64 Inspirational quotes that leave lasting impressions.

Find the perfect inspirational quote for every project.

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Top inspirational quotes to spark all the right emotions.

Multimedia projects are made to invoke something. A poster can instruct or excite. A card sends a message. Even wallpaper on a desktop can motivate.

Choosing the right inspirational quote can make your message soar right out of the park. Browse the full collection of inspirational quotes organized by target message, and take your pick of the best.

Inspirational quotes about life.

Inspirational quotes about life have the power to draw people out of the fog and evoke moments of joy, wonder, and excitement. These quotes are often used in posters and wallpapers as powerful reminders of the cards we’re dealt in life — and how to best play the game.

Inspirational quotes about life are some of the most powerful quotes out there. Take your pick of the quote with the right message, and wherever you use it, it will inspire a healthy dose of “ah-ha” and the satisfaction of a renewed outlook.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking.”
Steve Jobs
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Mae West

This is a short inspirational quote about life that’s perfect for digital wallpapers. This life quote serves as a reminder to practice gratitude.

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

Abraham Lincoln

This inspirational quote uses a clever play on words that leaves people thinking about how we measure life.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Aristotle
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.”

Maya Angelou

This inspirational quote about life is especially valuable in cards. Given to someone at the right time, a card with this quote can motivate us to live well in spite of challenges.

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

John D. Rockefeller

This inspirational quote about life speaks to the opposite of settling for “good enough”.

Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life.”

John Wooden

Work-life balance, anyone?

Short inspirational quotes.

Sometimes, the inspirational quote you seek must be short. Maybe you’re playing with inspirational quotes in a card, or you can only fit a few characters onto a product package. Maybe you know that your audience’s attention is short, and you want to get to the point in an instant.

Whatever the reason, short inspirational quotes are a favorite go-to for quick impact. Take your pick of these short inspirational quotes that compel your audience with instant life insights.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney

This short inspirational quote is a kick in the pants to get going on just about anything.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Oscar Wilde

This short inspirational quote is pretty cute, and it acts as a balm to the soul of anyone feeling pressure to conform.

May you live all the days of your life.”
Jonathan Swift
Life is trying things to see if they work.”

Ray Bradbury

This short inspirational quote gives us permission to try things without focusing on fear of failure.

An unexamined life is not worth living.”
Socrates
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.”

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky created a true maxim in this short inspirational quote.

Inspirational morning quotes.

Some of the best inspirational quotes are perfect to get us motivated in the mornings. (Some of these are especially on-point for Monday mornings.) These inspirational quotes remind us why we get up every day. They also set us up to put our best foot forward.

What inspirational morning quote does your audience need to feel motivated? Some of these quotes are the best out there for team inspirational posters. Take your pick of these inspirational quotes and the dawn will shine even brighter for it.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
Babe Ruth
The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”

Tony Robbins

This inspirational morning quote kicks procrastination to the curb right as the day begins.

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson had a knack for reshaping language around work. Start a day with this inspirational quote, and hard work will seem like the best thing to spend the day doing.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”

Abraham Lincoln

Lots of inspirational morning quotes touch on procrastination — specifically, they remind us why now is the time to move. This is especially helpful to remember at the start of a day.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank

Inspirational quotes for women.

There are certain inspirational quotes that speak to women and their shared experiences in the face of inequality.

These inspirational quotes for women are also by women. Each is a nod to both historic and ongoing challenges. Through the lens of unequal rights, double social standards, and disparate pay, these hand-picked inspirational quotes for women each sends a powerful message.

You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”

Maya Angelou

This inspirational quote for women brings its message home by reminding us that defeat doesn’t define us.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Helen Keller
When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.”

Oprah Winfrey

This inspirational quote for women empowers us to define ourselves by our own terms.

I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
Rosa Parks
The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”

Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand provides a fearless inspirational quote for women to move without asking for permission.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

Gloria Steinem

This inspirational quote for women helps bridge the gap from dreams to reality.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you'll be criticized anyway.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Inspirational quotes for work.

Everyone needs some inspirational quotes for work at some point. These quotes inspire motivation to get things done, act creatively, and work well together in a team.

Take your pick of these inspirational quotes for work and you could help a lot of people get through tough days. Wallpaper with one of these quotes can keep delivering the message all day long.

If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success.”
James Cameron
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Thomas A. Edison

This inspirational quote for work helps us push just a little further, even when we think we’ve already failed.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston S. Churchill
Well done is better than well said.”

Benjamin Franklin

This inspirational quote is a fun one to share when your calendar fills with some superfluous meetings.

Nothing will work unless you do.”

Maya Angelou

This inspirational quote for work is a perfect way to reignite a sense of accountability.

If you look really closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”
Steve Jobs
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

Jimmy Dean

If ever there’s been a perfect inspirational quote for when everything seems to conspire against you, this is it.

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
Henry David Thoreau

Funny inspirational quotes.

There are times when an inspirational quote really has to be funny. Maybe you need a funny quote to break the ice or to get people’s attention. The great thing about funny inspirational quotes is that they make you laugh first, and then their meaning sinks in more memorably. This gives them a more lasting impact.

These quotes are especially handy to use on posters and cards. Take your pick of these funny inspirational quotes to tweak the tone of a project to something lighthearted, fun-loving, and downright enjoyable.

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
Robert Frost
The best revenge is massive success.”

Frank Sinatra

This funny inspirational quote is a great one to leave naysayers eating dust.

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Winston S. Churchill

This funny inspirational quote is even better when you imagine Mr. Churchill’s dry delivery of it.

Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right.”
Henry Ford
I didn't fail the test. I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”

Benjamin Franklin

This funny inspirational quote turns failure on its head.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
Albert Einstein
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”

Thomas Edison

This funny inspirational quote is a great reminder to put in the work when it’s most important.

Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember — the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you.”
Zig Ziglar

Cute inspirational quotes.

Cute inspirational quotes warm the heart as much as they open the mind. These hand-picked quotes make clever plays on word; they make you smile; and they’re appropriate for all audiences.

Take your pick of these cute inspirational quotes to drive a message home with a smile. Imagine using one of these in a card, and you can bet it’s one the receiver will keep.

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Jim Rohn

This cute inspirational quote evokes the “if it were easy, everyone would do it” maxim. Risking the unusual is the only way to achieve the extraordinary.

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”
Herman Melville
Attitude is the "little thing" that makes a big difference.”
Winston S. Churchill
The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Vidal Sassoon

This cute inspirational quote is a cheeky reminder of the work we all have to put in.

Whatever you are, be a good one.”
Abraham Lincoln
Don't find fault, find a remedy: anyone can complain”

Henry Ford

Henry Ford was always good for a cute inspirational quote about work.

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein
It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

Babe Ruth

This cute inspirational quote is almost a dare. Who’s willing to challenge the person who never quits?

Spiritual inspirational quotes.

There are moments when inspirational quotes need to touch more than our minds. When it’s the soul that hurts, spiritual inspirational quotes act as a balm. These inspirational quotes are perfect for cards that are sent during hard times.

Take your pick of these spiritual inspiration quotes and the impression you leave will be one of peace.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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.”
Maya Angelou
If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

This spiritual inspirational quote helps train the eye to focus on the small step below us instead of the mountain before us.

Courage is grace under pressure.”
Ernest Hemingway
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

Aristotle

Even though it talks of darkness, this spiritual inspirational quote is clear as day.

With great power comes great responsibility.”
Stan Lee
Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”

Walt Whitman

This spiritual inspirational quote motivates us to force the past into its place.

How to use inspirational quotes.

Here are some best practices when working with inspirational quotes:

When you use quotes by famous people, consider the source.
For example, Marilyn Monroe was quoted saying: “Keep smiling...life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about.” While it’s a lovely quote, some audiences might think about the tragic way Monroe took her life. The quote doesn’t settle well with that conflicting association.
It’s important to learn a little about the context quotes were said in, too.
If you find a great quote by a U.S. president, look up the context it was said in. The source speech might not have used the quote the way you want to, and the context might change the meaning.
Always double check the source.
Whenever you do use an inspirational quote, it’s also a good idea to double-check who said it. Many popular quotes have been mistakenly attributed to other people.
Exercise: target the emotion.

If you have a target audience for your inspirational quote, picking the right quote for the occasion is important.

To dial in on the best inspirational quote, ask yourself: how do you want the audience to feel? What do you want them to be inspired by?

It's different to be inspired by confidence, or by humility, or by work ethic, or by admiration.

Drill down to the exact kind of inspiration you’re working to evoke, then find a quote that fits it.

Adobe Express can help.

Adobe Express online editor has tons of free templates and quick and easy customization options to put your favorite inspirational quotes to work. If you want to play with inspirational quotes in cards, posters, wallpaper, or other creative projects, Adobe Express makes it as simple as picking a template and personalizing it, or making your own idea with easy-to-use tools. Whatever message you want to transmit, Adobe Express brings it to life, no experience required.

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