25 Of The Most Inspirational Quotes Ever Written

Do you ever just sit down and browse through quotes?

If you don’t, you should give it a try.

Quotes have the power to affect, influence, shape, and move us in so many ways. They also provide an insight into the thoughts and ideas of the greatest minds that have ever lived (and are presently living).

Even though most quotes are short, they all hold substance of something that’s much larger. They can offer us a view into their own minds, which can be inspiring, motivational, creative, and entertain a different perspective that you might have never imagined.

These short snippets allow us to look back, feel, and connect with what has been written for us — it’s a sweet and short gift.

Here are 25 of the most inspirational quotes ever written

1. “A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.” — Marcus Aurelius

2. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” — Robert Anthony

3. “Every great story on the planet happened when someone decided not to give up, but kept going no matter what.” — Spryte Loriano

4. “No man is a failure who is enjoying life.” — William Feather

5. “I am not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations, nor do l feel that the world must live up to mine” — Fritz Perl

6. “What holds most people back isn’t the quality of their ideas, but their lack of faith in themselves. You have to live your life as if you are already where you want to be.” — Russell Simmons

7. Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference” — Nolan Bushnell

8. “How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” — Trina Paulus

9. A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him” — David Brinkley

10. Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts” — Arnold Bennett

11. The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” — Vince Lombardi

12. That’s precisely the question everyone should be asking—why the hell not? — Why not you, why not now…” — Timothy Ferriss

13. “There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can.” — Henry Ford

14. The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee

15. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are” — John Wooden

16. “Success…seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton

17. “It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” — André Gide

18. “When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” — Native American Proverb

19. “20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

20. “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” — Epictetus

21. “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn

22. “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.” — Stephen R. Covey

23. “As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.” — James Allen

24. “Don’t Take Anything Personally. Nothings others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” — Don Miguel Ruiz

25. “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.” — J.C. Penny

This will be a collection of hand-picked quotations, that will provide insight from the world’s greatest minds.

And an extra little bonus.

“So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win.” — Og Mandino

Back to you: What quotes inspire you? What quotes motivate you? What is your favorite quote of all time?

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Originally posted on: Selfhabit

Dragos Bernat writes at SelfHabit where he shares methods and strategies based on research and practical knowledge to help make creating good habits, living healthy, and simplifying life easier. For refreshing ideas on how to simplify your life both physically and mentally, join his free newsletter.

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