120 Life Quotes That Will Change Your Perspective

Life’s lessons often come from the words of others who have experienced what we currently face. Wisdom shared through inspiring quotes can help us gain new perspectives and motivation during times of struggle or uncertainty. This article aims to provide exactly that – perspectives to uplift you.

In the following pages you will find 120 thought-provoking life quotes, carefully selected to help shift your outlook in a positive way. Broken into 12 sections with 10 quotes each, this compendium covers a wide range of topics that we all grapple with at some point in our journey. Whether dealing with relationships, personal growth, challenges, or finding purpose and meaning, you are sure to connect with several quotes that strike a chord.

Each short quote, just a sentence or two, offers insight and food for thought to carry with you. Taken together, the full set of 120 aims to broaden your perspective on life’s complexities and remind you that you are not alone in your experiences. My hope is that you will find renewed inspiration, understanding, or motivation through the words of those who have learned similar lessons.

1. Inspiring Words to Live By

‘Nurture your mind with great thoughts. to believe in the heroic makes heroes.’ – Benjamin Disraeli
‘Well-begun is half done.’ – Aristotle
‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’ – Chinese Proverb
‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.’ – Theodore Roosevelt
‘Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.’ – Walt Whitman
‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ – Mahatma Gandhi
‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ – Maya Angelou
‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’ – Winston Churchill
‘Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.’ – Mother Teresa
‘Do one thing every day that scares you.’ – Eleanor Roosevelt
‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.’ – Theodore Roosevelt
‘You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!’ – Dr. Seuss
‘You grow more than you realize in little moments that don’t seem all that important.’ – Conor Maynard
‘It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.’ – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter series
‘You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.’ – Mae West
‘Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.’ – Mae Jemison
‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.’ – Mark Twain
‘Fall seven times and stand up eight.’ – Japanese Proverb
‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ – Les Brown

2. Finding Motivation from Wise Sayings

Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer – Sophokles.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can – Arthur Ashe.
Do one thing every day that scares you – Eleanor Roosevelt.
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live – Albus Dumbledore.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us – Helen Keller.
Do something today your future self will thank you for – Unknown.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop – Confucius.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now – Chinese Proverb.
You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there – Edwin Louis Cole.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step – Lao Tzu.
If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced – Vincent Van Gogh.
Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm – Winston Churchill.
Fall seven times and stand up eight – Japanese Proverb.
If you can dream it, you can do it – Walt Disney.
When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor – Elon Musk.
Just keep swimming – Dory from Finding Nemo.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time – Thomas A. Edison.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars – Les Brown.
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t-you’re right – Henry Ford.
The best revenge is massive success – Frank Sinatra.

3. Thoughtful Expressions About Perspective

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.” – Mark Batterson
“Your current situation doesn’t determine where you can go; it merely determines your starting point.” – Unknown
“Getting what you want is wonderful. Wanting what you’ve got is even better.” – J. K. Rowling
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard
“Our lives are defined not by the challenges we face, but by how we respond to them.” – Unknown
“I wish someone had told me that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts
“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” – Willie William
“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Ellery Channing
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle
“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese Proverb
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” – Henri Bergson
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – English Proverb
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

4. Thought-Provoking Maxims on Life

– “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Buddha
– “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
– “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
– “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso
– “Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.” – Richard Bach
– “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
– “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi
– “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
– “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach
– “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.” – Laozi
– “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” – Steve Jobs
– “Everyone has a gift. Finding your gift and sharing it with others will change the world.” – anonymous
– “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” – Leslie Miklosy
– “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
– “Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” – Kevin Kruse
– “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb
– “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
– “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller
– “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” – Napoleon Hill

5. Short Sayings Shifting Your Viewpoint

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – J.M. Barrie
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” – Isaac Asimov
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anais Nin
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin
“Keep your mind open and your expectations fluid.” – Jennifer Lawrence
“Reframe your expectations, rewire your assumptions, and you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve.” – Jillian Michaels
“The lenses through which we see the world shape our reality. Clean them regularly so your vision stays clear.” – Unknown
“When we realize life is fleeting, we create visions for living that truly capture the essence of who we are.” – Emily P. Freeman
“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
“Sometimes we don’t see how far we’ve come until we change our frame of reference.” – Unknown
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” – Edgar Allan Poe
“True happiness comes from within, not from what happens outside you or what you possess.” – Howard Thurman
“Sometimes when things seem bad, it turns out for the best.” (Hope quote version: “Better days may be just what you need to shift your viewpoint.”) – Norwegian proverb
“The moment we stop moving towards [our] dreams is the moment we stop dreaming.” – Greg Anderson
“People see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear… Truth or consequences have never entered their hearts or minds.” (Hope quote version: “Widen your view beyond surface perceptions.”) – Chickasaw Native American saying
“One gives much when one gives quickly.” (Hope quote version: “Give freely of yourself – it helps shift perspectives.”) – French proverb
“You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You can only find yourself by coming into the present.” (Hope quote version: “Live fully here and now to shift limiting views.”) – Eckhart Tolle
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” (Hope quote version: “Open your eyes to see in new ways.”) – Marcel Proust
“By changing what you think, you can change what you feel.” (Hope quote version: “Thoughts shape reality. Shape yours to shift perspective.”) – Unknown
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” (Hope quote version: “Find happiness to gain a life-shifting view.”) – Dalai Lama

6. Pithy Quotes Altering Your Lens

‘To understand the lens through which you see the world, consider the limitations that shaped it.’ – Anonymous
‘You’ll see things in new perspective when you open your mind to possibilities instead of resisting change.’ – Anonymous
‘The walls we build around us to feel safe also block our vision but once broken our world expands.’ – Mary Anne Radmacher
‘The whole world is in front of you and your ideas have more power than you think.’ – Anonymous
‘What seem like limitations are often opportunities in disguise. Open your vision.’ – Anonymous
‘As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.’ – Nelson Mandela
‘The more you open your mind, the more it will open your world to new horizons.’ – Anonymous
‘You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.’ – Dr. Seuss
‘Dare to fly, open your eyes to the universe within you.’ – Barbara De Angelis
‘Your mind is a lens through which you see the world. Clean it regularly lest it distort your vision.’ – Anonymous
‘Broaden your horizons by letting go of preconceived notions.’ – Anonymous
‘Question the status quo. Your perception changes when you change your perspective.’ – Anonymous
‘Train your mind to see through fresh lenses; it will open you to new dimensions.’ – Anthony J. D’Angelo
‘Your perspective shapes your world. Look through new lenses.’ – Anonymous
‘Alter your lens, change your perspective, expand your horizons.’ – Anonymous
‘Shift your lens to widen your vision and better your condition.’ – Anonymous
‘How we see the problem is the problem. Change your perspective for new insights.’ – Anonymous
‘Our beliefs determine our perspective; and our perspective determines our realities.’ – Anthony J. D’Angelo

Conclusion

In closing, the collection of 120 life quotes featured in this article offer profound insights from prominent thinkers throughout history. While brief, each quote aims to challenge our presumptions and awaken our minds to new perspectives on living deliberately and purposefully. Reflecting on these words can spark introspection and help shape a wiser outlook. I encourage taking the time to ponder how the various quotes relate to your own journey and values. Let them act as inspiration to stay thoughtful and work consciously towards unlocking your greatest potential in this complex yet beautiful thing called life.

120 Life Quotes That Will Change Your Perspective