the best quotes to live by

What is your best quotes to live by? Here’s Our Top 100 Sayings!

What is our favorite quotes to live by?

Our definitive and growing list of quotes to live by. Life is full of unexpected changes and events that can veer us off our desired path. It’s easy to fall into a rut when things go bad or lose our motivation when things go well. We hope you can use this list of sayings to stay inspired, motivated, and focused today.

Related Post: 68+ Best Friend Quotes & Images [Updated 2018]

The best thoughts on life

Our favorite quotes and messages about life and thoughts on how to go about this amazing journey. Please use and share these images as you wish in however it enriches your life.

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

quotes to live by abraham lincoln

Do one thing you’re afraid of:

Learning and growing often involves pushing your limits and stepping out of your comfort zone. With all the comforts of the modern age, it’s very tempting to just stay in and binge TV shows or play video games. Try to do one task today that makes you uncomfortable. Here is an amazing TED Talk about trying something new for 30 days.

2. “Love your parents. We are so busy growing up, we often forget they are also growing old.” – unknown

life quotes - love your parents

Call your parents or family:

There’s really no good excuse for not keeping up with friends and family given were in the age of the internet. It doesn’t have to be very long. A simple “hello” or “how’s it going” can go a long way to staying in touch with your loved hones. Try calling or messaging a relative today.

3. “Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.” – Hunter S. Thompson

quotes to live by Hunter S Thompson

Try breaking up big goals:

Great accomplishments often take years to build. It’s easy to lose our motivation in the short-term when the long-term payoff seems so far away. We can help realign our objectives by giving ourselves small wins as we conquer each milestone. Think about how your big dreams can be sectioned off into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

4. “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

quotes to live by robert stevenson

Know your hand:

Understanding who you are, what you’re good at and what you’re not, will be a big factor in determining how successful and happy you are. We don’t control the circumstances that were born into. However, we’re able to understand the situation and adjust accordingly.  

5. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

quotes to live by Charles R Swindoll

Get some rest:

Remembering to take a breather now and again is important to your performance. We can easily get caught up in our pursuits and forget to rest. Try taking a short rest throughout the day to help you stay focused.

Related Post: 51+ Best Nature Quotes to Inspire Your Day w/ Images

6. “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell

quotes to live by Walter Winchell

Keep a journal:

While it’s not for everyone, I’ve found that keeping a journal really helps to set up your day. By physically writing out your 1-3 goals for the day, you can help prioritize what’s important. Try writing consistently in a journal for 20 days and see if it makes a difference in your productivity. Find ways to keep in touch with your best friends if you value their company and care about their well being.

7. “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” – Norman Cousins

quotes to live by Norman Cousins

Make your bed every morning:

Start your day with a small win. See this fantastic speech by Navy Seals Admiral Raven on why it’s important to make your bed every morning. I’ve usually been of the mindset to never make my bed since it’s going to end up messy anyways, but I’ve stared making my bed appreciate the small victory.

8. “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” – Emily Dickinson

quotes to live by Emily Dickinson

Be grateful for the life you have:

You never know when you’ll lose the things and people most important to you so be grateful for the good in your life while they’re there. It’s great to strive for more, but it doesn’t mean you have to be unhappy or unsatisfied with you have either.

9. “Tell the truth, or someone will tell it for you.” – Stephanie Klein

quotes to live by Stephanie Klein

Forget about lying:

Why waste time and energy lying? The truth will come out sooner or later. Face your reality head on and embrace the changes that need to be made. You always have the ability to improve and change many of the truths in your life.

10. “I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” – Jimi Hendrix

quotes to live by Jimi Hendrix

Live and let live:

You never know what other people are going through, so have some sympathy before passing judgement on them. Most people are the product of their environment and other factors that are beyond their control. Employ empathy whenever possible as you pass through this chaotic world.

Related Post: 88+ Positive Quotes for the Day [Images & Updated 2018]

Inspirational quotes to live by

Finding inspiring quotes to live by can greatly increase the happiness of your days. Motivation can be hard to come by and sometimes you need wisdom and insight from others to carry on. Use these famous quotes to live by in your daily life and move towards a positive direction.

11. “Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love.” – Mandy Hale

quotes to live by Mandy Hale

Let opportunities find you:

Remember that you can’t always control the future. Work hard and do what you feel is right in your heart in the present. Build up small daily wins and work to improve yourself routinely. The “wins” and opportunities will soon follow.

12. “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

quotes to live by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

13. “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

quotes to live by Mark Twain

14. “You will see in the world what you carry in your heart.” – Creig Crippen

quotes to live by Creig Crippen

15. “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” – Euripides

quotes to live by Euripides

16. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

quotes to live by Norman Vincent Peale

17. “To live life, you need problems. If you get everything you want the minute you want it, then what’s the point of livin’?” – Jake the Dog (Adventure Time)

quotes to live by Jake the Dog

18. “What we think, we become.” – Buddha

quotes to live by Buddha

19. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs

quotes to live by Steve Jobs

20. “When it rains, look for rainbows; when it’s dark, look for stars.” – unknown

quotes to live by Unknown

21. “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” – Randy Armstrong

22. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln

quotes to live by Abraham Lincoln

23. “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” – Brené Brown

quotes to live by Brené Brown

24. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Bernard Baruch

quotes to live by Bernard Baruch

25. “Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” – Plato

quotes to live by Plato

26. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. ” – Oscar Wilde

quotes to live by Oscar Wilde

27. “Good times become good memories and bad times become good lessons.” – Unknown

quotes to live by good memories

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

quotes to live by Albert Einstein

29. “Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.” – Karen Salmansohn

quotes to live by Karen Salmansohn

30. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank

31. “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” – Princess Diana

32. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato

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

34. “When we know ourselves to be connected to all others, acting compassionately is simply the natural thing to do.” – Rachel Naomi Remen

35. “Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.” – Emily Dickinson

36. “Be kind to people on the way up – you’ll meet them again on your way down.” – Jimmy Durante

37. “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn

38. “Be kind to unkind people. They need it the most.” – Ashleigh Brilliant

39. “The greatest ethical test that we’re ever going to face is the treatment of those who are at our mercy.” – Lyn White

40. “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

41. “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller

42. “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats

43. “The better part of one’s life consists of his friendships.” – Abraham Lincoln

44. “Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.” – Herodotus

45. “If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day. Otherwise, it’s not.” — Elon Musk

46. “Each good morning we are born again, what we do today is what matters most” – unknown

47. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” ― Benjamin Franklin

48. “And my only rule being if when I wake in the morning I’m looking forward to the things that I have to do that day, then I’m on the right track.” – Demetri Martin

49. “I wake up some mornings and sit and have my coffee and look out at my beautiful garden, and I go, ‘Remember how good this is. Because you can lose it.’” – Jim Carrey

50. “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” — Meister Eckhart

51. “What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”- Bob Dylan

52. “Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.” – William Arthur Ward

53. “Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.” – Wayne Huizenga

54. “You will never have this day again, so make it count.” – unknown

55. “Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” — Lemony Snicket

56. ” When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius

57. “You never fail until you stop trying.” – Albert Einstein

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

59. “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” – Unknown

60. “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” – John F Kennedy

61. “Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour

62. “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” – Samantha Snyder

63. “Your speed doesn’t matter, forward is forward.” – unknown

64. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” – Nido Qubein

65. “A mistake repeated more than once is a decision.” – Paulo Coelho

66. “I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung

67. “Don’t fear failure. — Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.” – Bruce Lee

68. “Complaining is not a strategy. You have to work with the world as you find it, not as you would have it be.” – Jeff Bezos

69. “An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.” – Goi Nasu

70. We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. – Seneca

71. “If your words are soft and sweet, they won’t be as hard to swallow if you have to eat them.” – Unknown

72. “Always take the high road, it’s far less crowded.” – Charlie Munger

73. “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” – Maya Angelou

74. “There will always be someone who can’t see your worth.Don’t let it be you” – Mel Robbins

75. “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” – Albert Einstein

76. “You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” – Edwin Louis Cole

77. “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Emerson

78. “Education is not the learning of facts it’s rather the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein

79. “In the sky there is no distinction of east and west: people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” – Buddha

80. “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people” – Eleanor Roosevelt

81. “If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time, not tomorrow or next year. Today should always be our most wonderful day.” – Thomas Dreier

82. “If it’s important you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.” – Ryan Blair

83. “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” – Jim Morrison

84. “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates

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

86. “Be yourself. People don’t have to like you, and you don’t have to care.” – Anonymous

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

88. “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates

89. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

90. “It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good.” – Tina Fey

91. “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where others see nothing.” – Camille Pissaro

92. “If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values: they’re hobbies.” – Jon Stewart

93. “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” – Stephen. R. Covey

94. “It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

96. “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.” – Andrew Carnegie

97. “Masterpieces are only lucky attempts” – George Sands

98. “It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people; to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.” – William Ward

99. “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly” – Micah the Prophet

25 Best Quotes to Live by Download [PDF]

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Live life to the fullest today

We’ll keep adding to this collection of quotes to live better as we come across more sayings that inspire us. Please take some comfort in knowing that everyone has bad days and some friendly reassurance can be helpful to recovering. Try your best to take life one day at a time and do the most you can with what you have.

Hope you are happy and healthy today,

Bb