Writer and African American activist Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. To say she was multifaceted, barely seems to cover the depth of Maya Angelou’s accomplishments. She is an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer and poet.
Maya Angelou took up writing at the urging of a friend and the result of her efforts became the 1970 best-selling memoir about her childhood and young adult years entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
This amazing work of art made Angelou an international literary star. She went on to write more and more poetry and touch the lives of many with her words. Here are just a few of the great Maya Angelou quotes that inspire me daily.
“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”
“Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies.I say, It’s in the reach of my arms. The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.”
“A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.”
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise!”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
Maya Angelou has experienced much pain in her life, just as we all have. She teaches us through her poetry and achievements, that life is not to be mourned, faulted or hated. Life is to be lived. She has triumphed over the greatest obstacles, merely by being positive and believing in the one person who could help her win and that was herself. I have learned so much just by reading her work and making her quotes part of my life. Hopefully, you will be inspired to do the same.
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Great article about a wonderful woman! Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful post!
Quite extraordinary! Dear Debra, you have brought the words of Maya Angelo to life simply by sharing. Love, Debby @Imsimplydebbie