150 Best of Quotes About Life: Wisdom and Inspiration

Best of Quotes About Life—words that capture the very essence of our human experience: joy, sorrow, triumph, and defeat. Life is a journey we all share, yet it remains profoundly unique to each of us.

From ancient philosophers to modern thinkers, people have sought to define its meaning and preserve its lessons in timeless words.

This collection of 150 best quotes about life is more than just a list; it is a tapestry of wisdom, resilience, hope, and love. Each quote reflects a moment of clarity, a lesson learned, or an emotion deeply felt.

Whether you are searching for inspiration, comfort, or simply a reminder of life’s beauty, these best of quotes about life provide a guide for navigating its complexities and a celebration of the remarkable journey we all share.

Part I: The Essence of Life

These best of quotes about life delve into the fundamental nature of life itself, exploring its mystery, its fragility, and its inherent value.

1. “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama
2. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon
3. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
4. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Abraham Lincoln
5. “Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
6. “The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure much.” — William Hazlitt
7. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West
8. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller
9. “Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” — David Mitchell
10. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw

 

Part II: Embracing Challenges and Change

 

Life is not always easy. These best of quotes about life speak to the power of resilience, the importance of perseverance, and the beauty of growth that comes from overcoming adversity.

11. “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” — Alan Watts
12. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
13. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
14. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C.S. Lewis
15. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
16. “Do not be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
17. “The only constant in life is change.” — Heraclitus
18. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anais Nin
19. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
20. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” — Joshua J. Marine

 

Part III: The Pursuit of Happiness and Meaning

 

These best of quotes about life explore what it means to live a meaningful life, focusing on joy, purpose, and the simple pleasures that bring us happiness.

21. “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.” — J.M. Barrie
22. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
23. “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
24. “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” — Omar Khayyam
25. “The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not need to be happy.” — William Saroyan
26. “Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” — Emily Dickinson
27. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” — Audrey Hepburn
28. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” — Albert Einstein
29. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi
30. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” — Oscar Wilde

 

Part IV: The Power of Perspective

 

How we see the world shapes our reality. These best of quotes about life remind us that a shift in perspective can change our entire experience of life.

31. “We see the world not as it is, but as we are.” — Stephen R. Covey
32. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” — Oprah Winfrey
33. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Viktor Frankl
34. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus
35. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
36. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
37. “Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson
38. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” — Helen Keller
39. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
40. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale

 

Part V: Living in the Present

 

These best of quotes about life emphasize the importance of mindfulness and savoring the present moment, as it is the only time we truly have.

41. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” — A.A. Milne
42. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” — Marcus Aurelius
43. “The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.” — Unknown
44. “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
45. “The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down.” — Stephen King
46. “Life is about making an impact, not an income.” — Kevin Kruse
47. “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
48. “Life is a long lesson in humility.” — James M. Barrie
49. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
50. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

 

Part VI: The Human Connection

 

Life is profoundly shaped by our relationships. These best of quotes about life celebrate the importance of love, kindness, and community.

51. “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” — Morrie Schwartz
52. “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” — Hubert H. Humphrey
53. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
54. “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” — Mark Twain
55. “Life is a garden. Dig it.” — Joe Dirt
56. “The greatest mistake in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” — Elbert Hubbard
57. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” — Mother Teresa
58. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” — Mark Twain
59. “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” — Jackie Robinson
60. “To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” — David Viscott

 

Part VII: The Journey of Self-Discovery

 

These best of quotes about life focus on the personal quest for understanding who we are, embracing our authenticity, and living with purpose.

61. “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” — Carl Jung
62. “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” — Carl Jung
63. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain
64. “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” — Katharine Hepburn
65. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali
66. “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” — Robert Byrne
67. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
68. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” — Oscar Wilde
69. “The secret to living is giving.” — Tony Robbins
70. “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” — Charles Darwin

 

Part VIII: The Courage to Live Fully

 

These best of quotes about life inspire us to step out of our comfort zones, take risks, and live a life filled with passion and adventure.

71. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau
72. “The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.” — Frank Sinatra
73. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
74. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” — Roy T. Bennett
75. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison
76. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
77. “A person’s life is a journey, and they should be the one driving.” — Paulo Coelho
78. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” — Mark Twain
79. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” — Mahatma Gandhi
80. “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” — Mark Twain

 

Part IX: The Simplicity of Life

 

These best of quotes about life remind us that the greatest joys in life are often the simplest, found in gratitude, and appreciating what we already have.

81. “If you want to live a life of joy and peace, stop comparing yourself to others.” — Unknown
82. “Life is a canvas, and you are the artist.” — Unknown
83. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” — Aesop
84. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
85. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci
86. “The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.” — Unknown
87. “You have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you’ve got, and remember what you had.” — Unknown
88. “Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.” — Sarah Louise Delany
89. “The greatest antidote to exhaustion is not rest, but the feeling of being happy in your work.” — Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve
90. “Life is a flower of which love is the honey.” — Victor Hugo

 

Part X: A Diverse Array of Wisdom

 

A final collection of powerful and thought-provoking quotes to round out our list, offering a mix of perspectives on every facet of life. These best of quotes about life will inspire you.

91. “The trick in life is to figure out how to be an adult while not giving up on your inner child.” — Unknown
92. “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” — Oscar Wilde
93. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison
94. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
95. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha
96. “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” — Forrest Gump
97. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
98. “The only person who can stop you from achieving your goals is you.” — Unknown
99. “Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” — Grandma Moses
100. “The real test of a man is not how he handles himself when he wins, but how he handles himself when he loses.” — Unknown
101. “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” — Jesus Christ
102. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln
103. “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” — Kurt Vonnegut
104. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
105. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” — Vince Lombardi
106. “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” — William James
107. “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” — Amit Ray
108. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” — Søren Kierkegaard
109. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
110. “Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.” — Grandma Moses
111. “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas A. Edison
112. “A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” — John Barrymore
113. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” — Dalai Lama
114. “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene
115. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates
116. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” — Lao Tzu
117. “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
118. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” — Charles R. Swindoll
119. “What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” — Colette
120. “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
121. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
122. “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” — William James
123. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” — Max Lucado
124. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
125. “Life is a beautiful struggle.” — Unknown
126. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” — Colin R. Davis
127. “Life is short, and we have no time to be sad. So live every moment as it is a dream.” — Jim Morrison
128. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
129. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
130. “The best revenge is massive success.” — Frank Sinatra
131. “Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don’t work out, take another shot.” — Unknown
132. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you’ll make one.” — Elbert Hubbard
133. “Life is what you make of it. There are no excuses. The only way to live is to go forward.” — Unknown
134. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller
135. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
136. “Life is not about waiting for the perfect moment; it’s about making every moment perfect.” — Unknown
137. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” — Lao Tzu
138. “The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” — Unknown
139. “Life is about making an impact, not an income.” — Kevin Kruse
140. “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” — Carl Jung
141. “To be a human being is to have an endless capacity for self-reflection.” — Unknown
142. “Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.” — Danny Kaye
143. “The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.” — Robert Byrne
144. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs
145. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
146. “Life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever.” — Peter Hagerty
147. “The purpose of life 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
148. “Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.” — Sarah Louise Delany
149. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
150. “The best is yet to be.” — Robert Browning

 

Conclusion

This collection is a reminder that while life is a complex and often unpredictable journey, it is also a beautiful one, full of opportunity for growth, joy, and meaningful connection. May these best of quotes about life serve as a source of strength and inspiration, guiding you to live a life that is truly yours, filled with purpose and passion. The tapestry of your life is still being woven; choose your threads wisely.