101 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Success & Positivity in 2025

Everyone has their own goals and personal ambitions that make life meaningful, whether they focus on work or on striving for happiness.

The best motivational quotes provide support and inspiration when it’s needed, capturing deep themes in a few simple words.

To help you focus on your goals, we’ve compiled 101 motivational quotes from some of the world’s most successful individuals in this convenient list.

The Power of Motivational Quotes

Motivational quotes are potent tools that positively influence your mindset and provide clarity and purpose.

By drawing on the deeper meaning behind motivational quotes, you can gain a fresh perspective and find new meaning in your life.

Thanks to their simplicity and memorability, such quotes can be used to encourage action and guide you towards larger goals.

Whether looking for side hustles to make money or start the day on the right foot, motivational quotes are there to help.

101 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Success & Positivity

Simple truths are often expressed succinctly, making their more profound meaning and wisdom shine through the words.

These 101 motivational quotes from entrepreneurs, cultural influencers, and philosophers can inspire your day and foster a positive mindset.

Motivational Quotes About The Meaning Of Life

The desire to understand the meaning of life is universal, the subject of ancient philosophy and personal blogs alike.

Here are some motivational quotes about the meaning of life to help you frame the concept more clearly:

101. “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” – Serena Williams

100. “The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” – David Viscott

99. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” – Soren Kierkegaard

98. “There is only one happiness in this life: to love and be loved.” – George Sand

97. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

96. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates

95. “Man’s search for meaning is the chief motivation of his life”. – Viktor Frankl

94. “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

93. “The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

92. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

91. “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius

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Motivational Quotes About Success

The desire for success underpins many activities, from launching a small business to setting up a million-dollar tech startup.

Here are some inspirational quotes from successful entrepreneurs and leaders that define success from their perspective:

90. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

89. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

88. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

87. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

86. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

85. “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” – John Wooden

84. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

83. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vince Lombardi

82. “Success is not a destination; it’s a continuous process of becoming a better version of yourself.” – Vidit Gujrathi

81. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

Motivational Quotes About Work

Motivation sits at the heart of entrepreneurship, from the early conception of a project through to its finalization.

Here are some inspirational quotes about work to get you motivated and on the right path towards success:

80. “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

79. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

78. “Make each day your masterpiece.” – John Wooden

77. “I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near.” – Margaret Thatcher

76. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

75. “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton

74. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King

73. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

72. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

71. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer

Discover more: How to plan a website.

Motivational Quotes For Hard Times

The bad times often follow the good with predictable regularity, but there are motivational quotes that can help you get back on track.

If you’re starting a business with no money or life’s simply getting you down, seek motivation in these popular quotes:

70. “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

69. “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” – Mary Anne Radmacher

68. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

67. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – JK Rowling

66. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

65. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey

64. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

63. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

62. “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before.” – Elizabeth Edwards

61. “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” – Bob Marley

Motivational Quotes For A Positive Mindset

Motivational quotes and positive mindsets go hand-in-hand, whether you’re looking for support for a small business or overcoming life’s challenges.

These powerful words from historical figures will help introduce positivity when you need it the most:

60. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

59. “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Herman Abbott

58. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

57. “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

56. “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” – Zig Ziglar

55. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

54. “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – Roald Dahl

53. “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” – Joel Osteen

52. “I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be. For I have also learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” – Martha Washington

51. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha

Motivational Quotes For A Happy Personal Life

Sometimes, the best inspiring quotes apply to a person’s whole life, particularly when facing their darkest moments.

These quotes will help you to stand firm and maintain a happy life even when presented with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

50. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn

49. “Let us make our future Now, & let us make our dreams Tomorrow’s Reality!” – Malala Yousafzai

48. “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

47. “Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.” – attributed to Walt Disney

46. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

45. “Whoever is happy will make others happy too.” – Anne Frank

44. “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle

43. “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” – Hellen Keller

42. “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are.” – Goldie Hawn

41. “There is no way to happiness—happiness is the way.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Motivational Quotes For Women

There are many highly successful women in business, politics, and entertainment to draw inspirational quotes from.

If you’re starting a side hustle for women or want to enhance your life in general, check out these quotes:

40. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

39. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” – Madeleine Albright

38. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart

37. “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” – Serena Williams

36. “We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie

35. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton

34. “Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great.” – Cher

33. “Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.” – Kerry Washington

32. “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G. D. Anderson

31. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Motivational Quotes For Men

For those interested in a men’s perspective on motivation, the selection of quotes covers all angles.

Here are some quotes to motivate side hustles for men and deliver a positive mindset for new ventures:

30. “The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” – Confucius

29. “Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.” – David Goggins

28. “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee

27. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” -Mark Twain

26. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

25. “Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.” – Dwayne Johnson

24. “Discipline equals freedom.” – Jocko Willink

23. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Unknown

22. “True nobility is being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

21. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Motivational Quotes About Moving Forward

Keeping life on the right track is easier when motivated by quotes that orient your thinking toward a positive vision of the future.

These quotes will help you to focus on your objectives and move toward fulfilling your ambitions:

20. “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

19. “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost

18. “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story,” – Frank Herbert

17. “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard

16. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

15. “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates

14. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

13. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

12. “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this—you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison

11. “Don’t let the shadows of yesterday spoil the sunshine of tomorrow. Live for today.” – Roy T. Bennett

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Best Motivational Quotes For Daily Life

Some of the best motivational quotes have broader applications that can help with all aspects of daily life.

Whether you’re becoming a public speaker or improving daily routines, these quotes will help:

10. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson

9. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paul Coelho

8. “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” – Steve Jobs

7. “Every day may not be good… but there’s something good in every day.” – Alice Morse Earle

6. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

5. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

4. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs

3. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

2. “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” – Chris Grosser

1. “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” – Jim Rohn

Motivational Entrepreneurs For Inspiration

Many solopreneurs and entrepreneurs prove that staying motivated and focused can lead to significant success.

Here are some inspirational entrepreneurs who’ve overcome the odds to become hugely successful household names:

• Oprah Winfrey: From her beginnings as a reporter to her billion-dollar business interests, Oprah Winfrey has become an icon for like-minded entrepreneurs.
• Richard Branson: Responsible for several types of businesses, Branson has led the field in music distribution, telecommunications, and space tourism.
• Jeff Bezos: After launching Amazon from his garage, Jeff Bezos has gone on to become one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world.

The experiences of these and other notable entrepreneurs can serve as inspiration to make a positive difference in your own life.

Tips & Strategies For Motivation

Staying motivated and positive at all times is a challenge everyone faces, whether launching a small business or managing personal relationships.

If you’re struggling with motivation or want to improve your daily routine, consider implementing these strategies:

• Break tasks into smaller goals: Breaking up a heavy workload into manageable tasks can help with motivation, whether using a website design timeline or a daily planner.
• Seek support and feedback: If you’re struggling to come up with a business name or hitting a creative block, seek constructive feedback and support from colleagues and family.
• Pursue your ambitions with positivity: Curtailing your aspirations can be a powerful demotivator, so don’t be afraid to pursue your weird business ideas and drive for adventure.

By maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle outside of your work life, you can avoid mental and other distractions and focus on success.

Further reading: How to be a successful YouTuber.

Motivational Quotes FAQs

In case you have any more queries about motivational quotes and how they can enhance your lives, here are some FAQ answers:

What is the best motivation quote ever?

Just as positive business affirmations impact us in different ways, so too are motivational quotes subject to the individual’s whims.

While there is no “best motivation quote,” the phrase “you must be the change you wish to see in the world,” associated with Gandhi, is commonly used.

What is a powerful 3-word quote?

Brevity is the soul of wit, and some of the most inspirational quotes can be summed up in just three words.

Examples of such quotes include “keep moving forward,” “never give up,” and “create your destiny,” all of which are open to subjective interpretation.

What is the best motto in life?

As with the best motivation quote, the best motto in life depends on the individual’s personal growth and their own definition of happiness.

Some have evolved over time as part of the cultural zeitgeist, with others, such as “every day is a new beginning,” having no clear origin.

Summary

The ability to stay motivated is a potential game-changer, whether venturing into a new business or keeping daily life interesting.

The motivational quotes about life, success, and positivity in this article can help keep your goals on track.

By reminding yourself of the quotes that resonate best with you on a personal level, you can use these encouraging words to stay motivated.