility for how you feel.” — Lori Brant

You are more powerful than you think

30. “I work hard every day because I don’t want to buy discounted, nearly expired groceries for my kids like my parents and I used to do. Sometimes, the best motivation is not what someone says to you—it’s what you’ve experienced for yourself.” – Vladimir Gendelman

31. “If it brings you joy, do more of it (Joseph Campbell). Find what matters most and build your life according to that necessity. This is the source of all great accomplishments! Then remember that there is no safe way to be great. Face the inevitable fears that surface when you are compelled by greater purpose.” – Bob Anderson

32. “Motivation follows action, not the reverse. The act of seeing yourself in motion and being committed to your intention creates motivation. So many people sit around waiting for the motivation to do something. First, act and then worry about motivation. Steps to take: Motivation can be derived from the simplest first step in the world. Break down the desired action into the tiniest steps possible.” – Dr. Greg Kushnick

33. “I use a lot of motivational memes in my work as a coach and matchmaker because many clients who are having relationship struggles or who are looking for love tend to be low emotionally. I try to keep them feeling up with slogans and mantras. One of my favorites is “Fake it until you make it” because studies have shown this not only sounds good, but it works! Studies show that if you act a certain way, feelings come after. Most people think they have to feel good before they can act happy. That is not the case! The more they say this slogan and live it, the better they feel, and the better relationships they attract.” – Karenna Alexander

Which words resonated most with you?

Finally, we have one more piece of motivational advice for you!

34. “The most transformative truth I was told is that I am the best leader when I am me—when I fully embody the strengths I already have at my disposal. The focus of my development should be on those skills, not on a list of leadership capabilities I assumed were necessary to attain. What a shift in thinking about effective personal leadership! I think this simple epiphany applies to all individuals and organizations. It’s important to remain authentic—to ourselves and our organizations. You are not Steve Jobs, and your organization’s culture is not Apple’s. You can’t copy one phenomenal leader’s qualities or one exceptional company’s practices as your own blueprint for success.” – Ann Parker

What does this mean?

How can you use any of the motivational advice here?

Essentially, it is important to find a purpose, do your best, and figure out what motivates you.

Remember, motivation can be fleeting; success requires self-discipline to keep going.

Share your favorite piece of motivational advice in the comment section.

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