The world’s greatest thinkers, poets and musicians have blessed us with some of the most motivating and inspiring words of wisdom; these quotes are giving us the motivation needed for the whole of 2025!
South Africa (06 January 2025) – The full Good Things Guy team is back at their desks today, working on sharing all of the good things happening in South Africa. For many South Africans, today is the first day back, and you can either be super excited and productive or dreading being back. We totally understand! That is why, each year, we share our best quotes and most inspiring phrases to help you stay inspired for the whole year!
What started as a single post in 2021, has now become an annual staple that is loved by whomever is looking for a bit of motivation. When needing a little inspiration, we often turn to the greatest thinkers for help. Whether it be poems, literature, or even music, the quotes about life, love, and success continue to inspire.
There are people alive today, and many who are not, who have said truly profound things and have the power to shift our mindset. So here is how to use quotes to inspire you this year:
We select quotes and, at random, add them to the diary on various days. Scattering them out means you get inspiring surprises throughout the year.
You can be having a terrible day, so open your diary to add a meeting you have been dreading and stumble onto a quote that you penned when you were feeling hopeful and optimistic about the year. These nuggets of goodness have helped on many occasions.
Quotes play a huge role in the running of things at Good Things Guy. Every week, we try to find a quote that embodies the mood of our stories. We place these quotes in our weekly newsletter, which goes out every Friday. You can sign up by clicking on the home page and scrolling past our newest stories. The newsletter sign-up bar is bright yellow; find the link here.
These are the wise words worth adding to your diary in 2025:
- “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” – Anaïs Nin.
- “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you” – Arnold Palmer.
- “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible” – Arthur C. Clarke.
- “There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping lift someone up” – Bernard Meltzer.
- “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley.
- “Your only limitation is how much action you are willing to take” – Carrie Wilkerson.
- “It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness” – Charles H. Spurgeon.
- “I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.” – Catherine the Great.
- “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King.
- “The fullness of life is only accessible in the present moment” – Eckhart Tolle.
- “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”- Helen Keller.
- “Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures” – Jackson Brown Jr.
- “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
- “Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going” – Jim Ryan.
- “Do what you love, and you will find the way to get it out to the world.” – Judy Collins.
- “There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” – Khalil Gibran.
- “Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality” – Les Brown.
- “Holidays – any holiday – are such a great opportunity to focus on bringing the family together.” – Lidia Bastianich.
- “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz.
- “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai.
- “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley.
- “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’” – Mary Anne Radmacher.
- “Nothing liberates our greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve.” — Marianne Williamson.
- “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement” – Matt Biondi.
- “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa.
- “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa.
- “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way” – Napoleon Hill.
- “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela.
- “More difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning” – Pete.
- “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
- “Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. Every sunrise begins with new eyes.” — Richie Norton.
- “As you wait for better days, don’t forget to enjoy today, in case they’ve already started.” – Robert Breault.
- “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” – Thich Nhat Hanh.
- “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” —Thomas Carlyle.
- “Every avalanche begins with the movement of a single snowflake, and my hope is to move a snowflake.” ― Thomas Frey.
- “We don’t see thing the way they are. We see them the way we are” – Talmud.
- “A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose. “ – Tom Wilson.
- “Your simple words of kindness can mean everything to a stranger” – Unknown.
- “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne W. Dyer.
- “To change one’s life – start immediately – do it flamboyantly – no exceptions (no excuses)” – William James.
- “Blessed is the person who sees the need, recognises the responsibility and actively becomes the answer” – William Arthur Ward.
- “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” – Willy Wonka by Roald Dahl.
- “Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it” – Winston Churchill.
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