Maya Angelou was a remarkable American poet, author, and civil rights activist who inspired millions of people around the world with her words of wisdom and encouragement. Her literary works were characterized by the power of her voice and her ability to capture the essence of the human experience through storytelling.
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Maya Angelou was an iconic figure who used her platform to promote peace, unity, and love, and her quotes continue to resonate with people from all walks of life. In this post, we will delve into some of the most famous Maya Angelou quotes and explore the wisdom and inspiration that they offer.
[Related: 10 Famous Maya Angelou Books in Order]
Maya Angelou quotes
1– “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
2– “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
3– “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
4– “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” ― Maya Angelou , Letter to My Daughter
5– “Nothing will work unless you do.” ― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
6– “A person is the product of their dreams. So make sure to dream great dreams. And then try to live your dream.” — Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
7– “I am a Woman, phenomenally, phenomenal woman, that’s me.” ― Maya Angelou , Phenomenal Woman”
8– “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” — Letter to My Daughter
9– “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” ― Maya Angelou , Mom & Me & Mom
10- “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” ― Maya Angelou , Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
[Related:30 Famous First Lines from Books]
11- “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” — Interview with The New York Times, July 23, 2007
12- “I not only have the right to stand up for myself, but I have the responsibility. I can’t ask somebody else to stand up for me if I won’t stand up for myself. And once you stand up for yourself, you’d be surprised that people say, ‘Can I be of help?’” — Interview with Oprah Winfrey, December 2000 issue of O magazine
13- “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”― Maya Angelou, Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
14- “A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.”― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
15- “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
16- “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
17- “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.”― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
18- “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” -― Maya Angelou, The Heart of a Woman
19- “You must know, however, that people will start avoiding you because, they, too, have knees that pain them and heads that hurt and they don’t want to know about yours. But think of it this way: If people avoid you, you will have more time to meditate and do fine research on a cure for whatever truly afflicts you.” — Letter to My Daughter
20- “Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” — Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
21- “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
22- “I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.” ― Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman
