500+ Short Inspirational Quotes to Lift Your Spirit

Short inspirational quotes like these remind us that we are in control of our own lives.

We have the power to pursue our dreams and make them a reality.

Whether you’re looking to face a fear or conquer a challenge, these empowering quotes will inspire you to embrace your strength and go after what you want.

Take this one, for example: “I’m a grown woman, I can do whatever I want (Beyonce).”

Each of the following quotes is overflowing with innovation, creativity, and knowledge.

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• Rare Inspirational Quotes
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According to a survey by YouGov, 62% of people in the United States say they find inspiration from quotes.

Therefore, inspirational quotes are an ideal source of motivation and guidance for many people.

What are the benefits of reading short inspirational quotes?

This article has gathered brief moments of genius that will fit perfectly into your hectic lifestyle!

• These short inspirational quotes will spark further curiosity and research.
• All you need is a couple of minutes out of your day, and you can gain enough inspiration to last all week long. 
• This will help you maintain a positive mindset and tackle challenges with renewed determination.

These short inspirational quotes will keep you fired up and determined to reach your goals.

What inspires you to become what you’re capable of? 

Most people must watch countless interviews and read countless books to learn about these concepts.

However, inspiration can come from many places.

Take a walk outside and connect with nature.

Speak with someone you know who has overcome some challenging things.

Make sure also to check out these beauty quotes about the amazing life that is all around us.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of loving text messages for the love of your life. 

If you enjoy this collection, check out our inspirational quotes category page.

Short inspirational quotes about happiness

In a study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, researchers found that reading inspirational quotes can activate the brain’s reward centers, leading to improved motivation and productivity.

In that regard, reading short inspirational quotes may have tangible benefits beyond just providing a temporary boost in mood.

1. “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”  – Edith Wharton

2. “You do not find the happy life. You make it.” – Camilla Eyring Kimball

You will also enjoy our article on monday motivation quotes.

3. “The most wasted of days is one without laughter.” – E.E. Cummings

You will also enjoy our article on best inspirational quotes on life.

4. “Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.” – Hafez

You will also enjoy our article on motivational quotes of the day.

5. “Make each day your masterpiece.” – John Wooden

You will also enjoy our article on inspirational quotes with pictures.

6. “Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” – John Barrymore

You will also enjoy our article on quotes for girls.

7. “Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.” – Jim Rohn

You will also enjoy our article on funny motivational quotes about life.

8. “Life changes very quickly, in a very positive way, if you let it.” – Lindsey Vonn

You will also enjoy our article on balance quotes.

9. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller

You will also enjoy our article on motivational quotes for kids.

10. “Impossible is for the unwilling.” – John Keats

You might also like these cheer quotes that will make your day better.

Short inspirational quotes about believing in yourself

A study by the University of Virginia found that reading short quotes can be an effective way to improve one’s mood and increase positive emotions.

The findings highlight that even brief exposure to inspirational quotes can have a measurable impact on a person’s emotional state.

11. “No pressure, no diamonds.” – Thomas Carlyle

You will also enjoy our article on motivational work quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on life is short quotes.

13. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote

You will also enjoy our article on amazing quotes and sayings.

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

You will also enjoy our article on Bob Marley quotes.

15. “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” – Carol Burnett

You will also enjoy our article on life advice.

16. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

You will also enjoy our article on quotes by famous people.

17. “Stay foolish to stay sane.” – Maxime Lagacé

You will also enjoy our article on words of wisdom.

18. “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs

You will also enjoy our article on positive thinking quotes.

19. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln

You will also enjoy our article on hard times quotes.

20. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Don’t forget to check out these motivational quotes of the day for daily rejuvenation.

Short inspirational quotes about perseverance

21. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

You will also enjoy our article on wisdom quotes.

22. “Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.” – André Gide

23. “Dream big and dare to fail.” – Norman Vaughan

You will also enjoy our article on training quotes.

24. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.” – Maya Angelou

You will also enjoy our article on graduation quotes.

25. “You are enough just as you are.” – Meghan Markle

You will also enjoy our article on Motivational quotes for students.

26. “To be the best, you must be able to handle the worst.” – Wilson Kanadi

You will also enjoy our article on spiritual quotes.

27. “No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” – Demi Lovato

You will also enjoy our article on quotes about helping others.

28. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

29. “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot 

30. “No guts, no story.” – Chris Brady

You might also like these two-word quotes that are short but powerful.

Short famous inspirational quotes

31. “Everybody stay positive no matter how negative life gets.” – Juice WRLD

32. “Your mind must be stronger than your feelings.” – Andrew Tate

33. “Gotta keep my head above water, gotta make it through.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Untouchable”

34. “Never break or fold, that’s what it takes to be major.” – Kevin Gates

35. “I know that now, and now is all that matters.” — Beth Dutton

36. “Life is all about the evolution” – J. Cole, Change

37. “No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.” – Mac Miller

38. “I am the smartest man alive!” – Billy Madison

39. “Once you really know yourself, can’t nobody tell you nothing about you.” – Megan Thee Stallion

40. “Sometimes you have to take two steps back to take ten forward.” – Nipsey Hussle

Cute short inspirational quotes

41. “Our future is our confidence and self-esteem.” – Tupac Shakur

42. “Don’t be scared to live your life without judgment.” — Lil Durk

43. “Be kind to one another, even when it’s not requested.” – XXXTENTACION

44. “I am my inspiration.” – Lizzo

 45. “Look at the sky tonight. All the stars have a reason.” — Lil Peep

46. “What a dog I got. His favorite bone is in my arm.” – Rodney Dangerfield

47. “Only thing free in life is options.” – Moneybagg Yo

48. “There is no way to happiness – happiness is the way.” – Thich Hat Hanh

49. “I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying.” – Jay-Z

50. “To lose your path is the way to find that path.” — BTS, “Lost”

Inspirational short quotes about life

51. “I will not let anyone scare me out of my full potential.” – Nicki Minaj

52. “Peace is the absence of confusion.” – Wu-Tang

53. “Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon.” – Pink Floyd

You will also enjoy our article on smart quotes.

54. “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

55. “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it.” ― John Proctor

56. “I work hard. But I play hard, too.” –Pitbull

57. “It’s never too late to get good at something.” — Guy Fieri

58. “Wear your crown and go chase your dreams.” — Summer Walker

59. “Life is what you make it, just don’t fake it.”– G Herbo

60. “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” – Socrates

You will also enjoy our article on support quotes

Short inspirational quotes for kids

61. “Even a blind man knows when the sun is shining.” – Grateful Dead

You will also enjoy our article on empowering quotes.

62. “I don’t like people around me sad. I like making people happy.” – Tyler, The Creator

63. “It’s okay to start over, let someone else love you the right way.” — Rod Wave

64. “There is no normal life, there’s just life. Get on with it.” — Doc Holliday, Tombstone

65. “The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.” — Bertrand Russell

66. “Haters keep on hating cause somebody’s gotta do it.” – Chris Brown

67. “Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer.” – Sun Tzu

68. “I’m just doing me, and to me, that’s what got me this far.” – Lil Uzi Vert

69. “I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale

70. “If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.” – Beyoncé Knowles

If you enjoy this article, check out our collection of long quotes to inspire you to live a full life.

Positive short inspirational quotes

71. “In life you always see the darkest days before the sunshine.” ― Polo G

72. “Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”  – Alan Watts

73. ”Education and work are the levers to uplift a people.” –W. E. B. Du Bois 

74. “Don’t wait for them to tell you. Tell them.” – 50 Cent

75. “There can only be one king.” – Pablo Escobar

76. “I paint flowers so they will not die.” – Frida Kahlo

77. “My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.” – Mitch Hedberg

78. “If I have a platform and a voice, I should use it for my people.” – Bad Bunny

79. “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” – Erma Bombeck

80. “Well, it’s hard to be yourself, it’s the hardest job there is.” — Bill Murray

You will also enjoy our article on happiness quotes

Short funny inspirational quotes

81. “Decide how badly you want it and proceed accordingly.” — Robin Arzon

82. “Nothing is stopping me from doing what I love to do.” – The Weeknd

83. “Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.” – Kahlil Gibran

84. “Your river is strong. Let it flow.” — Glennon Doyle

85. “Knock me down 9 times, but I get up 10.” – Cardi B

86. “Damn right I like the life I live because I went from negative to positive.” – Biggie Smalls

87. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” – Plato

88. “I found out that there weren’t too many limitations, if I did it my way.” – Johnny Cash

89. “Nothing left to do but smile.” – Jerry Garcia

90. “The best revenge is massive success.” – Frank Sinatra

You will also enjoy our article on positive energy quotes.

Short inspirational quotes about love

91. “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” – Edgar Allan Poe

92. “The harder I work, the luckier I become.” – Terry Pratchett

93. “Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.” – Ram Dass

94. “Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.” – Prince

95. “Luck is not a business model.” – Anthony Bourdain

96. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

97. “Behind every successful person lies a pack of haters” ― Eminem

98. “Time is a wonderful storyteller.” – Deion Sanders

99. “Yesterday don’t matter if it’s gone.” — The Rolling Stones, Ruby Tuesday

100. “I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand.” — Al Capone

You will also enjoy our article on John Proctor quotes.

Short inspirational quotes for women

101. “An intelligent woman doesn’t get sad, she gets pretty.” ― Maria Felix

102. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

103. “I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.” – Mary Oliver

104. “The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.” — Danny DeVito

105. “The goal is timeless. Chase the moment, and you lose.” — Kid Cudi

106. “We’ve added years to life, not life to years.” – George Carlin

107. “Fight with a happy heart and a strong spirit.” — General James Mattis

108. “It doesn’t hurt to get more education.” – Donald Trump

109. “We can be heroes just for one day.” — David Bowie, Heroes

You will also enjoy our article on finish strong quotes.

Happy short inspirational quotes

110. “You don’t get respect if you don’t deserve it.” – Snoop Dogg

111. “You must work in the dark for your light to shine.” — Russ

112. “I don’t need a lot, I just want to find my peace.” – Nathan Feuerstein

113. “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.” – John Wayne

114. “What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.” — bell hooks

115. “Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.” – Malcolm X

116. “If you learned a lesson it wasn’t a loss.” – Lil Baby

117. “If you are not having fun you are doing something wrong.” – Groucho Marx

118. “The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.” – Carl Sagan

119. “All humor is rooted in pain.” – Richard Pryor

120. “Growth is in a series of mistakes. That’s the only way you learn.” – Steve Harvey

Meaningful short inspirational quotes

121. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

122. “You are not the opinion of someone who doesn’t know you.” – Taylor Swift

123. “You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.” – Denzel Washington

124. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey

125. “Sometimes the heart is deceiving.” — Halsey, “The Feeling”

126. “You must be the best judge of your own happiness.” – Jane Austen

127. “I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.” – Booker T. Washington

128. “Being realistic is the quickest path to mediocrity.”  – Will Smith

129. “Governments change… the lies stay the same.” — Pierce Brosnan, GoldenEye

130. “My fear was not of death itself, but a death without meaning.” – Huey P. Newton

Deep short inspirational quotes

131. “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

132. “You don’t have to eat less. You just have to eat right.” – Dr. Sebi

133. “Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

134. “Good things come in good time.” – Wiz Khalifa

135. “The heart’s memory eliminates the bad and magnifies the good.” – Gabriel García Márquez

136. “Until death it is all life.” ― Don Quixote

137. “Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams.” — Christopher Columbus

138. “The future ain’t what it used to be.” – Yogi Berra

139. “You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.” – Wayne Dyer

140. “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Daily short inspirational quotes

141. “The only person that has power to put boundaries on your dreams is you.” — Trent Shelton

142. “When you get hard work, you get success.” – Selena Quintanilla

143. “People can cry much easier than they can change.” ― James Baldwin

144. “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel

145. “When you fail, you also learn how not to fail.” – Soichiro Honda

146. “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

147. “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” – C. S. Lewis

148. “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” – St. Francis of Assisi

149. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” ― Oprah Winfrey

150. “When I perform my role well, I feel proud.” – Kim Namjoon

You will also enjoy our article on life changing quotes.

Best short inspirational quotes

151. “Make each day your masterpiece“ – John Wooden

152. “Love truth, but pardon error.” ― Voltaire

153. “I think it’s important to hold a mirror up to society and yourself.” – Ricky Gervais

154. “Luck is a word used to describe the success of people you don’t like.” – Paul Harvey

155. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ― Mae West

156. “I just want to teach people how to be comfortable. Stop being so scared.” – Jaden Smith

157. “The only way you can know where the line is is if you cross it.” – Dave Chappelle

158. “Our whole life is a meditation of our last decision – the only decision that matters.” – Thomas Merton

159. “I would not think to touch the sky with two arms.” ― Sappho

160. “Laughter is the language of the soul.” ― Pablo Neruda

Powerful short inspirational quotes

161. “We humans are more concerned with having than with being.” – Morgan Freeman

162. “Nobody promised you tomorrow.” – Marsha P Johnson

163. “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” – John Lennon

164. “You have to realize that you are everything and more just on your own.” – Jhene Aiko

165. “I’m in control of my destiny, never in doubt.” – Drake

166. “Pain is never permanent.” – St. Teresa of Avila

167. “Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.” – Thomas Aquinas

168. “A change of feeling is a change of destiny.” – Neville Goddard

169. “Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want.” – Aaliyah

170. “Knowledge is really confined to experience.” – Aleister Crowley

Short inspirational quotes for young adults

171. “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison

172. “To use your head, you have to go out of your mind.” ―Timothy Leary

173. “Let us love, since that is what our hearts were made for.” – St. Therese of Lisieux

174. “Attitude is a choice. Think positive thoughts daily. Believe in yourself.” – Pat Summitt

175. “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” – Charles Bukowski

176. “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” ― George Orwell

177. “You can jail a revolutionary, but you can’t jail the revolution.” – Fred Hampton

178. “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.”― Bob Dylan

179. “We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” – Bill Gates

180. “I can’t feel my tongue. But I know it’s there because I’m talking.” – Moira Rose

Short motivational quotes

181. “See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good.” ― Hayao Miyazaki

182. “A dream is only a dream.. until you decide to make it real.” – Harry Styles

183. “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.” — John Lennon

184. “For any sin, we all suffer. That is why our suffering is endless.” – Wendell Berry

185. “Books are the mirrors of the soul.” – Virginia Woolf

186. “Imagining something is better than remembering something.” – Robin Williams

187. “In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.” – Jimi Hendrix

188. “Maybe other people will try to limit me but I don’t limit myself.” – Jim Carrey

189. “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” – Immanuel Kant

190. “Good things take time.” — Gabriella Wilson (H.E.R.)

Short motivational quotes on life

191. “Give me liberty or give me death!” — Patrick Henry

192. “You must let suffering speak if you want to hear the truth.” — Cornel West

193. “A dream deferred is a dream denied.” – Langston Hughes

194. “Everybody marches to a different drummer.” ― Hugh Hefner

195. “If you want more, you have to require more from yourself.” – Dr. Phil

196. “Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.” – Colin Powell

197. “I will not be triumphed over.”  — Cleopatra

198. “Anyone who does anything creative is always gonna want to change.” – Will Ferrell

199. “The death of contentment is comparison.” ― Steven Furtick

200. “Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.” — Steve Prefontaine

Short inspirational quotes on life and death

201. “Everything that happens before Death is what counts.” – Ray Bradbury

202. “The more ways you can tell a story and paint a picture, the better it is.” ― Ninja

203. “I see things that nobody else sees.” – Melanie Martinez

204. “I want to build to that mogul, legendary level.” – Lil Nas X

205. “A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies.” – Diogenes of Sinope

206. “If you really want something, you can figure out how to make it happen.” ― Cher

207. “Nothing really scares me, to be honest.” — Billie Eilish

208. “If nobody makes you do it, it counts as fun.” – Thomas Hobbes

209. “Everything is practice.” – Pele

210. “Don’t give up at halftime. Concentrate on winning the second half.” – Paul Bryant

Short inspirational quotes to inspire positivity

211. “To me, there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.” – Alice Paul

212. “I never expect a perfect work from an imperfect man.” – Alexander Hamilton

213. “Education is the best weapon for peace.” – Maria Montessori

214. “Nothing in life is promised except death.” – Kanye West

215. “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

216. “The more you live, the less you die.” ― Janis Joplin

217. “There must always be a remedy for wrong and injustice if we only know how to find it.” – Ida B. Wells

218. “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” – Fannie Lou Hamer

219. “The aim is to balance the terror of being alive with the wonder of being alive.” – Carlos Castaneda

220. “Every team has its weakness, and every team has its strength.” — Booger McFarland

Unique short inspirational quotes

221. “The quest for meaning is the key to mental health and human flourishing.” – Viktor Frankl

222. “I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.” — Montesquieu

223. “You were not born to be a second-hander.” – Ayn Rand

224. “You go out and do the best you can and hope it works. You just try to improve.” – Mike Leach

225. “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy

226. “No one else has ever opened doors for me. I opened them myself.” — Jenni Rivera

227. “Freedom means choices.” – Janet Jackson

228. “Face reality as it is, not as it was, or as you wish it to be.” – Jack Welch

229. “One year of love is better than a lifetime alone.” – Freddie Mercury

230. “No matter how slow you go you are still lapping everybody on the couch.” – CT Fletcher

Short inspirational quotes about helping people

231. “Keep going. Be all in.” – Bryan Hutchinson

232. “Leave no stone unturned.” – Euripides

233. “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn

234. “It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitzgerald

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Ella Fitzgerald quotes from the iconic singer.

235. “If it matters to you, you’ll find a way.” – Charlie Gilkey

236. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Dr. Robert Schuller

237. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey 

238. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

239. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

240. “Don’t wait, the time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill

You will also enjoy our article on quotes by Mother Teresa.

Short inspirational quotes to inspire happiness

241. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” – Martin Luther King Jr. 

242. “Life is fragile. We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow so give it everything you’ve got.” – Tim Cook

243. “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler

244. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Maya Angelou quotes celebrating success, love & life.

245. “Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan

246. “Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.” – Isaac Asimov

247. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

248. “We have a responsibility to help those around us and help others in need.” – Virginia Williams

249. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others.” – Charles Dickens (see more Charles Dickens quotes)

250. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank

Short inspirational quotes to encourage you

251. “Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett

252. “The only thing that can grow is the thing you give energy to.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes on living a great life.

253. “Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anaïs Nin

254. “No greater gift there is, than a generous heart.” – Yoda

255. “Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.” – Winston Churchill

256. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of hero quotes that inspire everyone to make a difference.

257. “You can if you think you can.” – George Reeves

258. “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.” – Mark Twain

259. “The wisest mind has something yet to learn.” – George Santanaya

260. “Get to the point where you get allergic to average! You don’t think average!” – Eric Thomas

Short inspirational quotes that will open your mind

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

262. “It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”― Lewis Carroll

263. “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” – Rabindranath Tagore

264. “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.”― Kurt Cobain

265. “We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.” – Helen Keller

266. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

267. “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”― Anne Frank

268. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

269. “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

270. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Dolly Parton quotes from the iconic actress.

Short inspirational quotes to keep you moving forward

271. “Persistence guarantees that results are inevitable.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

272. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

273. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” – Marcus Aurelius

274. “Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

275. “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.” – Augustine of Hippo

276. “Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

277. “Every noble work is at first impossible.” – Thomas Carlyle

278. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

279. “Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” – Edwin Markham

280. “Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.” – Mario Fernández

For additional reading, be sure to also check out these good man quotes that will inspire you to do your best.

Short inspirational quotes to empower you

281. “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.“ – Eleanor Roosevelt

282. “Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu

283. “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.“ – Lance Armstrong

284. “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” – William Blake

285. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens.“ – Helen Keller

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of the pursuit of happiness quotes that will make you smile.

286. “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”― Henry David Thoreau

287. “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary

288. “Begin anywhere.” – John Cage

289. “Have faith in yourself and in the future.” – Ted Kennedy

290. “Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” – Lily Pulitzer

Short inspirational quotes that will make your day

291. “Do it Now!” – Napoleon Hill

292. “The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.” – Elbert Hubbard

293. “No great thing is created suddenly.” —Epictetus

Don’t forget to also read these funny inspirational quotes celebrating life, love & struggles.

294. “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

295. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”—Confucius

296. “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.” – Soren Kierkegaard

297. “Man doesn’t know what he is capable of until he is asked.” – Kofi Annan

298. “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” – Dorothy Bernard

299. “Life is as easy or as hard as you think it is.”– Jonathan Lockwood Huie

300. “Live your dreams.” – Les Brown

Short inspirational quotes and short inspirational sayings

301. “The true vocation of man is to find his way for himself.” – Hermann Hesse

302. “A life of sacrifice is the pinnacle of art, and is full of true joy.” – Mahatma Gandhi

303. “No wind favors he who has no destined port.” —Montaigne

304. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau

305. “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein

306. “To know oneself, one should assert oneself.” – Albert Camus

307. “Men do less than they ought unless they do all they can.” – Thomas Carlyle

308. “People living deeply have no fear of death.” – Anais Nin

309. “A clever man commits no minor blunders.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

310. “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese Proverb

Short inspirational quotes about life

311. “If I’m gonna tell a real story, I’m gonna start with my name.” – Kendrick Lamar

312. “Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.”– George Horace Lorimer

313. “All limitations are self-imposed.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

314. “When you make a choice, you change the future.”– Deepak Chopra

315. “Determine your priorities and focus on them.” – Eileen McDargh
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of priority quotes that will help you clarify what’s important to you in your life.

316. “Words are your paintbrush, and your life is the canvas. You can paint whatever you want to paint.”― Miguel Ruiz

317. “Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”― Moliere

318. “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey

319. “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi
If you’re enjoying these quotes, read our collection of Rumi quotes from the iconic poet.

320. “Be sure what you want and be sure about yourself.” – Adriana Lima

Short inspirational quotes for success

321. “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” – Mark Twain

322. “Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.”
– Walt Whitman

323. “Have enough courage to start and enough heart to finish.” – Jessica N. S. Yourko

324. “With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Buddhist proverb

325. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” – Steve Martin

326. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”– Milton Berle

327. “Don’t you know your imperfections is a blessing?” – Kendrick Lamar

328. “Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.” – Tim Fargo

329. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle

330. “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?” – Steven Wright

Short life quotes to brighten your day

331. “Tough times never last but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schiuller

332. “Magic always happens when you direct your inner powers to the object you want to change.”– Bangambiki Habyarimana

333. “I could agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.” – Harvey Specter

334. “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”– Tony Robbins

335. “Yesterday you said tomorrow. Just do it.” – Nike

336. “Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.”– Marcus Washling

337. “There is no substitute for hard work.” – Thomas Edison

338. “Mostly, the world sees you the way you see yourself.”– Lisa Nichols

339. “The meaning of life is to give life meaning.” – Ken Hudgins

340. “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs, one step at a time.” – Joe Girard

Don’t also forget to read out the handpicked collection of Monday motivation quotes to start your week off on the right track.

Short inspirational quotes to uplift you

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

342. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky

343. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” – Marilyn Monroe

344. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Oscar Wilde

345. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou

346. “Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso

347. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

348. “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho

349. “May you live every day of your life.”― Jonathan Swift

350. “Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you.” – Roy T. Bennett

Short positive quotes to pump you up

351. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they make a good excuse.”― Thomas Szasz

352. “When in doubt, throw doubt out and have a little faith….” – E.A. Bucchianeri

353. “Don’t worry about the challenges. Get excited about the rewards of crushing them.” – Hiral Nagda

354. “Keep going. Is not as difficult as you feel it is. Don’t give up.” – Brandon Sanderson

355. “I may stumble. I may fall. I may cry. But I’ll NEVER give up! Tomorrow, I rise again.” – Steve Maraboli

356. “If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”― Rick Riordan

357. “Keep going like there’s a big rock rolling behind you. Never stop until you find ways to dodge it!” – I’m salmiah

358. “There are a thousand reasons to live this life, every one of them is sufficient.” – Marilynne Robinson

359. “If beautiful lilies bloom in ugly waters, you too can blossom in ugly situations.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

360. “Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible to do.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton

Don’t also forget to check out our collection of short inspirational quotes that will help you remain optimistic.

Short inspirational quotes to inspire success

361. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”― L.M. Montgomery

362. “Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement.” – Henry Ford

363. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Breault

364. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

365. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

366. “Dream big, stay positive, work hard, and enjoy the journey.” – Urijah Faber

367. “Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.” – John Heywood

368. “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”― Haruki Murakami

369. “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton

370. “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Short inspirational quotes to brighten your day

371. “My life is my message.” – Mahatma Gandhi

372. “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” – Maya Angelou

373. “Never regret anything that made you smile.” – Mark Twain

374. “You receive from the world what you give to the world.” – Oprah Winfrey

375. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius

376. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

377. “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” – W. Clement Stone

378. “All progress takes place outside of your comfort zone.” – Michael John Bobak

379. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

380. “None but ourselves can free our minds.”― Bob Marley

Short inspirational quotes and words of wisdom

381. “I don’t need it to be easy, I need it to be worth it.” – Lil Wayne

382. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

383. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” – Bruce Lee

384. “He that can have patience can have what he will.” – Benjamin Franklin

385. “Life becomes easier and more beautiful when we can see the good in other people.”― Roy T. Bennett

386. “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

387. “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

388. “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford

389. “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey

390. “Energy and initiative count as much as talent and luck.” – Will Peters

Short inspirational quotes for big life changes

391. “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.“ –
Marianne Williamson

392. “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”— Walt Whitman

393. “There is nothing impossible to they who will try.”— Alexander the Great

394. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”– Winston Churchill

395. “You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.”— Oprah Winfrey

396. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”— Malala Yousafzai

397. “Spread love everywhere you go.”— Mother Teresa

398. “You can be everything. You can be the infinite amount of things that people are.”— Kesha

399. “Belief creates the actual fact.”— William James

400. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”— Aristotle

Short positive quotes for Monday motivation

401. “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou

402. “There can be glory in failure and despair in success.” – Abraham Lincoln

403. “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” – Francis Bacon

404. “None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.” – Benjamin Franklin

405. “A man’s true wealth is the good he does in the world.” – Kahlil Gibran

406. “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!”― Maya Angelou

407. “Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard

408. “If you want to see a rainbow you have to learn to see the rain.” – Paulo Coelho

409. “I’m a slow walker, but I never walk back.” – Abraham Lincoln

410. “You can’t live an exceptional life by being “normal.”” – Nick Maley

Short inspirational quotes for success in the New Year

411. “Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” — Mahatma Gandhi

412. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers

413.“When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.”—Norman Vincent Peale

414. “To know how much there is to know is the beginning of learning to live.” —Dorothy West

415. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

416. “Goal setting is the secret to a compelling future.” — Tony Robbins

417. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville

418. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” — Tony Robbins

419. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” —Estée Lauder

420. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn

Short inspirational quotes for living your best life

421. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop

422. “A place for everything, everything in its place.” — Benjamin Franklin

423. “Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.” — Octavia E. Butler

424. “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” — Ronald Reagan

425. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” — William Shakespeare

426. “We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal

427. “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” — Robert Browning

428. “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton

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

430. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost

Short inspirational quotes for work

431. “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” – Thomas Jefferson

432. “Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler.” —Albert Einstein

433. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford

434. “The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.” —Ayn Rand

435. “Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn

436. “The best way out is always through.” —Robert Frost

437. “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

438. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”― Walt Disney

439. “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” – Eva Young

440. “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” — Thomas Jefferson

Short inspirational quotes about encouragement

441. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”  – Buddha

442. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

443. “I don’t walk away from things I think are unfinished.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

444. “Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you’ll land among the stars.”― Cecelia Ahern

445. “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”― Wayne W. Dyer

446. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

447. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

448. Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. – Les Brown

449. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

450. “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.”― Charlie Chaplin

Short inspirational quotes to live by

451. “Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.”― Roy T. Bennett

452. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

453. “I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”― Robert Louis Stevenson

454. “The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.”― Friedrich Nietzsche

455. “If you want to be happy, be.”― Tolstoy Leo

456. “There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it.”
― J.K. Rowling

457. “I am a part of all that I have met.” ― Alfred Tennyson

458. “No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

459. “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”― Albert Einstein

460. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” ― Lao Tzu

Short inspirational quotes about dreams

461. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

462. “Follow your dreams, they know the way.” – Kobe Yamada

463. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho

464. “It may be that those who do most, dream most.” – Stephen Butler Leacock

465. “Nothing happens unless we first dream.” – Carl Sandburg

466. “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

467. “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” – John C. Maxwell

468. “Life without dreams is like a bird with a broken wing – it can’t fly.” – Dan Peña

469. “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.” – Richard Branson

470. “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Short inspirational quotes for students

471. “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” – Zig Ziglar

472. “Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work.” – Usain Bolt

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

474. “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – B.B. King

475. “If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” – Marcus Garvey

476. “Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” – Dalai Lama

477. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Les Brown

478. “Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” – Mason Cooley

479. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

480. “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” – George Washington Carver

Short inspirational quotes about life and struggles

481. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

482. “Quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

483. “Some roses grow through concrete. Remember that.” – Brandi L. Bates

484. “Life’s struggles are necessary for growth.” – Auliq Ice

485. “We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us.” – William J. Brennan, Jr

486. “The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.” – Wilma Rudolph

487. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

488. “Sometimes when hardships knock, it’s just life. Do not take it personal.” – Naide Obiang

489. “Hard times always lead to something great.” – Betsey Johnson

490. “Once you make it to your point of making it, you’ll appreciate the struggle.” – Nas

Short inspirational quotes and uplifting sayings

491. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E. E. Cummings

492. “Success is defined in units of fun. It’s all about being happy.” – Jake Nickell

493. “When people try to tell you who you are, don’t believe them.” – Maria Popova

494. “Anything can be done, as long as you truly believe it.”– Ashley Qualls

495. “Life will never conform to all of our desires. Ever.” – Mark Manson

496. “Stay focused and work hard – nothing in life is for free.” – Krystle Ng-A-Mann

497. “If you’re making mistakes it means you’re out there doing something.” – Neil Gaiman

498. “The smallest thing, well done, becomes artistic.” – William Matthews

499. “Keep true to the dreams of your youth.” – Friedrich Schiller

500. “If you start with nothing and end up with nothing, there’s nothing lost.” – Michael Dunlop

Short Inspirational Quotes To Drive Performance 

501. “Develop success from failures.” – Dale Carnegie

502. “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.” – Calvin Coolidge

503. “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” ― W. P. Kinsella

504. “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” ― Vernon Sanders Law

505. “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” — Paulo Coelho

506. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison

507. “A queen is not afraid to fail” — Oprah Winfrey

508. “Try not to become a man of success, but rather become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

509. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” — Amelia Earhart

510. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan

Short Inspirational Quotes To Motivate You To Take Risks

511. “The biggest risk is not taking any risk.” — Mark Zuckerberg

512. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” — Stephen Covey

513. “In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed.” — Sid Caesar

514. “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” — Napoleon Hill

515. “Rule your mind or it will rule you.” — Horace

516. “Remember, success is a journey not a destination. Have faith in your ability. You will do just fine.” — Bruce Lee

517. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.” — Maya Angelou

518. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” — Tim Ferriss

519. “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” — Winston Churchill

520. “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” — Mother Teresa

Short Inspirational Quotes To Boost Your Self Esteem

521. “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” ― Roger Staubach

522. “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” ― Babe Ruth

523. “The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.” ― Frank Sinatra

524. “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.” ― Thomas Edison

525. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ― Albert Einstein

526. “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” ― Vincent van Gogh

527. “You can always look up to others for inspiration but never for comparison.” ― Angel Graff

528. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ― Albert Einstein

529. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” ― Vince Lombardi

530. “We become what we think about.” ― Earl Nightingale

Which of these short motivational quotes will you turn to?

Sometimes, all we need is a small dose of inspiration to keep going.

Remember to bookmark this page so you can get back to it quickly whenever you need extra motivation. 

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If you see someone in need of inspiration, send them one of the above quotes. 

These quotes are universally relatable and can help many people decipher problems within their own lives.

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Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people you care about. 

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