“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao Tzu
BeginningsAction
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · MOTIVATIONAL
Motivational Quotes
Read 200 of the best motivational quotes on success, courage, hard work and never giving up from Swami Vivekananda, Emerson, Thoreau and more.
“Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.”
Swami Vivekananda
GoalsPerseverance
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
Henry David Thoreau
DreamsSuccess
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
Henry David Thoreau
DreamsAction
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Theodore Roosevelt
ActionEffort
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
Theodore Roosevelt
CourageCriticism
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much.”
Theodore Roosevelt
CourageFailure
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Hard WorkEffort
“Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.”
Thomas Edison
Hard WorkGenius
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
Helen Keller
OptimismHope
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”
Helen Keller
StrengthHope
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington
SuccessObstacles
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Frederick Douglass
StruggleProgress
“Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.”
Marcus Aurelius
ThoughtsMindset
“No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.”
Marcus Aurelius
ActionCharacter
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.”
Seneca
CourageFear
“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”
Seneca
LearningLife
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
Epictetus
GoalsAction
“The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.”
Confucius
DisciplineSuccess
“Our greatest glory is, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Oliver Goldsmith
FailureResilience
“The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work.”
Confucius
PerseveranceLearning
“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
FocusSuccess
“The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.”
Swami Vivekananda
StrengthLife
“You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”
Rabindranath Tagore
ActionCourage
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”
William Shakespeare
DoubtFear
About Motivational Quotes
Everyone needs a push sometimes. Whether you're preparing for an exam, starting a new job, chasing a big goal or simply trying to get through a tough week, the right words at the right moment can change how you feel and what you do next.
This collection brings together 200 of the best motivational quotes from great thinkers, leaders, poets and philosophers, including Swami Vivekananda, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Confucius and Rabindranath Tagore. Read them, save your favourites and share them with anyone who needs a little motivation today.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Motivational quotes.
What is the best motivational quote of all time?
Swami Vivekananda's "Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached" and Lao Tzu's line about a journey of a thousand miles beginning with a single step are two of the most loved motivational quotes ever. Both remind us that big goals start with action and are won by persistence.
What are good motivational quotes for students?
Students often turn to lines like Thomas Edison's "genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration" and Samuel Johnson's reminder that great works are done by perseverance, not strength. These motivational quotes help during exam preparation and long study hours.
What are some short motivational quotes?
Some of the best short motivational quotes include "Little strokes fell great oaks," "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are," and "They can conquer who believe they can." Short quotes like these are perfect for WhatsApp status, Instagram captions and desk notes.
What are motivational quotes about never giving up?
Oliver Goldsmith wrote that our greatest glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall, and Tennyson's famous line calls us "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Both are powerful reminders to keep going after setbacks.
What did Swami Vivekananda say about success?
Vivekananda taught that success comes from total focus: taking up one idea, making it your life and filling every part of yourself with it. He also believed that strength and self-belief are the foundation of every achievement.
How can motivational quotes help in daily life?
Motivational quotes put big ideas into a few memorable words, which makes them easy to recall when you feel stuck, tired or afraid. Reading one each morning or keeping a favourite on your phone can help you stay focused on your goals.