Life’s lessons are a beautiful gift, but they don’t always come wrapped in a shiny, red bow. Sometimes tragedy brings us wisdom. Sometimes joy does. Other times we stumble upon life-changing lessons when we least expect to.
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No matter how they come to us, life’s lessons are invaluable and worth cherishing. Use them as a guide to live unapologetically, without limits.
If you’re ready to live your life to the very fullest, these 15 wise quotes are a great place to start.
1. Set boundaries.
“Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.”―Paulo Coelho
2. Believe them.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” ―Maya Angelou
3. Rewrite your story.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ―C. S. Lewis
4. Life is risky.
“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” ―Denis Waitley
5. Ask.
“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” ―Oprah Winfrey
6. Life is an experience.
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” ―Søren Kierkegaard
7. We shape our lives.
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt
8. Focus on the present.
“Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” ―Thich Nhat Hanh
9. Be like a tree.
“Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.” ―Rumi
10. Don’t resist life.
“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
11. You are the only creator of your life.
“Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.” ―Irving Berlin
12. We are all crew.
“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” ―Marshall McLuhan
13. You can’t please everyone.
“But one of the big lessons I have learned from my journey is you can’t please everyone, so don’t try.” ―Chris Colfer
14. Take chances, make mistakes.
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” ―Mary Tyler Moore
15. Be better and do better.
“I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me.” ―Harland Sanders
Live your life to the fullest with the lessons you’ll learn in the Win the Day Accelerator with James Whittaker. It’s an 8-part, personal development course designed to transform your mindset and help you achieve extraordinary results in your personal and professional lives.
This article was originally written in November 2017 and has been updated.
Photo by itsjuliwilliams/Twenty20
