50 Quotes that Inspire Us and Teach Us

There are many motivational quotes and famous sayings to inspire us, to make us smile, to help us stop and think that it speaks the truth, but it is rare when a quote can not only inspire us, but teach us something at the same time.

These are the gems that have been dropped throughout history that motivate us to hear, and teach us a lesson we needed to hear.

Here are some examples that will hopefully teach you something important as well.

If you love this quote collection, read out our most popular quote article about short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

If you need more inspirational quotes, check out our motivational quotes category page.

Quotes that inspire and teach us to live better lives

1. “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel

You will also enjoy our article on albert einstein quotes.

2. All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”- Walt Disney

3. “The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.”
– Walt Disney

4. “Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey

5. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

6. “I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”
– Charlotte Bronte

7. “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” — George Bernard Shaw

8. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas A. Edison

9. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”
– John Wooden

More inspirational quotes about life

10. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller (view more inspirational Helen Keller quotes)

11. “To me, business isn’t about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It’s about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials.”–Richard Branson

12. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

13. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

14. “But you have to do what you dream of doing even while you’re afraid.”- Arianna Huffington

15. “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life — think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” — Swami Vivekananda

16. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

17. “If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” — Jeff Bezos

18. “People ask, ‘What’s the best role you’ve ever played?’ The next one.”
– Kevin Kline

19. The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain

More inspirational life quotes

20. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
– Vidal Sassoon

21. “If you want to make a permanent change, stop focusing on the size of your problems and start focusing on the size of you!” —  Harv Eker

22. “In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it.” — Jane Smiley

23. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” — Bill Gates

24. “To be successful, you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like.” — Mike Gafka

25. “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
– Jim Rohn

26. “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” — Albert Einstein

27. The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” — Henry Ford

28. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.”-Mary Kay Ash

29. “The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” — Mark Caine

30. “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.” — Charles F. Kettering

Quotes that inspire us and teach us on what really matters

31. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

32. “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” – William W. Purkey

33. Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

34. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

35. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” – Bil Keane

36. It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

37. Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso

38. Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman

39. Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

40. We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell

Quotes That Inspire Us and Teach Us To Keep Us Going

41. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
42. “The hard days are what make you stronger.” ― Aly Raisman
43. “Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” — Socrates
44. “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded there.” ― Dr. Wayne D. Dyer
45. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” ― Napoleon Hill
46. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” — Michele Ruiz
47. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” ― Albert Einstein
48. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth
49. “Work hard in silence, let your success be the noise.” ― Frank Ocean
50. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt