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20 Beautiful Short Inspirational Quotes To Live By

I’ve been on a bit of a quote kick lately if you’ve been following me on Facebook or Twitter.  Something about an inspirational quote just seems to make me stop and think for a moment.  It makes me smile and encourages me almost instantly.  I have also found that I prefer short quotes because they are easier for me to remember so that I can repeat them to myself during the day.

All these quotes are Pinterest Ready so that you can pin them to your favorite board. Be sure to check out the Questing for Contentment Course if you are searching for ways to be happier and more content with your life!

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1. Don’t Judge Each Day by the Harvest You Reap but by the Seeds That You Plant. -Robert Louis Stevenson

I love this short inspirational quote because so often when I reflect on the day I think about what I have harvested or accomplished.  You don’t always see the fruits of your labor immediately.  You must start something to see the finished product.  If those seeds don’t get planted then you will never harvest.  I spend a lot more days planting seeds than I do harvesting, but I know that one day I will be reaping the rewards.  This short quote reminds me to be patient and mindful of what seeds I plant today.

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2.      Be willing to be a beginner every single morning. -Meister Eckhart

Somewhere along the way, it became “uncool” to say that you don’t know something.  Somewhere along the way, everyone decided that they needed to be an expert on day 1.  There are several flaws with that thinking.  For starters, you LEARN more when you come with an empty cup.  It’s ok to not know everything.  Learning is a lifelong process.   Additionally, when you start with the attitude of being a beginner it keeps you humble.  No one likes a know-it-all.

You will find that people have much more respect when you let your accomplishments do the talking and when you let others do the bragging.  Waking up with the attitude of being a beginner every single morning allows you room to take advantage of opportunities for growth.  This short inspirational quote may very well find it’s way to my freebie library in the form of a backdrop for both of us.

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3.      Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow. -Albert Einstein

I’ve always been intrigued by Albert Einstein.  At first, it was because he was a brilliant scientist but lately it’s been because of all the short inspirational quotes on life that I have found from him.  He thought differently than anyone else in the world.  He didn’t fit in and I’m sure that he felt “odd and strange” at times.  Yet he was an unmistakable optimist and was incredibly humble for a man that accomplished so much.  In just one sentence, he conveys so many uplifting thoughts.  The first being that we should not dwell on yesterday, but learn from it and move on.  We should live for today, doing all we can in the present moment and hoping, looking forward to tomorrow.

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4.      Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Of all the short inspirational quotes in the collection, this one is probably the most difficult for me to do and the bravest one.  It can be hard to do something that scares you. New things are intimidating and getting out of your comfort zone can seem daunting. However, when you start doing things that scare you, that’s when you start growing.  The more you stretch your comfort zone, the more success you will find yourself having.  That in turn, builds up your confidence.

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5.      Why Fit in When You Were Born to Stand Out? -Dr. Seuss

For a children’s author, Dr. Suess managed to pack a tremendous amount of wisdom into children’s books and he did so in a light, playful manner.  So often we find ourselves trying to fit in.  In my teen years, I desperately wanted to be cool.  I tried incredibly hard to blend in and to fit in.  It always felt like I was a square peg trying to stuff myself in a round hole.  I’m not like anyone else, and neither are you.  Our differences make us unique. Celebrate them.  Be authentically you.  Don’t be afraid to stand out, in a good way.  This short inspirational quote reminds me of that.

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6.       You Are Braver than You Believe, Stronger Than You Seem, Smarter than you Think, and More Loved Than You’ll Ever Know -A. A. Milne

While you may not know the name A. A. Milne, you may recognize this short quote from “Winnie the Pooh.”  When I am struggling and unsure of myself, this short inspirational quote brings me great comfort and encouragement.  I hope this resonates with you too. If it does, be sure to check out 39 You Are Stronger Than You Think Quotes

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7.      Don’t Dig Up in Doubt What You Planted in Faith -Elizabeth Elliot

This short inspirational quote sums up a needful reminder for me.  I often doubt myself.  I think we all do from time to time.  Its so easy to start something believing you can do it, and then start to second guess yourself.  It’s easy to let the fear of failure overwhelm you so that you are tempted to scrap a project that you started. For me, my book, “The Pearl Perspective: How Changing Your Perspective Can Change Your Life.”  is what this quote most resonates with.

The project started in the summer and is now in the final stages.  I am excited about it but at the same time, I have doubts.  I can not tell you how many times I have asked my husband “Are you sure I should really go through with this?”  His answer is always “Yes. It’s good. Stop doubting.  If it helps one person, then you have accomplished your goal.”  Without him, I would have dug it up in doubt by now.  It launched January 1, 2019.

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

Sometimes we might be tempted to think “I’m too old for that.”  Or you feel like an opportunity has passed you by.  You are never too old and it’s never too late.  You can always make a difference in the world.  If there is something that you want to do, then start taking the steps to do it.  I have read stories of 70-year-old female bodybuilders and 80-year-old marathon runners. If they can do something like that, then so can you.  Whatever your dream is, start pursuing it.  You are not too late!

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9.      Don’t Let Stupid Little Things Break Your Happiness

Ouch. This short inspirational quote hits home for me.  I probably need to make it into a backdrop and put it in the freebie library for both of us.  So often things will be going well, and then one little thing happens and I choose to let it ruin my whole day.  I steam over it and turn it over and over in my mind.  More often than not, it does not amount to a hill of beans.  I have started repeating this quote to myself when some little something goes wrong and it helps me to channel my thoughts back to more positive topics.

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10.  Try to be a Rainbow in Someone’s Cloud -Maya Angelou

I love the imagery that Maya Angelou painted with this short inspirational quote.  We all go through challenging times in our lives. When we are going through the “cloudy” parts of life is when random acts of kindness and choosing kindness mean the most to us.  Do all the good you can when you can.  When you go out of your way to choose kindness, that’s when you are the rainbow in someone’s cloud.   Each of us needs our hope shined up every now and then.

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11.  Where Ever Life Plants You, Bloom With Grace. – French Proverb

This short inspirational quote reminds us that life does not always go as we plan.  In fact, it often does not go as planned and we might find ourselves planted where we did not anticipate being.  However, even if you did not plan to be planted a certain place, you can always bloom with grace.  Life is not what happens to us, but how we react to it.  Being mad at the world is not going to help matters.  Choose to bloom with grace instead.

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12.  For Every Minute You are Angry, You Lose 60 Seconds of Happiness. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Like the above quote, this short inspirational quote drove home a huge point to me in just a few words.  Life is too short to spend being angry.  Granted, there are times that we will be but sitting and dwelling on anger is no way to live.  You lose time that you could be enjoying.  We each have a limited amount of time.  As my Dad and Pawpa said… “Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end you get, the faster it goes.” How do you want to spend your time?  Do you want to be angry and bitter or will you choose to be happy and enjoy the good things?  You will find what you look for.

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13.  Worry is the habit of anticipating chaos – Dr. Joseph J. Luciano

While this short inspirational quote may not be the first thing that shows up in a google search, I love it.  It comes from the book called “The Power of Self-Coaching: The Five Essential Steps to Creating the Life You Want.”  It had a lot of great tips in it, but this quote stuck with me.  Worry is one of the major things that rob us of our happiness.  There are several things that you can do when you worry too much but understanding worry is one of the keys to stopping it.

Worrying does not stop anything from happening, it’s just a habit (that you can break) of anticipating chaos or the worst-case scenario that will likely never happen.  It is based on fiction and insecurity.  While some may not consider this an inspirational quote, I do because when I start to worry repeat it to myself, it reminds me of what I am actually doing. It encourages me to “change the channel” on my thoughts and start thinking of other, more pleasant things.

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14.  Well Done Is Better Than Well Said -Benjamin Franklin

I talk a lot.  (You probably guessed that by now, seeing as how much I write.)  However, there comes a point that words become worthless if they are not backed up by actions, as Ben Franklin stated. I hope this short inspirational quote reminds you, as it does me, to back up our words with actions.

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15.  Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. -Ray Bradbury

This short inspirational quote ties in with Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote above about doing one thing every day that scares you.  Often times if something scares you it involves a leap of faith.  You may not know how to do everything when you jump either.  However, as Ray Bradbury says, once you jump, you will often learn how to unfold your wings as you fall and that leap of faith will take you soaring.

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16.  The Secret to Getting Ahead is Getting Started. – Mark Twain

No matter what your dreams are, you must get started to achieve them.  Oftentimes, getting started is the hardest part.  This short inspirational quote reminds me to take that first step, even if it’s scary. Just thinking about it is not going to get me anywhere.

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17.  It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done. – Nelson Mandela

Before we start on a big project, especially if it’s something that we have never done before, it seems impossible at the start.  If you would have told me a year ago that I would wind up writing a book, I would have laughed at you.  It seemed like such a big project.  Who was I to write a book?  However, as I learned more and wrote more with this blog, I began to feel the tug to write a book more and more.  When I first started that word document, it seemed impossible.  Now it’s mostly done. I hope this short inspirational quote, along with the previous one reminds you that sometimes things are not as impossible as they seem.

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18.  There are only 2 Ways to Live your Life. One is as is Though Everything is a Miracle. The Other is as Though Nothing Is. – Albert Einstein

Again, Einstein conveys massive wisdom in just a few words with this short inspirational quote.  Your outlook has a huge impact on how you view the world.  If you approach the world with a critical cynical attitude, that’s what it’s going to look like to you.  It will be a pretty dreary place without much joy.  If, on the other hand, you see everything as a miracle, you will start seeing miracles everywhere and the world will look bright and full of hope.  We find what we look for.  How’s your outlook?

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19.  All you can change is yourself, but sometimes that changes everything! – Gary W Goldstein

When I first started this blog, roughly a year ago, I was on a mission to change myself.  I wanted to be happier. I wanted to start enjoying my life more while encouraging and inspiring others to do the same.  Though the other aspects of my life have not really changed all that much, I feel like I have changed for the better.  Changing myself, and starting to look for the good, has made a tremendous difference in my life, and I hope that it will yours too.  This short inspirational quote reminds me of that.   (Happy 5th Blog-anniversary, Contentment Questing! November 25, 2022)

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20.  The Past Does Not Equal the Future. -Tony Robbins

The past is the past and it is fixed.  You can’t go back and change it, but you can learn from it.  It does no good to wallow in the mistakes of the past.  You can only go forward, not back.  Your future, on the other hand, is not fixed. You CAN do something about the future.  In fact, your choices and your decisions will be what will shape it.  Don’t get caught up in the past,  as this short inspirational quote reminds us.  Instead, look to the future and decide where you want it to go, then start heading in that direction. You can achieve your dreams!

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The Last Thing You Need to Know About Beautiful Short Inspirational Quotes to Live By

After writing and reading this post, I feel inspired.  Hopefully, you feel the same way.   I love short inspirational quotes because I can remember them and repeat them to myself when I need a quick pick-me-up.  It’s been an amazing year, and I want to thank you, my friend, for making it so great.  Leave me a comment below and let me know which short inspirational quote most speaks to you, or share your favorite quotes!  Happy Questing!

9 thoughts on “20 Beautiful Short Inspirational Quotes To Live By”

  1. We will never be able to achieve anything until we try for it so let
    Everyday be last day for you
    I myself use this idea of life yo live life

    1. Sheena, I’m so glad that you liked them. That first one has picked me up more than once when I feel I’m not getting results as fast as I’d like them. I’m so glad it was able to do the same for you and that you told me about it.

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