Motivation

40 Motivational Quotes to Inspire You to Seize the Day

woman in yellow pants

From Brené Brown to Malala Yousafzai, here are 40 motivational quotes to inspire you to step up and out into the world and seize the day in a big or small way – wherever the day and your life take you.

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney motivational quote

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut, going through the motions of life without a sense of purpose or direction?

It happens to the best of us, but the good news is that it’s never too late to start anew.

With these 40 motivational quotes, you’ll be inspired to take action, chase your dreams, and embrace every opportunity that comes your way.

So let’s dive in and get ready to seize the day like never before!

Pursuing your dreams

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” – Swami Vivekananda

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Brené Brown

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” – Unknown

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

“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”– Steve Jobs

Making a difference

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

“How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t choose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.” – Anita Septimus

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl  

“Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda

“Each of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” – Barbara Mikulski

“Even though the world is large, one person can still make a world of difference.” – Frank Sonnenberg

Rising above

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. “- Arnold Schwarzenegger

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde

“You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” – Tina Fey

“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” – Terry Bradshaw

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks

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

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” – Brené Brown

“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” – Amanda Gorman

Living

“Life is not a dress rehearsal. Everyday, you should have at least one exquisite moment.” – Sally Karioth

“Lean forward into your life. Begin each day as if it were on purpose.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

“Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” – Anita Roddick

“You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” – Shonda Rhimes

“Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” – Amy Poehler

Creativity

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Anonymous

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

“Let your creative and imaginative mind run freely; it will take you places you never dreamed of and provide breakthroughs that others once thought were impossible.” — Idowu Koyenikan

“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” – Albert Einstein

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.” – Austin Kleon

“Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”
Bruce Garrabrandt

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun”. – Mary Lou Cook

What’s your favourite motivational quote? 

I’d love to hear it!

Carpe diem.

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