50+ Motivational Quotes to Inspire You to Greatness

50+ Inspirational Motivational Quotes To Inspire You To Greatness

Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life. This is why I find them so interesting and crucial on our paths to success.

So what’s their secret?

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens to you.

When you change the quality of your thinking, you change the quality of your life, sometimes instantly. Just as positive words can make someone smile or a well-timed humorous quote can make someone laugh, our thoughts react to the world in real-time.

You have complete control over only one thing in the universe — your thinking – and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

Jump to the quotes you’re looking for now: Inspirational Quotes About Life, Quotes for For Students, Motivational Quotes For Work, Success Quotes or Leadership Quotes

You can decide what you are going to think in any given situation. Your thoughts and feelings determine your actions and determine the results you get. It all starts with your thoughts – and I have found that inspirational words are a quick way to retune your thinking.

Try keeping a few uplifting excerpts or positive proclamations on hand. If you ever notice your energy or your spirit begin to drop, simply recite an inspirational and uplifting quote to quickly boost your mood.

Inspirational Quotes About Life and Success

I’ve compiled a list of some of the best motivational quotes so you can start the year by taking control of your thoughts, thinking positively and setting new goals. I’ve also compiled a free e-book of quotes that you can get by clicking the link.

If you are looking for another way to stay motivated in life, be sure to download my free guide to staying motivated during tough times.

Here are my favorite inspirational quotes about life:

1) “The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

This straight-to-business quote comes from the man who created the happiest place on earth – and a multibillion-dollar empire. Click here to tweet this inspirational quote.

2) “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

When it comes to success quotes by famous people, Winston Churchill’s inspirational words of wisdom always make the list. Click here to tweet this quote.

3) “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” – Will Rogers

Will Rogers was an American actor, cowboy, columnist and social commentator who believed in keeping forward momentum. Click here to tweet this quote.

4) “You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.” – Unknown

When you replace ‘lose’ with ‘learn’ in your vocabulary, the thought of failure becomes less daunting and lets you focus on growth. Click here to tweet this.

Click the link button below to sign up for my daily quotes email that includes many more of my most popular inspirational quotes, delivered to your inbox daily. It will empower and motivate you to take action, create success, and enjoy life – no matter how tough it gets.

5) “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Inspirational Quote by Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi was an American football hero who’s uplifting words frequently make it onto Top 10 Inspirational Quotes lists. Click here to tweet this quote.

6) “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs truly captured some of the wisdom of life in this statement. Do that which you are passionate about and your work will feel effortless.

7) “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Rob Siltanen

I believe this is one of the best quotes to live by because it reminds me to think without limits and never doubt my wildest thoughts.

8) “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

There’s a special place in my heart for these inspirational words. They remind me of my unwavering determination to become a motivational speaker.

9) “Entrepreneurs are great at dealing with uncertainty and also very good at minimizing risk. That’s the classic entrepreneur.” – Mohnish Pabrai

This line always puts a smile on my face because it alludes to the excitement of not knowing what to expect but seeing a possible life-changing outcome.

10) “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was one of the top civil rights activists and embraced a spirit of positive thinking and sheer determination.

11) “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

This piece of wisdom is one of my favorite quotes for students. It reminds us to apply what we learn and take action toward success, rather than waiting and hoping.

12) “Imagine your life is perfect in every respect; what would it look like?” – Brian Tracy

The exercise mentioned in this excerpt of my personal development philosophy is one of the keys to gaining clarity for what you really want in life. Start with a clear vision of your ideal life and happiness, then work backward to achieve it.

13) “We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action.” – Dr. Henry Link

I love this pairing of quotation and image (below). Before we act, our imaginations often run wild, but when we move forward we often find the path ahead far less daunting than the horrifying version we had created in our minds.

14) “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Quote by Henry Ford

Truly a quote to live by, the American captain of industry, Henry Ford, made this proclamation while reflecting on his life. He is still one of the wealthiest figures of the modern period. Ford also said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

15) “Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Life Quote by Helen Keller

16) “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” – Hasidic Proverb

In this powerful Hasidic proverb, we learn an ancient truth that still holds up in modern times. The power of self-confidence is just as strong today as it was a long time ago. You can still change the thoughts of others by changing your thoughts about yourself.

17) “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Motivational Quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt

F.D.R. famously alluded to the impact positive thinking can have on the world, stating that our doubts, or our self-limiting beliefs, were the only restraints on the possibilities of the future.

18) “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein authored this encouraging and uplifting quote. In just five words, he captured the essence of his intellectual philosophy and inspired others to embrace the creative process.

19) “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.” – Don Zimmer

Professional baseball player and coach, Don Zimmer dedicated 65 years to the sport. The wisdom he left behind implies that will power and dedication are just as important as ability. Again, alluding to the concept that success is formed in the mind before it is manifested in reality.

20) “Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

At number twenty, we have one of the most famous quotes about life by Teddy Roosevelt, who served as President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. A true optimist, he believed in the value of always giving it your all, no matter what you have or where you are.

21) “Develop an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’. Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you.” – Encouraging Quote by Brian Tracy

22) “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

23) “To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.” – Confucius

24) “Reading is to the mind, as exercise is to the body.” – Brian Tracy

25) “Fake it until you make it! Act as if you had all the confidence you require until it becomes your reality.” – Brian Tracy

26) “The future belongs to the competent. Get good, get better, be the best!” – Success Quote by Brian Tracy

27) “For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.” – Jack Canfield

28) “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – Positive Quote by John Wooden

Related: Sales Quotes to Motivate Your Team to Sell More Effectively in 2019

29) “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

30) “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” – Michael Phelps

31) “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” – Michelle Obama

32) “Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities.” – Robert H. Schuller

33) “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs

34) “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

35) “A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.” – Brian Tracy

36) “There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.” – Brian Tracy

Motivational Quotes for Leaders

My best quotes about business success have been inspired by the world’s best leaders. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or manager, here are 20 leadership quotes to help motivate yourself to peak performance.

Remember that true leadership is about striving to become better in all areas of life and empowering everyone around you to become the best versions of themselves. Always focus on improving your leadership qualities as well as others around you.

Here are 20 of my favorite inspirational quotes for business leaders. If you find them to be particularly motivating, please share this post with your friends.

37) “Integrity is the most valuable and respected quality of leadership. Always keep your word.”

38) “Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people”

39) “Leaders set high standards. Refuse to tolerate mediocrity or poor performance”

40) “Clarity is the key to effective leadership. What are your goals?”

41) “The best leaders have a high Consideration Factor. They really care about their people”

42) “Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.”

43) “The key responsibility of leadership is to think about the future. No one else can do it for you.”

44) “The effective leader recognizes that they are more dependent on their people than they are on them. Walk softly.”

45) “Leaders never use the word failure. They look upon setbacks as learning experiences.”

46) “Practice Golden Rule Management in everything you do. Manage others the way you would like to be managed.”

47) “Superior leaders are willing to admit a mistake and cut their losses. Be willing to admit that you’ve changed your mind. Don’t persist when the original decision turns out to be a poor one.”

48) “Leaders are anticipatory thinkers. They consider all consequences of their behaviors before they act.”

49) “The true test of leadership is how well you function in a crisis.”

50) “Leaders concentrate single-mindedly on one thing– the most important thing, and they stay at it until it’s complete.”

51) “The three ‘C’s’ of leadership are Consideration, Caring, and Courtesy. Be polite to everyone.”

52) “Respect is the key determinant of high-performance leadership. How much people respect you determines how well they perform.”

53) “Leadership is more who you are than what you do.”

54) “Entrepreneurial leadership requires the ability to move quickly when opportunity presents itself.”

55) “Leaders are innovative, entrepreneurial, and future-oriented. They focus on getting the job done.”

56) “Leaders are never satisfied; they continually strive to be better.”

Thanks for reading my favorite motivational quotes of this year. I wish you a wonderful year and hope you can look to these inspirational words whenever you need a boost so you may confidently crush any challenges or goals that you set for yourself.

Use them to stay motivated as you learn how to write a book, become a better speaker, or set and achieve every SMART Goal on your path to success. They hold within them one of the greatest keys to success: positive energy!

You can also share your favorites on Facebook or send them to a friend who can use the encouragement.

Would you like more quotes like these? If the answer is “Yes!” click here to sign up for my 30 days of daily quotes by email.

In it, I will empower and encourage you to take action, create success, and enjoy life by using some of my favorite words of wisdom. Read one every day for 30 days or during times of negative thinking to completely change the way you see the world around you.

Be sure to download my free workbook, too, so you can find your motivation and harness your full potential.