Remembering Maya Angelou the phenomenal poet, singer, civil rights activist, author, and professor

Maya Angelou was known for her teachings through her spoken word and poetry. She often emphasised on how it was for her to be an African- American woman in the United States. The famed writer has donned several hats throughout her life. Though she was best known as a writer, she was also a singer, composer, dancer, civil rights worker, actor, and teacher. She wrote a series of autobiographies and is best known for her masterpiece, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Here are 25 beautiful quotes from Maya Angelou, who still inspires and continues to live in our minds:

1. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
2. “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet”
3. “If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.”
4. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
5. “‎The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible.”
6. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
7. “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
8. “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
9. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
10. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.”
11. “If you don’t like something, change it, if you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
12. “A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.”
13. “I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”
14. “I have learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
15. “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
16. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
17. “If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”
18. “We are only as blind as we want to be.”
19. “There’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.”
20. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.”
21. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
22. “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”
23. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away”
24. “You did the best that you knew how. Now that you know better, you’ll do better.”
25. “Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.”