Maya Angelou

"The struggle alone is enough to fill a human heart."

"We should not go to the past unhappy, nor should we go to the future anxious."

"Love is like a virus; it can happen to anybody at any time."

"I've learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness comes from climbing."

"To the extent we are not living our dreams, those dreams are living us."

"Seek the world, hunt it down, touch it, study it, sample it, and enjoy it with every resource you have."

"Human rights are not privileges conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity."

"We must learn to welcome rather than fear the diversity that will be the hallmark of our times."

"I think we all have empathy; we may not have enough courage to display it."

"The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still."

"There is a moment in time when you either step forward into growth or you step backward into safety."

"I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people."

"It is during the worst times that we are forced to look into ourselves and define who we really are."

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."

"Why is it that we are often ashamed of ourselves, when we've committed no wrong?"

"I'm just trying to accomplish my small part in making the world a better place."

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential."

"If we accept that humans are animals, then there's no definition of what is or isn't possible for us."

"Truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."

"I believe that every person has the ability to achieve something important and that sometimes we are kept from our greatness only by the doubts we have of ourselves or the limited circumstances of our birth."

"Each of us deserves the gift of a fulfilled life."

"The fact that the Caterpillar has wings does not mean it can fly as soon as it becomes a butterfly."

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

"I want to write so that people will hear my voice; they won't forget it."

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

"Music was my refuge as a child, and it has remained so throughout my life."

"Humans are only creatures on earth that can sit for an hour and have a good time."

"The real difficulty is that the poor are powerless, and the powerless are often ignored."

"I respect a man who tells me the truth, even if it hurts."

"Lift up your heart, because all is not lost; there is good within us and around us."