Here’s a list of 30 Short Quotes About Life, sorted by categories, with additional details including the year, profession, and lifespan of the person:
From Entertainment and Actors:
- “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” – Marilyn Monroe, actress (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962)
- “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West, actress (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980)
- “Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life.” – John Wooden, basketball coach (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010)
- “The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn, Actress and Model (May 4, 1929 – January 20, 1993)
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky, Coach and Actor (January 26, 1961 – Present)
From Poets and Philosophers:
- “Each day provides its own gifts.” – Marcus Aurelius, Philosopher (April 26, 121 CE – March 17, 180)
- “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius, Scholar and Philosopher (551 BCE – 479 BCE)
- “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” – Maya Angelou, poet and author (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014)
- “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” -Henry David Thoreau, author and philosopher (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862)
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius, Scholar and Philosopher (551 BCE – 479 BCE)
- “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius, Scholar and Philosopher (551 BCE – 479 BCE)
- “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus, philosopher and author (November 7, 1913 – January 4, 1960)
- “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost, Poet and Playwright (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)
From Literature and Authors:
- “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -Helen Keller, Teacher and Author (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968)
- “Life is a long lesson in humility.” —James M. Barrie, author (May 9, 1860 – June 19, 1937)
- “Life is made of ever so many partings welded together.” —Charles Dickens, author (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870)
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss, Author and Illustrator (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991)
- “Life is trying things to see if they work.” – Ray Bradbury, author (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012)
- “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, author (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940)
- “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.” – Hans Christian Andersen, author (April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875)
- “Work to become, not to acquire.” – Elbert Hubbard, writer and publisher (June 19, 1856 – May 7, 1915)
- “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.” —Mark Twain, author (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910)
- “We become what we think about most of the time.” – Earl Nightingale, Author and Spokesperson (March 12, 1921 – March 25, 1989)
- “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X, Writer and Politician (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965)
- “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” – Napoleon Hill, Author and Con Artist (October 26, 1883 – November 8, 1970)
From Entrepreneurs and Scholars:
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” – Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)
- “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn, Author and Entrepreneur (September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009)
- “Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.” – Henry Ford, Inventor and Engineer (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947)
From Spiritual Leaders and Activists:
- “Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.” – Robert H. Schuller, minister and televangelist (September 16, 1926 – April 2, 2015)
- “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and President of South Africa (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013)