These 19 Inspiring Quotes Are Really Just the Best Advice Ever

I love finding motivational quotes on Facebook, Pinterest, or even just as I’m browsing around the web. I keep a Word document filled with all of my favorites, so I can read and re-read them anytime I need a little inspiration, words of wisdom, or a reminder to look for the good in the world. Below, I’m sharing 19 “advice quotes” that I really feel like we all need to hear right now.

Inspiring and Motivational Quotes That Make Really Great Advice

These inspiring and motivational quotes really are just the best pieces of advice ever. Each of them really made me think and helped me see the world in a new way. Print them out and hang them up as reminders to be your best self! They’re not in any particular order, so just dive in and enjoy.

1. Make your dreams a priority

I think this is a great one to start with! It’s a reminder that if we want to follow our dreams, we have to be willing to make them a priority.

2. Learn to let go and see what happens

Plans are great and all, but at some point, you just have to let go and see what happens. I think that everyone should have a “where the day takes you” day at least once a month. Just wake up on a Saturday morning, let go of all of your worries, your fears, and anything else that’s stressing you out. Just for one day, tell yourself “it can wait.” Then just do whatever comes to mind and see where your journey takes you. My friend calls them her “do whatever days.”

3. Remember, there’s nothing more beautiful than kindness

If you’re beautiful on the inside, it really does shine through on the outside. I know that it’s a bit cliche, but it’s true. Kindness truly is more beautiful than good skin, great hair, and whatever “ideal” body shape the media says we should have these days.

4. Treat people as good as you are

Like Michelle Obama says, “When they go low, we go high.” When someone treats you badly, it’s tempting to return the favor. Don’t stoop to their level or debase yourself. Just keep being the good person that you are. Treat people the way you want to be remembered, even if they don’t always deserve your kindness. You’re not doing it for them. You’re doing it so that you can continue to feel good about who you are.

5. Remember the people who helped you

I have mixed feelings about this one because sometimes those “excuses” are actually reasons. Like, it’s not really fair to be mad at your best friend for not babysitting your kids while you go to an appointment because she had to go to an appointment herself. I think you’ll know in your heart who is really there for you versus who is coming up with excuses to avoid helping you.

6. Stop trying to prove your worth

You have nothing to prove to anyone. If you know you’re a good person, that’s all that matters. Your self-worth is defined by no one but you. That’s why it’s called self-worth.

7. Find the magic in your life and embrace it

If you can’t see the video above for some reason, it’s a quote by Brooke Hampton that says, “I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic, your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile, and the night sky touches your soul. I hope there are days when you fall in love with being alive.”

While it’s more of a sentiment than a piece of advice, it’s a good reminder to seek out the magic in the world around you. Look for the beautiful, the kind, the good. Smile more often. Dance frequently. Just fall in love with life. It really is one of the best rules for happiness.

8. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you

I think this one speaks for itself. If you surround yourself with unhappy and negative people, then that’s bound to rub off on you. On the other hand, if you surround yourself with positive people, that joy will rub off on you, too.

9. Know when to stay quiet

Knowing when to stay quiet is just as important as knowing when to speak up. Don’t bottle up your emotions, but at the same time don’t feel like you owe everything your entire life story.

10. Don’t take tomorrow for granted

“Here today may be gone tomorrow! Never take anyone or anything for granted! Be sure to count your blessing daily because tomorrow isn’t promised.” – Surgeo Bell

We only get so much time on this planet, and we never really know when our last day will come. So tell people you love them before it’s too late. Live like this is your last day on earth. Never, ever, ever take a single day for granted. Always remember that tomorrow is not promised.

11. If something is meant to be, it will happen.

If something is truly meant to happen, it will. If it’s not, it won’t. Now, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to work for what you want, or that the universe will just magically make your dreams come true. It’s up to YOU to find that way. But if you can’t, if you find that you’re exhausting yourself trying to make something happen, know when to accept that it’s not meant to be.

12. When you’re in a bigger boat, help others through the storm

There’s a cliche saying that we’re all in the same boat, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  We’re in the same storm, but some of us have very different boats than others. If you’re fortunate enough to be riding out the storm in a yacht, reach out to someone who is drowning.

13. Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” ― Maya Angelou

Keeping with the storm metaphor, when you see someone struggling beneath a storm cloud, strive to be their rainbow. Brighten someone else’s day and you just may find that you brighten your own as well.

14. Know when to walk away

While I truly believe that some people can change if we let them, at some point, we have to accept that others just can’t. Knowing when to walk away is a part of growing up.

15. Focus on the lesson instead of the pain

Sometimes, our worst experiences are the ones that teach us the most. When life gets really rough, focus on the lesson instead of the pain and you’ll find your way through it a lot easier.

16. Don’t hate the experiences that shaped you

I have some mixed feelings about this one, too. Sometimes, the experiences that shape us are things that no one should ever have to go through. I would never tell someone that in order to love themselves, they have to be okay with the fact that they were abused or hurt by someone they trusted. However, there are some not-so-great experiences that really do turn out to be part of what makes us better people. You don’t have to love that they happened to you, but you can take the lesson from them and accept that they made you who you are.

17. As long as you reach your destination, it doesn’t matter how long your journey took

It’s okay to take your time, to get lost a little along the way, and arrive at your destination a little later than others, metaphorically speaking. If you reach your destination, you’ve succeeded, plain and simple.

18. Stop trying to explain yourself

This one is self-explanatory, but I’d also add that you shouldn’t ever feel like you have to explain yourself at all. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for being yourself.

19. Live life to the fullest

Perhaps the best piece of advice ever, and a good summary of all of the quotes above- just remember that life is short. Follow your dreams. Eat the cake. Take the trip. Just live life to the fullest.