100 Best Quotes Of All Time

There are countless quotes that will go down as great, but let’s take a look at the 100 best quotes of all time.

Table of Contents

• Greatest Inspirational Quotes
• Greatest Motivational Quotes
• Best Happiness Quotes
• Best Love Quotes
• Life Quotes to Live By
• Healing Quotes
• Sad & Heartbreak Quotes
• Confidence & Self-Worth Quotes
• Success & Mindset Quotes
• Great Mental Health Quotes
• FAQ About the Greatest Quotes of All Time

Greatest Inspirational Quotes

There are those moments in life where we feel a tiny spark of inspiration that lights up our trajectory forward. So often it’s words that are so beautifully put that we feel inspired to act. It’s a long list to cover so let’s get right into it and start with the ten greatest inspirational quotes.

Inspirational Quotes

1. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
   From his Stanford Commencement Address, 2005.
2. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
   Quoted widely from his 2001 address in Geneva.
3. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
   Found in early 20th-century Emerson quote collections.
4. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
   From her 1960 book You Learn by Living.
5. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
   Attributed to a wartime speech circulated in 1941.
6. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
   Popularized through interviews beginning in the 1980s.
7. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
   First published in The Strenuous Life, 1901.
8. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
   Often attributed to speeches from around 1910.
9. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein
   Appears in 1940s interview and quote anthologies.
10. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
    From Talks to Teachers on Psychology, 1899.

Greatest Motivational Quotes

There are always those days we don’t want to do anything. We don’t feel like showing up, but would rather just bury our head in the sand. This is exactly where these quotes come in handy.

1. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
   Appeared in Mark Twain’s Notebook, published posthumously in 1935.
2. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C.S. Lewis
   Cited from his wartime radio broadcasts compiled into Mere Christianity (1940s).
3. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
   From his book In One Era and Out the Other, 1973.
4. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
   Quoted widely in interviews from the 1950s.
5. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb
   Appears in early 20th-century collections of traditional Japanese proverbs.
6. “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn
   From his seminar teachings widely circulated beginning in the 1970s.
7. “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” — Aristotle
   Attributed to the Nicomachean Ethics era of ancient Greek philosophy.
8. “The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.” — Unknown
   A widely published motivational quote appearing in print by the 1980s.
9. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser
   From interviews with the entrepreneur/photographer in the early 2010s.
10. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
    Circulated heavily in WWII-era quote collections beginning in the 1940s.

The 10 Best Happiness Quotes

Happiness is of course different for each one of us. It can be a warm exchange with a loved one, a small win at work, a compliment between strangers or any number of things. This is where the happiness quotes come in to remind us to practice kindness, heartfelt laughter, and gratitude for even the littlest things.

1. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
   Attributed to teachings in the Nicomachean Ethics, 4th century BC.
2. “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
   Appears in early Emerson quotation collections, late 19th century.
3. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama
   Cited from interviews and The Art of Happiness era (1998).
4. “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
   Printed in 19th-century Lincoln quote anthologies.
5. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
   From The Art of Happiness, 1998.
6. “If you want to be happy, be.” — Leo Tolstoy
   From Tolstoy’s journals and quote collections, late 1800s.
7. “The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not necessarily require happiness.” — William Saroyan
   Appears in mid-20th-century interviews and writings.
8. “The only joy in the world is to begin.” — Cesare Pavese
   From Pavese’s diary The Burning Brand, 1952.
9. “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” — William Morris
   From his essay series The Beauty of Life, 1880s.
10. “There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
    From his Buddhist teachings beginning in the 1970s.

The Best Love Quotes Of All Time

No mystery that love is the most powerful force in the universe and we are constantly reminded how universal love is what brings us together. It’s love that shows us the kindredness we hold for others; it softens us in the most unexpected ways and stretches us in the most expansive way. Love is boundless and wants to move in all directions so love is something we can all rely on to warm our hearts and feed our souls.

1. “The giving of love is an education in itself.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
   From her writings and speeches, mid-20th century.
2. “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” — Aristotle
   Attributed in ancient Greek philosophical teachings.
3. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” — Stephen Chbosky
   From his novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 1999.
4. “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” — Audrey Hepburn
   Quoted in interviews and biographies from the early 1960s.
5. “To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” — David Viscott
   From his book How to Live with Another Person, 1974.
6. “Love recognizes no barriers.” — Maya Angelou
   From her poetry and interviews, 1990s.
7. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu
   Attributed to the Tao Te Ching, 6th century BC.
8. “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand
   From her letters and collected writings, mid-19th century.
9. “Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces.” — Rumi
   From the Masnavi and other 13th-century Sufi poetry.
10. “Love is a friendship set to music.” — Joseph Campbell
    From interviews and lectures compiled in the 1980s.

Life Quotes To Live By

Life is so unpredictable. I’ve learned through years of triumph, tribulations, heartache and most recently an insurmountable loss that nothing in life is promised. Life will always hold more questions than answers for us. These Life quotes offer perspective in the midst of the messiness, strangeness and all that is beautiful about life.

1. “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” — Robert Frost
   From an interview published in The Atlantic, 1954.
2. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon
   From his song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” 1980.
3. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
   From Plato’s account of Socrates’ trial in Apology, 4th century BC.
4. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde
   Attributed to Wilde in early 20th-century quote collections.
5. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin
   From her diary The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume 3 (1939–1944).
6. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
   From Emerson’s essays and lectures, mid-1800s.
7. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” — Confucius
   Attributed in classical Confucian texts compiled between the 5th–3rd centuries BC.
8. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
   Attributed to Buddhist teachings preserved in ancient Pali Canon texts.
9. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
   From her book The Open Door, 1957.
10. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
    From interviews and speeches in the early 2000s.

Healing Quotes

There are so many moments in life I’ve not been ok, just as you. Healing is never linear, but instead will take topsy turvy turns along the way. Words of healing can show up for us in the exact moment whether we are feeling sadness and despair or idle and lost. Healing quotes give us what we need in that moment.

1. “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” — Rumi
   From Rumi’s 13th-century Sufi poetry, widely appearing in the Masnavi.
2. “Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” — Tori Amos
   From interviews and statements by Amos in the mid-1990s.
3. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller
   From her essay Optimism, 1903.
4. “Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice. It takes love.” — Maza Dohta
   A well-documented quote from the poet’s published writings.
5. “The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.” — Marianne Williamson
   From her book A Return to Love, 1992.
6. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” — Lou Holtz
   Quoted in Holtz’s motivational speeches beginning in the 1980s.
7. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
   Widely circulated in WWII-era quote collections from the 1940s.
8. “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” — Jean de La Bruyère
   From Les Caractères, published in 1688.
9. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey
   From interviews and public appearances, widely cited from the 1990s.
10. “Healing begins where the wound was made.” — Alice Walker
    From Walker’s essays and interviews, late 20th century.

Sad / Heartbreak Quotes

The saddest moment in life came for me through a profound loss and while I have spent so much time feeling it, the feelings persist and the heartache forces its way through regardless. These quotes on heartbreak allow us to confront the pain in a more visceral way potentially to teach and possibly even heal us.

1. “The heart was made to be broken.” — Oscar Wilde
   From Wilde’s letters and quoted in De Profundis, early 1900s.
2. “The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.” — Nicholas Sparks
   From his novel At First Sight, 2005.
3. “Sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” — Marilyn Monroe
   Attributed widely in Monroe biographies compiled in the 1970s.
4. “Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” — Kahlil Gibran
   From Gibran’s work The Prophet, 1923.
5. “The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea.” — Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)
   From her essay collection Seven Gothic Tales, 1934.
6. “What happens when people open their hearts? They get better.” — Haruki Murakami
   From his novel Norwegian Wood, 1987.
7. “You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.” — Jonathan Safran Foer
   From his novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, 2005.
8. “A broken heart is just the growing pains necessary so that you can love more completely when the real thing comes along.” — J.S.B. Morse
   From Now and at the Hour of Our Death, 2012.
9. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen
   From Cohen’s song “Anthem,” released in 1992.
10. “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” — Charles Dickens
    From Dickens’ novel Nicholas Nickleby, 1839.

Confidence & Self-Worth Quotes

We all deal with insecurity at some point in life with some part of life. I’ve had to unlearn so much about my own feelings of unworthiness. These quotes are the gentle reminders we all need time and time again when we might be second guessing ourselves.

1. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha
   Attributed to Buddhist teachings in the Pali Canon, though phrasing appears in modern translations.
2. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
   From Roosevelt’s 1935 book This Is My Story.
3. “With confidence, you have won before you have started.” — Marcus Garvey
   From his speeches and writings, early 20th century.
4. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” — Christian D. Larson
   From Larson’s book Your Forces and How to Use Them, 1912.
5. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
   From Talks to Teachers on Psychology, 1899.
6. “You are more powerful than you know and they fear the day you discover it.” — Unknown
   Widely circulated contemporary quote appearing in the early 2000s.
7. “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” — Maya Angelou
   From interviews and lectures, widely cited beginning in the 1990s.
8. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” — Helen Keller
   From her essay Optimism, published in 1903.
9. “Talk to yourself like someone you love.” — Brené Brown
   From The Gifts of Imperfection, 2010.
10. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
    Appears in early 20th-century Emerson anthologies.

Success & Mindset Quotes

I’ve had to redefine success for myself more than once in life. I thought I’d find it in network tv newsrooms as a journalist, but came to realize I was meant to write and interview, but on my own terms like here on suesblues or my sister site – blossomyourawesome or on the podcast where I get to own what I do and how I show up. These quotes are some of my favorite mind shifters to get into kick butt head space for success.

1. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
   From Thoreau’s journals and published writings, mid-1800s.
2. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford
   Attributed to Ford in interviews and biographies from the early 20th century.
3. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha
   Rooted in ancient Buddhist teachings of the Dhammapada.
4. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
   Widely attributed in mid-20th-century speech collections.
5. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
   From Ziglar’s motivational seminars and writings, 1970s–1980s.
6. “Your mindset determines your success more than your circumstances ever will.” — Unknown
   Modern, widely cited quote appearing online in the early 2000s.
7. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
   From FDR’s 1945 address drafted shortly before his death.
8. “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” — Roy T. Bennett
   From his book The Light in the Heart, 2016.
9. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot
   Attributed to Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) in early 20th-century quote collections.
10. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale
    From The Power of Positive Thinking, 1952.

Ten Great Mental Health Quotes

So often in life things will have us feel drained, anxious or heavy. That’s where the power of these mental health quotes can help take off the edge and remind us that we can access calm at any point.

1. “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” — Glenn Close
   From her advocacy work and public talks, widely cited from the 2010s.
2. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen
   From Cohen’s song “Anthem,” 1992.
3. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
   Circulated widely in WWII-era quote collections, 1940s.
4. “The only journey is the one within.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
   From his letters and writings published in the early 20th century.
5. “You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.” — Dan Millman
   From interviews and his teachings, widely cited after Way of the Peaceful Warrior (1980s).
6. “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” — Henry David Thoreau
   From Thoreau’s essay “Walden” and collected writings, mid-1800s.
7. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein
   From Qubein’s motivational speeches, 1980s.
8. “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha
   Attributed to Buddhist teachings in the Pali Canon (modern English paraphrase).
9. “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to — it’s not for them.”— Joubert Botha
   From modern motivational writings and interviews, early 2000s.
10. “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” — John Green
    From his novel Turtles All the Way Down, 2017.

For more checkout this related post I wrote on my other space – the Most Powerful Mental Health Quotes To Shift Your Focus.

FAQ About the Greatest Quotes of All Time

What makes a quote stand out as one of the best of all time?

A quote becomes timeless when it captures something true about the human experience in very few words. The best quotes stay with us because they express a feeling we recognize but have never fully named. They stay relevant across generations because the wisdom holds up no matter how much life changes.

Why do people love collecting and reading quotes?

People love quotes because a single line can offer clarity, comfort, strength, or direction. A good quote gives us something steady to return to when life feels uncertain or overwhelming.

How can I use quotes for motivation or inspiration?

Choose a quote that genuinely resonates with you and keep it somewhere you will see it often. Save it in your notes, write it in a journal, or put it on your bathroom mirror. A quote works when it feels true to your life.

Why do quotes help during difficult times?

When life feels heavy, a simple sentence can soften the weight of it. A good quote reminds you that others have felt this way too. It gives grounding and perspective at a moment when everything else feels unsteady.

What is the difference between inspirational quotes and motivational quotes?

Inspirational quotes speak to how you feel. Motivational quotes speak to what you do. Inspiration opens the heart and shifts your perspective. Motivation pushes you into action because of that shift.

For more quotes check out this post here – the Most Powerful Mental Health Quotes.

CLOSING

The best quotes stay with us because they evoke what it means to be human. I know at least a few of these will resonate for you and meet you in the moments you need them the most.

For even more quotes check out this popular post here – The Greatest Molly Ivins Quotes.

Written by Sue Dhillon, a writer, journalist, storyteller, and host of the Blossom Your Awesome Podcast, sharing reflections on human behavior, meaning, and the moments that shape us.