28 Powerful Maya Angelou Quotes About Love, Life and Strength

A list of inspirational Maya Angelou quotes about love, life and strength

She is the caged bird that sings.

On April 4, 1928,  Marguerite Annie Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was more well known later as Maya Angelou, the African American poet whose words never fail to surprise and inspire. 

But before she grew into a phenomenal woman, Maya Angelou’s life was difficult as a child. Her parents split when she was 3 years old. She and her older brother had to live with the grandmother in Arkansas. 

Their father returned them to their mother when Maya was 7. She was raped by his mother’s boyfriend and thus stopped to speak for the next 5 years.

Having such a traumatic childhood doesn’t stop Maya Angelou from living daringly.  You may know her as a poet, a writer and a Grammy-winner. But she was also a dancer, a singer, and the first black female cable-car operator in San Francisco. 

When she devoted herself to the world of literary, she continued to amaze the world with her unshakable spirit between the lines. Her words were so powerful that Nelson Mandela recited her poem Still I Rise at his inauguration. After he died, Maya Angelou mourned his death with His Day is Done.

There are various possibilities of life. And Maya Angelou shows us that If you live your life with sincerity and courage, you will achieve greatness no matter what you do.

We are lucky to have such a talented, determined and wise woman to be our mentor and teacher. Though she is not with us anymore, the quotes from Maya Angelou and her words of wisdom will continue to inspire generations to come. 

To get you started, here are my picks of Maya Angelou quotes about love, life and strength. Enjoy.

All great achievements require time.

I am not competing with anyone other than myself.

If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.

You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise!

We are only as blind as we want to be.

You can only become great at something you are willing to sacrifice for.

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don’t know my story.

You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.

In order to have a friend, you have to be a friend.

Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.

Live as though life was created for you.

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.

A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.

If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?

Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.

Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.

Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.

Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant.

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

We need much less than we think we need.

Nothing will work unless you do.

So there you have it. Maya may once be a caged bird. But she never stopped singing beautifully. 

Do you enjoy these Maya Angelou quotes about life, love and dreams? If so, or if you have a quote to share, tell me in the comment!