Maya Angelou

There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

If we don't plant the right things, we will reap the wrong things. It goes without saying. And you don't have to be, you know, a brilliant biochemist and you don't have to have an IQ of 150. Just common sense tells you to be kind, ninny, fool. Be kind.

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

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.

The thing to do, it seems to me, is to prepare yourself so you can be a rainbow in somebody else's cloud. Somebody who may not look like you. May not call God the same name you call God — if they call God at all. I may not dance your dances or speak your language. But be a blessing to somebody. That's what I think.

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.

Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.

I have a son, who is my heart. A wonderful young man, daring and loving and strong and kind.

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

If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.

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.

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

If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die.

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.

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

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.