Maya Angelou's Words to Live By

Maya Angelou was a prolific writer and a gifted artist whose talents and contributions to society spanned multiple disciplines. Best known as an author and poet, she was also a playwright, professional dancer, screen actor, and director. Equally significant was her role as a human rights activist.

She is best known for her autobiographies, particularly "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," a seminal work in the genre of autobiographical fiction. However, much of her writing also incorporates elements of her personal experiences within fictional works. Her literary contributions are widely studied in schools and universities around the world, and she also taught at the university level.

As we reflect on the contributions of women this month, let us draw inspiration from the words of Maya Angelou. Here are some of her most powerful quotes to live by:

On Living with Purpose"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."

Perhaps her most famous and often-quoted line:"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

On Resilience and StrengthA beloved quote among African Americans:"You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise."

A similar sentiment on resilience:"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."

These next two reinforce the power of self-determination:"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."

"Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!"

On Self-Worth and Success"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

"You only are free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great."

"We need much less than we think we need."

"Nothing can dim the light which shines from within."

"Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else."

On LoveMaya Angelou offered profound insights into the nature of love:"Love liberates. It doesn’t just hold—that’s ego. Love liberates."

"Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time."

"If we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls."

"Love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet, it is only love that sets us free."

"In a world so rife with vulgarity, brutality, and violence, love exists. I’m grateful to know that it exists."

"The human heart is so delicate and sensitive that it always needs some tangible encouragement to prevent it from faltering in its labor."

"The loss of young first love is so painful that it borders on the ludicrous."

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love."

"Love heals. Heals and liberates. I use the word love not meaning sentimentality, but a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions and that which causes the blood to flow orderly in our veins."

On Generosity and Growth"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded."

"Nothing will work unless you do."

"When you learn, teach. When you get, give."

Of course, we could go on, but this glimpse into Maya Angelou's wisdom is meant only to peak your interest. I’ll close with a personal favorite. Sam Cooke may have warned us that "A Change Is Gonna Come," but Maya Angelou taught us how to embrace it: "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."