Maya Angelou Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Maya Angelou quotes, Maya Angelou sayings, and Maya Angelou proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

Nothing cam dim light that shines from within. Maya Angelou
If you're going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can't be erased. Maya Angelou
If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning ‘Good morning’ at total strangers. Maya Angelou
When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. Maya Angelou
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
Light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It is a matter of choice. Maya Angelou
A mother's love liberates. Maya Angelou
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. Maya Angelou
Hope for the best, be prepared for the worse. Life is shocking, but you must never appear to be shocked. For no matter how bad it is it could be worse and no matter how good it is it could be better. Maya Angelou
If we lose our love and self-respect and respect for each other, this is how we will finally die. Maya Angelou
In all my work, I try to say - 'You may be given a load of sour lemons, why not try to make a dozen lemon meringue pies? Maya Angelou
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. Maya Angelou
In the latter years of your life, your happiness and your self-esteem will be determined by the mountains you surmounted, the valleys you climbed out of, and the life and/or career that you forged for yourself. Maya Angelou
I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. Maya Angelou
My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors. Maya Angelou
Elimination of illiteracy is as serious an issue to our history as the abolition of slavery. Maya Angelou
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. Maya Angelou
When you do nothing you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better. Maya Angelou
The human heart is so delicate and sensitive that it always needs some tangible encouragement to prevent it from faltering in its labour. Maya Angelou
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Maya Angelou
Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women. Maya Angelou
I am a woman / Phenomenally / Phenomenal woman / That's me. Maya Angelou
I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. Maya Angelou
I am convinced that most people do not grow up...We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies, and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are innocent and shy as magnolias. Maya Angelou
Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging. Maya Angelou
Nothing will work unless you do. Maya Angelou
I don’t believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.  Maya Angelou
All great achievements require time. Maya Angelou
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Maya Angelou
I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. Maya Angelou