Maya Angelou’s Words of Wisdom

On Courage

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

Courage allows the successful woman to fail and learn powerful lessons- from the failure- so that in the end, she didn't fail at all.

 On Life

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.

Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ''I'm with you kid. Let's go."

 On Attitude, Success and Achievement

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.

Nothing will work unless you do.

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

Troubles are a blessing that force you to change, to believe.

Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.

I can be changed by what happens to me. but I refuse to be reduced by it.

All great achievements require time.

Pearls of wisdom from Madea on friends & relationships

"Some people are meant to come into your life for a lifetime, some for only a season and you got to know which is which. And you're always messing up when you mix those seasonal people up with lifetime expectations. We got people that got married with people they only supposed to be with for a season, and they wonder why they have so much hell in their life. That was a person that was supposed to come and teach you one thing. You didn't know it so you just fell in love, and now you wonder why don't got no peace anywhere you go.

I put everybody that comes into my life in the category of a tree. Some people are like leaves on a tree. When the wind blows, they're over there... wind blow that way they over here... they're unstable. When the seasons change they wither and die, they're gone. That's alright. Most people are like that, they're not there to do anything but take from the tree and give shade every now and then. That's all they can do. But don't get mad at people like that, that's who they are. That's all they were put on this earth to be. A leaf. Some people are like a branch on that tree. You have to be careful with those branches too, cause they'll fool you. They'll make you think they're a good friend and they're real strong but the minute you step out there on them, they'll break and leave you high and dry.

But if you find 2 or 3 people in your life that's like the roots at the bottom of that tree you are blessed. Those are the kind of people that aren't going nowhere. They aren't worried about being seen, nobody has to know that they know you, they don't have to know what they're doing for you but if those roots weren't there, that tree couldn't live.

A tree could have a hundred million branches but it only takes a few roots down at the bottom to make sure that tree gets everything it needs. When you get some roots, hold on to them but the rest of it... just let it go. Let folks go."