160+ Famous Inspirational Quotes to Ignite the Spark in You

During sophomore year of high school, circa the rise of LiveJournal and AIM, I carried around a sheet of very crinkled, very worn piece of spiral notebook paper filled with inspirational quotes that I had found in books and encyclopedias. While that might be an old-fashioned sentence, famous inspirational quotes never go out of style. These inspirational quotes? They've stood the test of time.

Allow yourself to be inspired by these famous quotes, today, tomorrow, and into the future.

Famous Inspirational Quotes for Anytime

Presidents, CEOs, brilliant scientists, to the crooners, these inspirational quotes are the best place to get started.

• "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
• "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
• "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
• "The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker
• "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela
• "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer
• "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein
• "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
• "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." - Confucius
• "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." - Christian D. Larson
• "The future depends on what you do today." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney

• "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson
• "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis
• "The best revenge is massive success." - Frank Sinatra
• "Success is not in what you have, but who you are." - Bo Bennett
• "The harder I work, the luckier I get." - Gary Player
• "Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got this." - Chantal Sutherland
• "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry David Thoreau
• "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life." - Steve Jobs
• "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." - Mark Twain
• "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller
• "It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela
• "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vidal Sassoon
• "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis
• "You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you." - Brian Tracy
• "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt
• "Dream big and dare to fail." - Norman Vaughan
• "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis
• "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein
• "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
• "The only limit is your mind." - Unknown
• "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire." - Jennifer Lee
• "Happiness is not by chance, but by choice." - Jim Rohn
• "Every day is a new beginning." - Unknown
• "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." - Chinese Proverb
• "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - Walter Bagehot
• "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." - Unknown
• "The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday." - Unknown
• "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." - Christian D. Larson
• "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson
• "The best view comes after the hardest climb." - Unknown
• "You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis
• "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." - Charles R. Swindoll

• "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer
• "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "I never lose. I either win or learn." - Nelson Mandela
• "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
• "The harder I work, the luckier I get." - Gary Player
• "You are capable of amazing things." - Unknown

Inspirational Quotes From the Movie Screen

Sometimes it takes a fictional voice to give you some truly exceptional inspiration. These famously inspiring movie quotes aren't just made for fiction, though; let them amp you up in real life.

• "Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it." - The Lion King
• "Just keep swimming." - Finding Nemo
• "May the Force be with you." - Star Wars
• "Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away." - Hitch
• "Do or do not. There is no try." - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." - Lilo & Stitch
• "Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss." - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling." - Inception
• "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." - Moulin Rouge!
• "To infinity and beyond!" - Toy Story
• "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - The Shawshank Redemption
• "Some people can't believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first." - Good Will Hunting
• "The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible." - Alice in Wonderland
• "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." - Mulan
• "Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it." - The Pursuit of Happyness
• "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." - Rocky Balboa
• "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." - Dead Poets Society
• "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." - Les Misérables
• "The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves." - Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and - snap! - the job's a game!" - Mary Poppins
• "You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love." - The Notebook
• "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• "I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it." - Titanic
• "There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." - The Matrix
• "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." - Dead Poets Society

Famous Inspirational Lyrics That Make Perfect Quotes

You can thank your favorite musicians and musical artists for these quotes that amp you up and get you in gear to take on any challenge.

• "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." - "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson
• "You're beautiful, like a dream come alive, incredible. A centerfold miracle, lyrical." - "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
• "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." - "Imagine" by John Lennon
• "I'm a survivor, I'm not gonna give up, I'm not gonna stop, I'm gonna work harder." - "Survivor" by Destiny's Child
• "Don't stop believin', hold on to that feelin'." - "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
• "It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." - "Beautiful Day" by U2
• "And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance." - "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack
• "I will survive, hey, hey." - "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
• "We're all in this together." - "We're All in This Together" by High School Musical Cast
• "It's not about how fast I get there, it's about what awaits me." - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
• "I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways." - "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson
• "Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right." - "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles
• "I'm on top of the world, hey. I'm on top of the world, hey." - "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons
• "I'm gonna love myself, no, I don't need anybody else." - "Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld
• "You gotta stand for something, even if you stand alone." - "In Color" by Jamey Johnson
• "You are gold, baby. Solid gold." - "Gold" by Spandau Ballet
• "I will always love you." - "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
• "I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough." - "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz
• "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean." - "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts
• "There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna wanna make it move." - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
• "Don't stop believin', hold on to that feelin'." - "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
• "I'm a survivor, I'm not gonna give up, I'm not gonna stop, I'm gonna work harder." - "Survivor" by Destiny's Child
• "It's my life, it's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever." - "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi
• "What a wonderful world." - "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
• "There's a hero if you look inside your heart." - "Hero" by Mariah Carey

Famous Literary Quotes to Inspire You

There's no place quite like literature, from the poets of the Renaissance to the post-modern writer, to bring some inspiration to your life.

• "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• "We are all fools in love." - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
• "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then." - Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• "There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
• "The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive." - John Green, Looking for Alaska
• "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• "You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing." - E.B. White, Charlotte's Web
• "The world was hers for the reading." - Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." - Christian Dior, Moulin Rouge!
• "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
• "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." - Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
• "Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." - Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
• "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." - Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
• "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot, Middlemarch
• "We are all fools in love." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
• "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• "She believed she could, so she did." - R.S. Grey, Scoring Wilder
• "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
• "We are all fools in love." - William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
• "To love another person is to see the face of God." - Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
• "I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am." - Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
• "The measure of a man is what he does with power." - Plato, The Republic
• "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series
• "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." - William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
• "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all." - Emily Dickinson, Poems by Emily Dickinson

Inspirational Quotes From Famous Athletes

Athletes? They've been there, from the highs to the lows to GOAT status. Follow in their footsteps to be all that you can be with their inspirational advice.

• "Practice creates confidence. Confidence empowers you." Simone Biles, Gymnast

• "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky, Hockey
• "I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan, Basketball
• "The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning." - Pelé, Soccer
• "Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing." - Pelé, Soccer
• "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." - Vince Lombardi, Football
• "The only way to prove you are a good sport is to lose." - Ernie Banks, Baseball
• "You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner." - Venus Williams, Tennis
• "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." - Michael Jordan, Basketball
• "I don't count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count." - Muhammad Ali, Boxing
• "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" - Muhammad Ali, Boxing
• "The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory." - Les Brown, American Football
• "You were never Little Red Riding Hood. You were always the Wolf." Abby Wambach, Soccer
• "Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss." - Doug Williams, American Football
• "Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come." - Dwayne Johnson, Wrestling
• "You have to train your mind like you train your body." - Bruce Jenner, Athletics
• "The road to success is always under construction." - Steve Prefontaine, Athletics

• "I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." - Serena Williams, Tennis
• "If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win." - Carl Lewis, Athletics
• "Champions keep playing until they get it right." - Billie Jean King, Tennis
• "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." - Michael Jordan, Basketball
• "You don't have to be the best, you can be the best you can be." - Shannon Miller, Gymnast
• "I know what I have to do, and I'm going to do whatever it takes. If I do it, I'll come out a winner, and it doesn't matter what anyone else does." - Florence Griffith Joyner, Athletics
• "You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." - Michael Phelps, Swimming
• "I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." - Muhammad Ali, Boxing

Unleashing the Inspiration

Allow the inspiration to course through you and help you go out and kick some butt with these famous inspirational quotes. Write them on a note to hang on a mirror as a reminder or recite them to yourself as you go through the day to keep yourself in the groove.