These classic Benjamin Franklin quotes taken from volumes like Poor Richard's Almanack will both inspire you and make you chuckle.
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“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse.”
— Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursingWikimedia Commons
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“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.”
— Janis Joplin, American musicianWikimedia Commons
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“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
— Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist and Nobel laureateWikimedia Commons
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"If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again."
— Sojourner Truth, American abolitionistWikimedia Commons
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"If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologize than it is to get permission."
— Grace Hopper, U.S. Naval Admiral and computer scientistmaaorg/Flickr
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"I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves."
— Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer and philosopherWikimedia Commons
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"I do know one thing about me: I don't measure myself by others' expectations or let others define my worth."
— Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme CourtWikimedia Commons
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“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn. We are filled with the popular wisdom of several centuries just past, and we are terrified to give it up.”
— Gloria Steinem, American activistGage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
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"What makes you different or weird, that's your strength."
— Meryl Streep, American actressDick Thomas Johnson/Flickr
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“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
— Anne Frank, German diaristWikimedia Commons
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“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
— Nora Ephron, American writer and filmmakerScott McDermott/USA/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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“A man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.”
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian authorchrisboland/Flickr
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“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”
— Melinda Gates, American philanthropistdfid/Flickr
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''I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.''
— Dame Rebecca West, British author, journalist, and literary criticWikimedia Commons
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“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
— Audre Lorde, American writer and civil rights activistK. Kendall/Wikimedia Commons
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"Women belong in all places where decisions are being made... It shouldn't be that women are the exception."
— Ruth Bader Ginsburg, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme CourtWikimedia Commons
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"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship."
— Louisa May Alcott, author of Little WomenWikimedia Commons
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“I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance.”
— bell hooks, American author and activistMontikamoss/Wikimedia Commons
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"Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less."
— Susan B. Anthony, American suffragistWikimedia Commons
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“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”
— Madeleine Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of Statecommonwealthclub/Flickr
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“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.”
— Lady Gaga, American musicianEric Garcetti/Wikimedia Commons
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"Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life.”
— Dr. Mae Jemison, engineer, physician, and NASA astronautWikimedia Commons
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“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”
— J. K. Rowling, British novelistDaniel Ogren/Wikimedia Commons
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"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose."
— Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of IndiaWikimedia Commons
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"The enemy is not lipstick, but guilt itself; we deserve lipstick, if we want it, AND free speech; we deserve to be sexual AND serious – or whatever we please.”
— Naomi Wolf, American author and journalistDavid Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons
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"Words have power. TV has power. My pen has power."
— Shonda Rhimes, American television producer and screenwriterDisneyABC/Flickr
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"You don't have to be pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone.”
—Erin McKean, American lexicographer poptech2006/Flickr
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“Power is not given to you. You have to take it."
—Beyoncé Knowles, American musicianPete Sekesan/Wikimedia Commons
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"I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay."
— Clara Barton, founder of the American Red CrossWikimedia Commons
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“I know for sure that what we dwell on is what we become.”
— Oprah Winfrey, American media magnate and philanthropistaphrodite-in-nyc/Flickr
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“I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.”
— Virginia Woolf, English writerWikimedia Commons
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“It’s not your job to like me, it’s mine.”
— Byron Katie, American speaker and authorLovingwhatisnt/Wikimedia Commons
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“Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”
— Judy Garland, American singer and actressPixabay
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Parenting---Character Education--Personal Growth--Peacemaking. WisdomCommons.org is a new, free interactive website about the values or character virtues.
Parenting---Character Education--Personal Growth--Peacemaking. WisdomCommons.org is a new, free interactive website about the values or character virtues that secular and religious wisdom traditions agree on. To build bridges, the site seeks to elevate universal ethics, sometimes called our shared moral core. It provides a place to find and discuss information about virtues that human beings generally agree are important like generosity, compassion and courage. Through discussion threads and by creating their own personal Wisdom Page, members can join a deeper dialogue about ethics and about the specific virtues featured on the site. As we add features, members will be able to use their Wisdom Page to create a gift book, cards or mementos that includes quotes and stories they find powerful. Tangible items like these give people more ways to share their deeply held values with others. A recent Parent Map article provides tips for parents on how to take advantage of the Wisdom Commons in raising moral kids. The Wisdom Commons is the latest initiative of the Women's Bioethics Project and the Common Wisdom Project.
Looking for the best inspirational quotes?
Something about them resonates with us, lifts us out of a funk, and gives us direction.
I used to get caught in a cycle of negative thinking. I found quotes like these helpful to refocus my brain and make me think, I can do that!
This article will cover:
NOTE: You may NOT download these quote images.
I encourage you to Pin them to Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter with a link back to THIS page.
Any other use requires my written permission. Read my full copyright statement here.
Photographic quote images are mine. Illustrated quotes by Positively Present.
You can become a Patreon for permission to use Dani’s images – details later.
Inspirational quotes can boost your engagement on social media! According to social media influencer Aaron Lee:
Quotes work well because people can easily relate to them, so they get liked and shared easily.
Some of the biggest social media influencers, like Guy Kawasaki, Kim Garst, and Sandi Krakowski, love to share inspirational quote graphics on their accounts.
Count me as a believer! I always get super engagement on posts with inspiring messages. And audience engagement is critical to organic (unpaid) reach on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more.
Inspo quotes can definitely generate a lot of engagement. A search on BuzzSumo for inspirational quotes shows that this kind of content generates a ton of shares.
However, encouraging others is part of me. I do believe in authenticity on social media, so if being an encourager doesn’t appeal to you, then posting inspiring quotes may not be for you.
Due to my nature, I’d love to encourage you to rethink this! 😉 Inspiring others can be a blessing for you as well as them. But it must come from a place of sincerity.
Regardless of whether you choose to post quote graphics, you mustvary your social media content. Your followers don’t want to hear only about your products and services. Always tooting your own horn is a sure way turn off your follower growth and engagement.
Be sure to post valuable content that’s entertaining, inspiring, or educational, to build and maintain your personal or business brand.
Keeping your accounts active with a variety of social media content is important. But you can’t just throw stuff out there haphazardly.
To successfully post inspirational quotes on your business social media, follow these tips:
1 | Use your own: Posting others’ images is not only copyright infringement, but it also makes your brand look cheap.
2 | Stay aligned to your brand: Post quotes that represent your business philosophy.
3 | Incite engagement: Ask a question in your caption! Do you agree, have you tried this, etc.
4 | Don’t overshare: One per day on the social platform(s) you use is plenty.
5 | Check your stats: Follow up by referring to your analytics so you know what’s working – or not.
If you want to make your own, try these easy-to-use resources:
I’ll receive a referral fee if you upgrade to a paid plan on Stencil.
If you only plan to post an occasional quote image, you could join Patreon in support of an artist.
You MUST read and comply with the allowed uses. I recommend double checking with the artist, as I did with Dani of Positively Present.
In general, you can use them for non-commercial purposes and must credit the artist.
Learn more about becoming a patron on Patreon.
Feel free to copy and paste the text quotes into your favorite design tool or social media status update. Do not download the images.
An oak is not felled at one blow. ~Spanish Proverb
An unexamined life is not worth living. ~Socrates
And all may do what has by man been done. ~Edward Young
Ask yourself this question; “Will this matter a year from now?” ~Richard Carlson
Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still. ~Chinese Proverb
Careful thinking and hard work will solve nearly all your problems. Try and see for yourself. ~Ullery
Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer. ~Marcia Wieder
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. ~Lucretius
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. ~W. Clement Stone
Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. ~William B. Sprague
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself. ~Christian Nestell Bovee
Dream big and dare to fail. ~Norman Vaughan
Dreams are the touchstones of our character. ~Henry David Thoreau
Eighty percent of success is showing up. ~Woody Allen
Every artist was first an amateur. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Every strike brings me closer to the next home run. ~Babe Ruth
Failures to heroic minds are the stepping stones to success. ~Thomas C. Haliburton
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus
For hope is but the dream of those that wake. ~Matthew Prior
Fortune favors the brave. ~Publius Terence
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. ~Albert Einstein
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. ~Leon J. Suenes
He turns not back who is bound to a star. ~Leonardo Da Vinci
He who hesitates is lost. ~Proverb
Hope is the dream of the waking man. ~French Proverb
I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. ~Stephen Covey
I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse. ~Florence Nightingale
I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. ~Charlotte Brontë
I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is… Try to please everybody. ~Herbert Bayard Swope
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no use being a damn fool about it. ~W.C. Fields
If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. ~Latin Proverb
If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. ~St. Clement of Alexandra
If you would create something, you must be something. ~Goethe
Impatience never commanded success. ~Edwin H. Chapin
In any project the important factor is your belief. Without belief, there can be no successful outcome. ~William James
In doubtful matters boldness is everything. ~Publilius Syrus
In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then begin looking for it. ~Norman Vincent Peale
Inspiration and genius are one and the same. ~Victor Hugo
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. ~Agnes Repplier
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ~Goethe
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. ~Aristotle
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well. ~Josh Billings
It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream that makes life interesting. ~Paulo Coelho
Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. ~Charles Swindoll
Storms make oaks take roots. ~Proverb
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. ~Albert Einstein
Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes. ~Kenneth Hildebrand
The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. ~Paul Valery
Success is the child of audacity. ~Benjamin Disraeli
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Check out the compilation ofquotes below: world-famous philosophers, writers, businesspeople and more, hit the nail on the head with these words that so many of us can relate to.
This artful infographic of Inspirational Quotes is compliments of SuccessStory.com. I was pleased to be asked to share it with my readers. Check it out and see which quotes resonate with you.
You may “pin” any graphic on this page – as long as you keep the link intact.
Don’t download or edit these quote images – that’s copyright infringement.
Which do you think are the best inspirational quotes? Share your favorite in a comment!
Filed Under: Business Tips, Social Media TipsTagged With: business inspiration, infographics, quote pictures, quotes, social media images, visual social media
Raising Moral Kids without Gods: Wisdom Commons of more than 3,000 quotes, stories, proverbs, poems and essays from around the world.
79 Common Sense QuotesCommon sense is having sound judgement, or some would say having practical life experiences. Let these common sense quotes give you thoughts of what others think about it.
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Explore 375 Common Sense Quotes by authors including Thomas A. Edison, Maya Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
