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Maya Angelou Quotes

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Maya Angelou was an American author, poet, playwright, actress, and lecturer, known for her profound exploration of race, gender, and culture in her work. Her autobiographical works, including 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' which detailed her early life of poverty and sexual exploitation, have gained widespread acclaim.

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Famous Maya Angelou Quotes

“In all the institutions I try to be present and accountable for all I do and leave undone. I know that eventually I shall have to be present and accountable n the presence of God. I do not wish to be found wanting.”

Knows Trying Found Wish Institutions Undone Presence Of God

Author:Maya Angelou

“The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.”

Source: Letter to My Daughter

“No one can take the place of a friend, no one.”

Author:Maya Angelou

“If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.”

Ifs Girl Black Growing Up Growing Painful Insult Throat Southern Unnecessary Razors Rust Caged Displacement Black Girl Caged Birds I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Author:Maya Angelou

“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still like dust, I'll rise.”

Writing May Stills Happiness Success Lying Hope Bitter Dust Dirt Twisted

Author:Maya Angelou

“Without willing it, I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware. And the worst part of my awareness was that I didn't know what I was aware of. I knew I knew very little, but I was certain that the things I had yet to learn wouldn't be taught to me at George Washington High School.”

Knows Littles School Certain Gone Worst Awareness Taught Willing High School Ignorant Caged I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Being Ignorant

Book:I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Source: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me.”

Needs Hands Care Causes Hair Heels Palms Clicks Phenomenal Phenomenal Woman

Book:And Still I Rise

Source: And Still I Rise

“When we find someone who is brave, fun, intelligent, and loving, we have to thank the universe.”

Universe Fun Intelligent Brave

Author:Maya Angelou

“I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at commensurate speed.”

Source: The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou

“That knowledge humbles me, melts my bones, closes my ears, and makes my teeth rock loosely in their gums. And it also liberates me. I am a big bird winging over high mountains, down into serene valleys. I am ripples of waves on silver seas. I'm a spring leaf trembling in anticipation.”

Bigs Sea Rocks Mountain Spring Bird Ears Wave Bones Teeth Silver Valleys Anticipation Leafs Serene Trembling Ripple Gum Big Bird

Author:Maya Angelou

“Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well.”

Ifs Needs Wells Lying Choices Responsibility Steps Ready Resolve Traveled Embarrassment Baggage Ominous Emotional Baggage Responsibility To Others

Book:Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou

Source: Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou

“The main thing in one's own private world is to try to laugh as much as you cry.”

World Inspirational Trying Motivational Laughing Cry Tears Communication Life Changing

Author:Maya Angelou

“That's what you want to do? Then nothing beats a trial but a failure. Give it everything you've got. I've told you many times, 'Cant do is like Dont Care.' Neither of them have a home.”

Want Giving Home Care Beats Don't Care What You Want Trials Cant

Book:The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou

Source: The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou

“Just like moons and suns, With certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.”

Stills Sun Moon Certainty Tides Moon And Sun

Author:Maya Angelou

“Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence neither speed up nor slow down add to nor diminish it is an imponderably valuable gift.”

Time Influence Objects Gratitude Add Valuable Speed Time Management One Time Diminish Slow Down

Author:Maya Angelou

“A woman who is convinced that she deserves to accept only the best challenges herself to give the best. Then she is living phenomenally.”

Giving Challenges Accepting Deserve Convinced

Author:Maya Angelou

“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness... all the good things.”

Happiness Joy Wish Blessing Laughter Good Things Prosperity Good Peace Love Joy Of Living Joy To The World Well Wishes Best Wishes Blessing To Others

Author:Maya Angelou

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

“What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat,’.... And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.”

Ifs Writing Trying May Two Might Stuff Week Serious Cat Okay Boring Convinced Awful Bored Sat Muse Rats Two Weeks Writer's Block Phenomenal Woman

Author:Maya Angelou

“Love is that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows me to survive, and better than that, to thrive with passion, compassion, and style.”

Love Humans Spirit Passion Love Is Compassion Conditions Style Profound Thrive Faith In God Human Spirit

Author:Maya Angelou

“To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision.”

Left Eternal Threat Left Alone Indecision Unknowing

Book:I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Source: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story.”

Knows Stories Problem Inspiring Glory Thoughtful Loving Life

Author:Maya Angelou

“Making a decision to write was a lot like deciding to jump into a frozen lake.”

Writing Decision Inspiring Lakes Frozen Frozen Lake

Book:The Heart of a Woman

Source: The Heart of a Woman

“I don't trust anyone who doesn't laugh.”

Inspirational Laughing Laughter Don't Trust Laughter Is The Best Medicine Smile And Laugh Laughs And Smiles Don't Trust Anyone Can't Trust Anyone

Author:Maya Angelou

“There were people who went to sleep last night, poor and rich and white and black, but they will never wake again. And those dead folks would give anything at all for just five minutes of this weather or ten minutes of plowing. So you watch yourself about complaining. What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.”

People Ifs Thinking Way Giving Lasts Night Black Sleep White Poor Watches Rich Five Minutes Ten Folks Complaining Weather Life Lesson Five Minutes Last Night Can't Change Plowing

Author:Maya Angelou

“Wouldn't take nothing for my journey now.”

Journey Inspirational Life My Journey

Book:Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, Poems, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Source: Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, Poems, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

“Let's tell the truth to people. When people ask, 'How are you?' have the nerve sometimes to answer truthfully. You must know, however, that people will start avaoiding you because, they, too, have knees that pain them and heads that hurt and they don't want to know about yours. But think of it this way: If people avoid you, you will have more time to meditate and do fine research on a cure for whatever truly afflicts you.”