quotes for personal statements

100 Quotes to Kickstart Your Personal Statement (with examples)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement tips & advice.

Starting your personal statement for university admissions can be a daunting task. It’s the first thing the admissions committee will read about you, and it needs to capture your unique voice, experiences, and aspirations in just a few words. So, where do you begin?

One effective way to start is with a powerful quote that reflects your values, interests, or goals.  

A great quote can set the tone for your essay, grab the reader’s attention, and showcase your personality and potential. In this blog post, I’ll explore quotes that you can draw from. I’ll also provide a couple of examples where successful candidates used quotes to begin their personal statements.

To make the process of selecting the perfect quote for your personal statement even easier, I’ve organized the list into categories that are common themes in personal statements. Whether you’re seeking to showcase your resilience, or creativity, I’ve got you covered with a range of quotes that can help you stand out from the crowd.  

In this Article

• Inspirational Quotes for personal statement 

Leadership Quotes for personal statement

Personal growth quotes for personal statement, academic quotes for personal statement, professional quotes for personal statement, cultural quotes for personal statement, creative quotes for personal statement, perseverance quotes for personal statement, inspirational quotes for personal statement  .

Inspirational quotes can be a great way to show your motivation, resilience, and determination. They can also help you communicate your values and beliefs and demonstrate your commitment to achieving your goals.

• “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
• “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
• “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
• “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
• “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
• “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
• “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis 

Here is an example opening paragraph of a personal statement where the candidate used an inspirational quote to begin:

As a lifelong learner and problem-solver, I’ve always been drawn to the field of artificial intelligence. But it wasn’t until I read a quote by Alan Turing that I truly appreciated the transformative potential of this field: ‘We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.’ These words resonated with me deeply, and I realized that the possibilities of artificial intelligence are limited only by our imaginations and our willingness to take risks. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I’ve sought out opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, from pursuing advanced degrees in computer science to working on cutting-edge research projects. Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of collaboration, innovation, and perseverance in tackling the toughest challenges facing our world today. And as I look forward to contributing to the field of artificial intelligence, I’m inspired by the limitless potential of this technology and committed to using it to make a positive impact on society.

Leadership quotes can help you showcase your ability to lead and inspire others, and your commitment to making a positive impact in your community. They can also demonstrate your understanding of the importance of teamwork, communication, and collaboration, which are essential skills in many fields of study and careers.

• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
• “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy
• “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
• “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan
• “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
• “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
• “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker
• “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn
• “The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” – Tony Blair
• “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader

Here is an example opening paragraph of a personal statement where the candidate used a leadership quote to begin:

As an aspiring business leader, I am always striving to develop the qualities and characteristics that will enable me to make a positive impact in my chosen field. To me, leadership is not just about achieving success, but also about helping others to reach their full potential. That’s why I find inspiration in the words of former U.S. President John Quincy Adams, who once said, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.’ This quote captures the essence of what I believe it means to be a leader – to inspire, to guide, and to empower others to achieve their goals. I am committed to embodying these qualities as I pursue my education and career in business, with the goal of making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around me.

Personal growth is a lifelong process of learning, self-discovery, and personal development, and it’s an important aspect of personal and academic success. Using a personal growth quote in your personal statement can demonstrate your commitment to self-improvement, your willingness to learn and grow, and your ability to overcome challenges and setbacks.

• “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” – W. Clement Stone
• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
• “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
• “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
• “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus

These quotes can be particularly relevant for students who have excelled academically, or who are interested in pursuing a career in academia or research. Academic quotes can be used to demonstrate your knowledge, and intellectual curiosity, as well as your ability to think critically and engage with complex ideas. They can also show your dedication to your field of study and your commitment to academic excellence.

• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” – William S. Burroughs
• “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
• “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
• “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
• “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
• “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
• “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” – Allan Bloom 

These quotes can be used to demonstrate your understanding and passion for your chosen field, as well as your commitment to excellence and professionalism. They can also be used to highlight specific skills or achievements that you have acquired in your professional pursuits, such as teamwork, problem-solving, or leadership.

• “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
• “Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” – David Rockefeller
• “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Colin Powell
• “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser
• “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

These quotes can help you showcase your appreciation and understanding of cultural diversity, your willingness to learn from different perspectives, and your interest in contributing to the global community. They can also be used to highlight any experiences or achievements that you have had in cultural immersion, cross-cultural communication, or intercultural exchange.  

• “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
• “Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers.” – Paulo Coelho
• “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” – Rita Mae Brown
• “Culture is not a luxury, but a necessity for every society.” – Pearl S. Buck
• “Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.” – Thomas Wolfe
• “Culture is the sum total of all the things that make a society distinctive.” – Clifford Geertz
• “The beauty of culture is that it evolves through time and generations, shaping our values and beliefs.” – Chinua Achebe
• “The richness of our culture reflects the diversity of our people.” – Unknown
• “Culture is the window reflecting the soul of a nation.” – Wang Meng

They can also be used if you want to showcase your ability to think outside the box or to approach problems in a creative and innovative way, regardless of your field of study.

• “Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” – Albert Einstein
• “The creative adult is the child who survived.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
• “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath
• “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
• “Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
• “To be creative means to be in love with life.” – Osho
• “The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” – Julia Cameron
• “The chief enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense.” – Pablo Picasso
• “Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” – Dorothy Parker
• “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” – Albert Einstein

Perseverance is a universal quality that is admired by all, and demonstrating a strong work ethic and determination to overcome challenges can be valuable in any academic or professional setting. Whether you have overcome personal obstacles or worked hard to achieve academic or professional success, using a perseverance quote can be a powerful way to convey your resilience and determination to admissions committees.  

• “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison
• “I have failed again and again throughout my life. That’s why I am a success.” – Michael Jordan
• “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
• “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
• “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
• “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
• “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison
• “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
• “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the story you keep telling yourself that you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort
• “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich
• I hope these quotes provide some inspiration and ideas for your personal statement! Remember, choose quotes that speak to you personally and help showcase your unique strengths and qualities to the admissions committee.

Selecting the right quote to begin your personal statement can be a powerful tool to help you stand out in the admissions process. By choosing a quote that resonates with you and reflects your unique qualities and aspirations, you can set the tone for your personal statement and make a memorable first impression on the admissions team.

Whether you choose a quote about perseverance, leadership, or anything else, make sure it authentically represents who you are and what you hope to achieve. With these inspiring quotes as your guide, you’ll be one step closer to crafting a personal statement that showcases your strengths, character, and potential.

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101 Inspirational Quotes for Personal Statements: Crafting Your Personal Story

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of inspirational quotes to help you write a compelling and inspiring personal statement that showcases your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. From words of wisdom to motivational reminders, these quotes are perfect for inspiring you to stay authentic, embrace self-care, and tell your story with confidence. So, if you’re looking to create a personal statement that stands out and gets noticed or know someone who is, keep reading for 101 uplifting quotes that will inspire and empower you to craft a statement that reflects the best of who you are.

101 Inspirational Quotes for Personal Statements

1. “Your dreams are the blueprints of your destiny; dare to build them with courage and perseverance.”

2. “The greatest adventure you can embark on is the journey to discover your true self.”

3. “In the face of adversity, remember that your strength lies within your ability to rise again.”

4. “Life’s challenges are not stumbling blocks but stepping stones towards greatness.”

5. “Be the master of your fate, the captain of your soul, and the architect of your dreams.”

6. “Embrace uncertainty, for within it lies the potential for extraordinary growth.”

7. “Your past does not define you; it prepares you for the brilliance of your future.”

8. “Success is not measured by your accomplishments but by the positive impact you leave on others.”

9. “The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong endeavor that fuels the fire of wisdom within.”

10. “Believe in the power of your unique voice, for it has the potential to change the world.”

11. “Cherish the present, for it is the canvas upon which you paint your future.”

12. “When you embrace authenticity, you radiate a light that inspires others to do the same.”

13. “It’s in the darkest of nights that the stars within you shine the brightest.”

14. “Kindness is a ripple that can turn into a wave of transformation and love.”

15. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

16. “Every step forward, no matter how small, propels you closer to your aspirations.”

17. “Be the conductor of your life’s symphony, guiding it with passion and purpose.”

18. “The more you love yourself, the more you have to give to others.”

19. “Dare to see the world as a canvas of possibilities and let your imagination paint the future.”

20. “Your journey may be unique, but your destination is always within reach.”

21. “Embrace failure as a stepping stone, and you’ll pave a path to success.”

22. “The greatest joy is not in receiving but in giving with a compassionate heart.”

23. “Your mind is a garden; cultivate thoughts that bloom into greatness.”

24. “The seeds of success are sown with patience, nurtured by determination, and harvested with gratitude.”

25. “Choose courage over comfort, and you’ll unlock the door to transformation.”

26. “In the tapestry of life, your individuality weaves a thread of brilliance.”

27. “Adopt a mindset of abundance, and you’ll attract boundless opportunities.”

28. “Rise above the noise of doubt, and let your faith guide you to victory.”

29. “Every sunrise brings a new chance to embrace the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

30. “The key to unlocking your potential is within your willingness to take risks.”

31. “Success is not a destination but a continuous journey of self-improvement.”

32. “You are the author of your story; wield the pen with purpose and passion.”

33. “The world needs your unique gifts; don’t hide them, but let them shine.”

34. “A single act of kindness can ignite a spark that brightens the lives of many.”

35. “Look beyond the horizon of doubt, and you’ll discover a realm of endless possibilities.”

36. “Your thoughts shape your reality; choose them wisely to create a masterpiece.”

37. “Life’s challenges are opportunities in disguise, leading you towards growth and resilience.”

38. “The pursuit of knowledge is not a race but a beautiful journey of self-discovery.”

39. “Embrace your imperfections, for they are the brushstrokes that make you a masterpiece.”

40. “Courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it; be brave and stand tall.”

41. “The secret to success lies in finding joy in the process of becoming.”

42. “Celebrate the small victories, for they fuel the motivation to achieve greater triumphs.”

43. “Live with intention, and you’ll find purpose in every step of your journey.”

44. “Your potential knows no bounds; unlock it with unwavering self-belief.”

45. “The power of a positive mindset can turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.”

46. “Seize the present moment, for it is the gift that shapes your future.”

47. “In the depths of struggle, you’ll discover the strength that resides within you.”

48. “Kindness is the language that transcends barriers and unites hearts.”

49. “Cherish the lessons of the past, but let the present define your future.”

50. “The road to success is often winding, but every turn brings valuable lessons.”

51. “Believe in your dreams, for they hold the seeds of a future yet to bloom.”

52. “Success is not an accident but the result of purposeful dedication and hard work.”

53. “Life is a canvas; paint it with the vibrant colors of love and compassion.”

54. “Let your actions be the song of inspiration that resonates with the world.”

55. “In the dance of life, let passion be your guide, and purpose your partner.”

56. “The power of resilience lies in bouncing back stronger after every setback.”

57. “Your potential is limitless; it is the courage to pursue it that sets you free.”

58. “The greatest gift you can give to the world is the true expression of yourself.”

59. “Embrace the journey of self-discovery, for it leads to profound transformation.”

60. “Success is not found in perfection but in the beauty of imperfection.”

61. “Your story is a tapestry woven with threads of perseverance and triumph.”

62. “Rise above the noise of doubt, and your wings will carry you to great heights.”

63. “The ripple effect of kindness can change the world one heart at a time.”

64. “In the pursuit of knowledge, you’ll find the treasures that enrich your soul.”

65. “Celebrate the uniqueness that sets you apart, and let it be your guiding star.”

66. “The path to success is carved with purpose, passion, and an unyielding spirit.”

67. “Your dreams are the seeds of possibility; water them with action and dedication.”

68. “The key to happiness lies in embracing the journey rather than the destination.”

69. “Be the architect of your dreams, and your vision will become a reality.”

70. “Life’s challenges are stepping stones leading you to the strength within.”

71. “Kindness is a beacon of light that illuminates even the darkest paths.”

72. “Your potential knows no limits; it is bound only by the depths of your belief.”

73. “In the symphony of life, play the melody of your heart with purpose and passion.”

74. “The pursuit of knowledge enriches the soul and opens doors to endless possibilities.”

75. “Success is not defined by accolades but by the impact you leave on others.”

76. “Life’s journey is a canvas; let your actions paint a masterpiece of love and compassion.”

77. “The path to success may be challenging, but your determination will lead you to triumph.”

78. “Embrace the lessons of the past, the opportunities of the present, and the promise of the future.”

79. “Your uniqueness is your superpower; embrace it and let it shine brightly.”

80. “The road to success is paved with resilience, determination, and unwavering faith.”

81. “In the garden of life, cultivate seeds of positivity to bloom into greatness.”

82. “Success is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth and improvement.”

83. “Your story is a masterpiece in the making; create it with purpose and passion.”

84. “The power of kindness can heal wounds and bridge divides.”

85. “Life’s challenges are opportunities to discover the strength within you.”

86. “Your dreams are the compass guiding you to the life you’re destined to lead.”

87. “Embrace the uncertainties of life, for they lead to remarkable discoveries.”

88. “Success is the art of turning setbacks into stepping stones for progress.”

89. “In the grand tapestry of life, your uniqueness weaves a thread of brilliance.”

90. “Cherish the moments of struggle, for they shape the person you become.”

91. “Let your light shine brightly, inspiring others to ignite their own flames.”

92. “The pursuit of knowledge is a journey that fuels the fire of wisdom within.”

93. “Your potential is a vast ocean of possibilities; dive into it with courage.”

94. “In the orchestra of life, let your passion play the sweetest melody.”

95. “The power of resilience lies in rising stronger after every fall.”

96. “Kindness is a language that transcends barriers and brings hearts together.”

97. “Your dreams are the stars guiding you towards your true purpose.”

98. “Life’s challenges are opportunities for growth and self-discovery.”

99. “Believe in yourself, for your potential knows no bounds.”

100. “Success is not found in the destination but in the journey itself.”

101. “Embrace your uniqueness, for it holds the key to your greatness.”

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• Applying to graduate school
• How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

How to Write Your Personal Statement | Strategies & Examples

Published on February 12, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.

To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application , don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:

• Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
• Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
• Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?

This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.

Urban Planning Psychology History

Table of contents

Getting started with your personal statement, the introduction: start with an attention-grabbing opening, the main body: craft your narrative, the conclusion: look ahead, revising, editing, and proofreading your personal statement, frequently asked questions, other interesting articles.

Before you start writing, the first step is to understand exactly what’s expected of you. If the application gives you a question or prompt for your personal statement, the most important thing is to respond to it directly.

For example, you might be asked to focus on the development of your personal identity; challenges you have faced in your life; or your career motivations. This will shape your focus and emphasis—but you still need to find your own unique approach to answering it.

There’s no universal template for a personal statement; it’s your chance to be creative and let your own voice shine through. But there are strategies you can use to build a compelling, well-structured story.

The first paragraph of your personal statement should set the tone and lead smoothly into the story you want to tell.

Strategy 1: Open with a concrete scene

An effective way to catch the reader’s attention is to set up a scene that illustrates something about your character and interests. If you’re stuck, try thinking about:

• A personal experience that changed your perspective
• A story from your family’s history
• A memorable teacher or learning experience
• An unusual or unexpected encounter

To write an effective scene, try to go beyond straightforward description; start with an intriguing sentence that pulls the reader in, and give concrete details to create a convincing atmosphere.

Strategy 2: Open with your motivations

To emphasize your enthusiasm and commitment, you can start by explaining your interest in the subject you want to study or the career path you want to follow.

Just stating that it interests you isn’t enough: first, you need to figure out why you’re interested in this field:

• Is it a longstanding passion or a recent discovery?
• Does it come naturally or have you had to work hard at it?
• How does it fit into the rest of your life?
• What do you think it contributes to society?

Tips for the introduction

• Don’t start on a cliche: avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…” or “For as long as I can remember…”
• Do save the introduction for last. If you’re struggling to come up with a strong opening, leave it aside, and note down any interesting ideas that occur to you as you write the rest of the personal statement.

Once you’ve set up the main themes of your personal statement, you’ll delve into more detail about your experiences and motivations.

To structure the body of your personal statement, there are various strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Describe your development over time

One of the simplest strategies is to give a chronological overview of key experiences that have led you to apply for graduate school.

• What first sparked your interest in the field?
• Which classes, assignments, classmates, internships, or other activities helped you develop your knowledge and skills?
• Where do you want to go next? How does this program fit into your future plans?

Don’t try to include absolutely everything you’ve done—pick out highlights that are relevant to your application. Aim to craft a compelling narrative that shows how you’ve changed and actively developed yourself.

My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.

Strategy 2: Own your challenges and obstacles

If your path to graduate school hasn’t been easy or straightforward, you can turn this into a strength, and structure your personal statement as a story of overcoming obstacles.

• Is your social, cultural or economic background underrepresented in the field? Show how your experiences will contribute a unique perspective.
• Do you have gaps in your resume or lower-than-ideal grades? Explain the challenges you faced and how you dealt with them.

Don’t focus too heavily on negatives, but use them to highlight your positive qualities. Resilience, resourcefulness and perseverance make you a promising graduate school candidate.

Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.

Strategy 3: Demonstrate your knowledge of the field

Especially if you’re applying for a PhD or another research-focused program, it’s a good idea to show your familiarity with the subject and the department. Your personal statement can focus on the area you want to specialize in and reflect on why it matters to you.

• Reflect on the topics or themes that you’ve focused on in your studies. What draws you to them?
• Discuss any academic achievements, influential teachers, or other highlights of your education.
• Talk about the questions you’d like to explore in your research and why you think they’re important.

The personal statement isn’t a research proposal , so don’t go overboard on detail—but it’s a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the field and your capacity for original thinking.

In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.

Strategy 4: Discuss your professional ambitions

Especially if you’re applying for a more professionally-oriented program (such as an MBA), it’s a good idea to focus on concrete goals and how the program will help you achieve them.

• If your career is just getting started, show how your character is suited to the field, and explain how graduate school will help you develop your talents.
• If you have already worked in the profession, show what you’ve achieved so far, and explain how the program will allow you to take the next step.
• If you are planning a career change, explain what has driven this decision and how your existing experience will help you succeed.

Don’t just state the position you want to achieve. You should demonstrate that you’ve put plenty of thought into your career plans and show why you’re well-suited to this profession.

One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.

Tips for the main body

• Don’t rehash your resume by trying to summarize everything you’ve done so far; the personal statement isn’t about listing your academic or professional experience, but about reflecting, evaluating, and relating it to broader themes.
• Do make your statements into stories: Instead of saying you’re hard-working and self-motivated, write about your internship where you took the initiative to start a new project. Instead of saying you’ve always loved reading, reflect on a novel or poem that changed your perspective.

Your conclusion should bring the focus back to the program and what you hope to get out of it, whether that’s developing practical skills, exploring intellectual questions, or both.

Emphasize the fit with your specific interests, showing why this program would be the best way to achieve your aims.

Strategy 1: What do you want to know?

If you’re applying for a more academic or research-focused program, end on a note of curiosity: what do you hope to learn, and why do you think this is the best place to learn it?

If there are specific classes or faculty members that you’re excited to learn from, this is the place to express your enthusiasm.

Strategy 2: What do you want to do?

If you’re applying for a program that focuses more on professional training, your conclusion can look to your career aspirations: what role do you want to play in society, and why is this program the best choice to help you get there?

Tips for the conclusion

• Don’t summarize what you’ve already said. You have limited space in a personal statement, so use it wisely!
• Do think bigger than yourself: try to express how your individual aspirations relate to your local community, your academic field, or society more broadly. It’s not just about what you’ll get out of graduate school, but about what you’ll be able to give back.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of writing in graduate school, so make a good first impression: leave yourself plenty of time to revise and polish the text.

Your style doesn’t have to be as formal as other kinds of academic writing, but it should be clear, direct and coherent. Make sure that each paragraph flows smoothly from the last, using topic sentences and transitions to create clear connections between each part.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite and restructure as much as necessary. Since you have a lot of freedom in the structure of a personal statement, you can experiment and move information around to see what works best.

Finally, it’s essential to carefully proofread your personal statement and fix any language errors. Before you submit your application, consider investing in professional personal statement editing . For $150, you have the peace of mind that your personal statement is grammatically correct, strong in term of your arguments, and free of awkward mistakes.

A statement of purpose is usually more formal, focusing on your academic or professional goals. It shouldn’t include anything that isn’t directly relevant to the application.

A personal statement can often be more creative. It might tell a story that isn’t directly related to the application, but that shows something about your personality, values, and motivations.

However, both types of document have the same overall goal: to demonstrate your potential as a graduate student and s how why you’re a great match for the program.

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Different programs have different requirements, so always check if there’s a minimum or maximum length and stick to the guidelines. If there is no recommended word count, aim for no more than 1-2 pages.

If you’re applying to multiple graduate school programs, you should tailor your personal statement to each application.

Some applications provide a prompt or question. In this case, you might have to write a new personal statement from scratch: the most important task is to respond to what you have been asked.

If there’s no prompt or guidelines, you can re-use the same idea for your personal statement – but change the details wherever relevant, making sure to emphasize why you’re applying to this specific program.

If the application also includes other essays, such as a statement of purpose , you might have to revise your personal statement to avoid repeating the same information.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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How To Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out

Table of contents

Laura Jane Bradbury

A personal statement is a chance to highlight your unique qualities, skills, and experiences, all while showcasing your personality.

But whether you're applying for university, a job, or funding, it can be daunting to write about yourself. To increase your chances of getting accepted, it's important to know how to create an effective personal statement.

In my six years as a copywriter, I’ve written many personal statements that get results. In this article, I’ll guide you through what to include, what to avoid, and how to tailor a personal statement based on your application type.

Key Takeaways

• A personal statement is an opportunity to share your unique qualities, experiences, and skills.
• It should always relate to the course, job, or funding you are applying for.
• Include accomplishments and experiences that demonstrate how suited you are to the position or course you are applying for.
• Use clear and simple language to ensure your points are understood.

Your personal statement should be concise and demonstrate how you fit the position or opportunity you’re applying for. It’s important to keep information relevant, rather than listing all of your skills and accomplishments.

Follow these steps to accurately write and tailor your statement.

Understand your prompt

Before you start, make sure you understand what's expected of you. Are there specific instructions, keywords, or phrases that stand out in your prompt? Read through it thoroughly and note the requirements. You can then brainstorm ideas for each point.

Let's say I'm applying for a university journalism course. I've been asked to write a statement that shares why I'm interested and why I would be a good fit. I can use columns to plan my content:

Putting your ideas together first makes it easier to stay on track. Otherwise, you might lose focus and include irrelevant information. 

Show, don't just tell

Once you’ve listed your experiences, skills, and accomplishments, consider how you can demonstrate them with examples. Take a look at the list you created during the previous exercise and organize your points so you have clear examples and proof.

This technique helps you demonstrate your experiences and how they tie in with your application.

When telling anecdotes, use engaging stories that demonstrate your skills. For instance, a story about how I handled a fast-paced news internship proves I work well under pressure. 

Start strong

Recruiters, application tutors, and funders read lots of personal statements. You can make yours stand out with an engaging introduction.

Examples of a strong opening include:

A meaningful statistic

This draws readers in and increases credibility: 

"Communication is the key to marketing success, according to Business Marketing News. With five years of experience communicating and delivering campaigns to global clients, I have the skills and passion to add value to your team."

A personal story

Anecdotes connect the reader with the author’s real-life experience: 

"My first exposure to microbiology was during my time as a research assistant for a microbiologist. I was fascinated by the complex and intricate processes within cells."

An alarming statement

This piques the reader’s interest by making an issue seem urgent:  

“ The fashion industry churns out clothes at an alarming rate, causing mass production of synthetic fibers and harsh chemicals which have a detrimental impact on the planet. Funding my sustainability initiative is vital to mitigating this environmental impact." 

Avoid cliches such as "From a young age, I have always loved...." and "For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for..."

Pro tip: Use Wordtune Editor 's Shorten feature to cut unnecessary fluff and make your intro sharper. Simply type in your sentence and click Shorten to receive suggestions.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

Admission committees and employers appreciate sincerity and authenticity. While it may be tempting, avoid exaggeration. You can better emphasize your skills and personality by being honest. For instance, rather than claiming I read every type of newspaper in my journalism application, I can focus on my dedication to reading The New York Times.

Your writing style should also feel genuine. Instead of trying to impress with complex language and fancy words, keep sentences simple and direct . This makes them more effective because they’re easier to read. 

Address weaknesses

Addressing weaknesses can show your willingness to confront challenges. It also gives you a chance to share efforts you have made for improvement. When explaining a weakness, exclude excuses.

Instead of saying "I didn't achieve my expected grades due to work commitments impacting my studies," try “While I didn't achieve my expected grades, I am now working with a tutor to help me understand my weak areas so I can succeed in your program.”

Wordtune’s Spices feature can help you develop counterarguments to weaknesses. In the Editor, highlight your text, click on Spices, and then Counterargument . Here’s an example:

Using Wordtune’s suggestion, I can highlight my eagerness to learn and provide examples to support my argument.

Highlight achievements

This is your chance to shine! A personal statement should highlight your best qualities — provided they relate to your prompt.

Ask yourself:

• What are your skills and strengths? Identify both academic and non-academic abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
• What challenges have you faced? Reflect on how you have overcome significant challenges and how these experiences have helped you grow. For example, completing a course, learning a new language, or starting a business.
• What are your unique selling points? Consider what sets you apart from other applicants. For example, you may have a unique set of technical skills or experience learning in a different country.
• How have your achievements shaped your goals and aspirations? Sharing your goals shows that you think long-term and have taken the time to make sure you’re applying for the right opportunity.

Connect with the institution or company

Tailor your statement to the specific institution or company you're applying to — this shows you understand their values and have carefully considered where you want to seek opportunities.

To do this, head to the company or institution’s website and look for the About page. Many organizations include a mission statement on this page that conveys its purpose and values.

For example, universities often include their values under “Community” or “Student Life” sections. Here, Princeton University’s “In Service of Humanity” section highlights how they value using education to benefit society. Applicants can engage with this by explaining how they interact with their communities and seek to use their education to help others.

You can also research a company or institution’s social media. Look for similarities — maybe you both prioritize collaboration or think outside the box. Draw upon this in your personal statement. 

End with a strong conclusion

A strong conclusion is clear, concise, and leaves a lasting impression. Use these three steps:

• Summarize the main points of your statement. For example, “My experience volunteering for the school newspaper, along with my communication skills and enthusiasm for writing, make me an ideal student for your university."
• Discuss your future . Share your future ambitions to remind the reader that you’ve carefully considered how the opportunity fits into your plans.
• Include a closing statement. End on a positive note and offer the reader a final explanation for why you would be a great match. For instance, “Thank you for reviewing my statement. I am confident my skills and experience align with the role and your company culture.”

Tip: Learn more about writing an effective conclusion with our handy guide . 

Different types of personal statements

Now you know how to write a personal statement, let’s look at what to focus on depending on your application type.

The length of your personal statement will vary depending on the type. Generally, it should be around 500 words to 650 words . However, a university application is often longer than a statement for a job, so it’s vital to determine what is expected of you from the beginning.

Whatever the length, it’s important to remove and edit content fluff , including any repetition or copy that does not relate to your prompt.

Personal statement checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that your statement includes: 

• An engaging introduction.
• Clear examples of your experiences, skills, and expertise. 
• A commitment to improvement, if required.
• Any applicable achievements. 
• A direct connection to the company or institution’s values.
• A strong conclusion that summarizes information without adding new content.
• Authentic, simple language.

Personal statements are an opportunity to delve deeper and share who you are beyond your grades or resume experience. Demonstrate your ability with anecdotes and examples, address any weaknesses, and remember to use genuine and simple language. This is your place to shine, so follow our tips while displaying your unique personality, and you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd.

Want to get started and create a powerful introduction? Read our step-by-step guide .

What is the difference between a cover letter and a personal statement?

A cover letter expresses your interest in a position and introduces you to an employer. It’s typically shorter and focuses on your qualifications, skills, and experience for a particular role. A personal statement, however, is common for a job, internship, funding, or university application. It explores your background, goals, and aspirations, as well as your skills and experience.

What is the purpose of a personal statement?

A personal statement is an opportunity to stand out by detailing your background, experiences, and aspirations. It should explain why you are interested in and a good match for the company or institution you are applying to.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 18 August 2023 | 22 min read

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

Stand out from the crowd: here's how to write a good personal statement that will get you noticed

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Your personal statement forms a core part of your university application, and the sooner you get going, the better you can make it. You may think that your personal statement won’t matter as much to unis as your grades and experience but a great personal statement could make all the difference between you and a candidate with the same grades. Sure, your application might not reach that deal breaker stage. But is it something you want to leave to chance?  Here we’ll take you through the process of planning, writing and checking a good personal statement, so you end up with something you can submit with confidence. And to make sure the advice we're giving you is sound, we’ve spoken to admissions staff at loads of UK universities to get their view. Look out for video interviews and advice on applying for specific subjects throughout this piece or watch our personal statement playlist on YouTube .

• Are you looking for personal statement examples? Check our library of hundreds of real personal statements, on The Student Room

Personal statement deadlines

You'll need to make sure you've got your personal statement written well in advance of your application deadline. Below are the main university application deadline dates for 2024 entry.

2024 entry deadlines

16 October 2023: Deadline for applications to Oxford and Cambridge universities, along with most medicine, dentistry, and veterinary courses.   31 January 2024: Deadline for applications to the majority of undergraduate courses. After this date, universities will start allocating places on these courses –   but you can still apply after the 31 January deadline , as this article explains . 30 June 2024:  Students who apply after this date will be entered into Clearing .

• Read more: Ucas deadlines and key application dates

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a central part of your Ucas application, where you explain why you’ve chosen a particular course and why you’ll be good at it. It's your chance to stand out against other candidates and hopefully get that all-important offer. You only write one personal statement which is then read by each university you apply to, so if you are applying for more than one subject (or it's a combined course) it's crucial that you include common themes or reference the overall skills needed for all subjects. Personal statements are especially important if you’re trying to get on a very competitive course, where you need to do anything you can to stand out to admissions tutors. Courteney Sheppard, senior customer experience manager at Ucas, advises that your personal statement is "the only part of the application that you have direct control over. Do lots of research to demonstrate your passion, curiosity and drive to pursue your chosen subject." There’s a limit on how much you can write: your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever is shorter. This may appear generous (read: long) but once you've got going you may find yourself having to edit heavily.

• Read more: teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

1. Plan what you want to cover

The first thing you need to do is make a plan. Writing a personal statement off the top of your head is difficult. Start by making some notes, answering the following questions:

• What do you want to study?
• Why do you want to study it?
• What is there about you that shows you’re suited to studying this subject at university? Think about your personality, as well as your experiences.
• What are your other interests and skills?

These few points are going to form the spine of your personal statement, so write them in a way that makes sense to you. You might want to make a simple bulleted list or you might want to get all arty and use a mindmap. Whatever you choose, your aim is the same. You want to get it clear in your own head why a university should offer you a place on its course. Getting those details down isn't always easy, and some people find it helpful to make notes over time. You might try carrying a notebook with you or set up a memo on your phone. Whenever you think of something useful for your personal statement, jot it down. Inspiration sometimes comes more easily when you’re thinking about something else entirely. It might help to take a look at The Student Room for some sample personal statements by university and sample personal statements by subjects , to give you an idea of the kind of thing you want to include. 

• Read more: personal statement FAQs

2. Show off your experience

Some things are worth adding to your personal statement, some things are not. Firmly in the second camp are your qualifications. You don’t need to mention these as there’s a whole other section of your personal statement where you get to detail them very precisely. Don’t waste a single character going on about how great your GCSE grades are – it’s not what the admissions tutor wants to read. What they do want to see is: what have you done? OK, so you’ve got some good grades, but so do a lot of other applicants. What have you done that’s different, that shows you off as someone who really loves the subject you’re applying for? Spend some time thinking about all the experience you have in that subject. If you’re lucky, this might be direct work experience. That’s going to be particularly appropriate if you’re applying for one of the more vocational subjects such as medicine or journalism . But uni staff realise getting plum work experience placements is easier for some people than others, so cast your net wider when you’re thinking about what you’ve done. How about after-school clubs? Debating societies? Are you running a blog or vlog? What key skills and experience have you picked up elsewhere (eg from hobbies) that could be tied in with your course choice? Remember, you’re looking for experience that shows why you want to study your chosen subject. You’re not just writing an essay about what you're doing in your A-level syllabus. Use this checklist as a guide for what to include:

• Your interest in the course. Why do you want to spend three years studying this subject at university?
• What have you done outside school or college that demonstrates this interest? Think about things like fairs/exhibitions, public lectures or voluntary work that is relevant to your subject.
• Relevant work experience (essential for the likes of medicine, not required for non-vocational courses such as English )
• Skills and qualities required for that career if appropriate (medicine, nursing and law as obvious examples)
• Interest in your current studies – what particular topics have made an impression on you?
• Any other interests/hobbies/experiences you wish to mention that are relevant either to the subject or 'going to uni'. Don't just list your hobbies, you need to be very selective and state clearly what difference doing these things has made to you.
• Plans for a gap year if you’re deferring entry.

Read more: 6 steps you need to take to apply to university

3. Be bold about your achievements

Don't be bashful about your achievements; that’s not going to help you get into uni. It's time to unleash your inner Muhammed Ali and get all “I am the greatest” with your writing. Do keep it focused and accurate. Do keep your language professional. But don’t hide your qualities beneath a layer of false modesty. Your personal statement is a sell – you are selling yourself as a brilliant student and you need to show the reader why that is true. This doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and if you’re finding it difficult to write about how great you are it’s time to enlist some help. Round up a friend or two, a family member, a teacher, whoever and get them to write down your qualities. Getting someone else’s view here can help you get some perspective. Don’t be shy. You are selling your skills, your experience and your enthusiasm – make sure they all leap off the screen with the way you have described them.

• Read more: the ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement  

4. How to start your personal statement

Type your personal statement in a cloud-based word processing program, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word and don’t copy and paste it into Ucas Hub until it’s finished.  One of the benefits of doing it this way is that you can run spell check easily. (Please note, though, that Word adds "curly" quotation marks and other characters (like é or ü) that won't show up on your Ucas form, so do proofread it on Ucas Hub before submitting it to ensure it is how you typed it.)  Another big benefit is that you'll always have a backup of what you've written. If you're being super careful, you could always save your statement in another place as well. Bear in mind that extra spaces (eg adding spaces to the beginnings of paragraphs as indentation) are removed on Ucas. In your first sentence, cut to the chase. Why do you want to do the course? Don’t waste any time rambling on about the daydreams you had when you were five. Just be clear and concise – describe in one line why this course is so important to you. Then, in the rest of your intro, go into more detail in demonstrating your enthusiasm for the course and explaining how you decided this is what you want to do for the next three or more years. However you choose to start your statement, just avoid the following hoary old chestnuts. These have been some of the most used lines in personal statements over the years – they are beyond cliche, so don’t even think about it.

• From a young age I have (always) been [interested in/fascinated by]…
• For as long as I can remember, I have…
• I am applying for this course because… 
• I have always been interested in… 
• Throughout my life I have always enjoyed… 
• Reflecting on my educational experiences… 
• [Subject] is a very challenging and demanding [career/profession/course]… 
• Academically, I have always been… 
• I have always wanted to pursue a career in… 
• I have always been passionate about…   

5. Focus your writing on why you've chosen that subject

So you’ve got your intro done – time to nail the rest of it. Bear in mind that you’ve got to be a little bit careful when following a personal statement template. It’s easy to fall into the trap of copying someone else’s style, and in the process lose all of your own voice and personality from your writing. But there is a rough order that you can follow, which should help keep you in your flow. After your opening paragraph or two, get into any work experience (if you’ve got it). Talk about extracurriculars: anything you've done which is relevant to the subject can go here – hobbies, interests, volunteering. Touch on your career aspirations – where do you want this course to take you? Next, show your enthusiasm for your current studies. Cite some specific examples of current work that you enjoyed. Show off your relevant skills and qualities by explaining how you’ve used these in the past. Make sure you’re giving real-world examples here, not just vague assertions like “I’m really organised and motivated”. Try to use examples that are relevant.   Follow this up with something about you as a person. Talk about non-academic stuff that you like to do, but link it in some way with the course, or with how it shows your maturity for dealing with uni life. Round it all off by bringing your main points together, including a final emphasis of your commitment to studying this particular course.

• Read more: how to write your personal statement in an evening  

6. How long should a personal statement be?

You've got to work to a very specific limit when writing your personal statement. In theory you could use up to 4,000 characters – but you’re probably more likely to be limited by the line count. That's because it's a good idea to put line breaks in between your paragraphs (to make it more readable) and you only get a maximum of 47 lines. With this in mind, 3,500 characters is a more realistic limit. But when you’re getting started you should ignore these limits completely. At first, you just want to get down everything that you feel is important. You'll probably end up with something that is far too long, but that's fine. This is where you get to do some polishing and pruning. Keep the focus of your piece on the course you’re applying for, why you want to do it and why you’re perfectly suited to it. Look through what you’ve written so far – have you got the balance right? Chop out anything that goes on a bit, as you want each point to be snappy and succinct.

• Read more: universities reveal all about personal statements  

7. Keep it simple

8. Smart ways to end your personal statement

Writing a closing line that you’re happy with can feel as tricky as coming up with your opener. What you’re looking for here is a sign-off that is bold and memorable. The final couple of sentences in your statement give you the opportunity to emphasise all the good stuff you’ve already covered. Use this space to leave the reader in no doubt as to what an excellent addition you would be to their university. Pull together all your key points and – most importantly – address the central question that your personal statement should answer: why should you get a place on the course?

• Read more: universities explain how to end your personal statement with a bang  

9. Make sure your personal statement has no mistakes

Now you’ve got a personal statement you’re happy with, you need to make sure there are no mistakes. Check it, check it a second time, then check it again. Once you’ve done that, get someone else to check it, too. You will be doing yourself a massive disservice if you send through a personal statement with spelling and/or grammatical errors. You’ve got months to put this together so there really is no excuse for sending through something that looks like a rush job. Ask your teachers to look at it, and be prepared to accept their feedback without getting defensive. They will have seen many personal statements before; use what they tell you to make yours even better. You’ve also got another chance here to look through the content of your personal statement, so you can make sure the balance is right. Make sure your focus is very clearly on the subject you are applying for and why you want to study it. Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or social media where anyone can see it. You will get picked up by the Ucas plagiarism checker. Similarly, don't copy any that you find online. Instead, now is a good time to make your parents feel useful. Read your personal statement out to them and get them to give you feedback. Or try printing it out and mixing it up with a few others (you can find sample personal statements on The Student Room). Get them to read them all and then try to pick yours out. If they can't, perhaps there's not enough of your personality in there.  

10. Don't think about your personal statement for a whole week

If you followed the advice at the very start of this guide, you’ve started your personal statement early. Good job! There are months before you need to submit it. Use one of these weeks to forget about your personal statement completely. Get on with other things – anything you like. Just don’t go near your statement. Give it a whole week and then open up the document again and read through it with fresh eyes. You’ll gain a whole new perspective on what you’ve written and will be well placed to make more changes, if needed.

• Read more: how to write your personal statement when you have nothing interesting to say  

10 steps to your ideal personal statement

In summary, here are the ten steps you should follow to create the perfect personal statement.  

Personal statement dos and don'ts

• Remember that your personal statement is your personal statement, not an article written about your intended field of study. It should tell the reader about you, not about the subject.
• Only put in things that you’re prepared to talk about at the interviews.
• Give convincing reasons for why you want to study the course – more than just "enjoying the subject" (this should be a given).
• For very competitive courses, find out as much as you can about the nature of the course and try to make your personal statement relevant to this.
• Be reflective. If you make a point like 'I like reading', 'I travelled abroad', say what you got from it.
• Go through the whole thing checking your grammar and your spelling. Do this at least twice. It doesn’t matter if you’re not applying to an essay-based course – a personal statement riddled with spelling mistakes is just going to irritate the reader, which is the last thing you want to do. If this is something you find difficult then have someone look over it for you.
• Leave blank lines between your paragraphs. It’s easier for the reader to get through your personal statement when it’s broken into easily digestible chunks. Remember that they’re going to be reading a lot of these! Make yours easy to get through.
• Get someone else's opinion on your statement. Read it out to family or friends. Share it with your teacher. Look for feedback wherever you can find it, then act upon it.
• Don’t write it like a letter. Kicking off with a greeting such as "Dear Sir/Madam" not only looks weird, it also wastes precious space.
• Don’t make jokes. This is simply not the time – save them for your first night in the union.
• Don’t criticise your current school or college or try to blame teachers for any disappointing grades you might have got.
• Be afraid of details – if you want your PS to be personal to you that means explaining exactly which bits of work or topics or activities you've taken part in/enjoyed. It's much more compelling to read about one or two detailed examples than a paragraph that brushes over five or six.
• Just list what you're doing now. You should pull out the experiences that are relevant to the courses which you're applying to.
• Mention skills and activities without giving examples of when they have been demonstrated by you or what you learnt from them. Anyone can write "I have great leadership skills" in a PS, actually using a sentence to explain when you demonstrated good leadership skills is much rarer and more valuable.
• Refer to experiences that took place before your GCSEs (or equivalent).
• Give explanations about medical or mental health problems. These should be explained in your reference, not your PS.
• Apply for too many different courses, making it difficult to write a convincing personal statement which supports the application.
• Write a statement specific to just one institution, unless you're only applying to that one choice.
• Copy and paste the statement from somewhere else! This means do not plagiarise. All statements are automatically checked for plagiarism by Ucas. Those that are highlighted by the computer system are checked manually by Ucas staff. If you’re found to have plagiarised parts of your statement, the universities you apply to will be informed and it could jeopardise your applications.
• Use ChatGPT or another AI program to write your personal statement for you. Or, if you do, make sure you thoroughly edit and personalise the text so it's truly yours. Otherwise you're very much at risk of the plagiarism point above.

You may want to look at these...

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50 Best Personal Growth Quotes for Everyday Evolution

Looking for some inspiration to kick off a new chapter of growth or jumpstart your next evolution? Regardless of your goals, these words — from some of the most notable authors, scientists, artists, philosophers, politicians, activists, business professionals and athletes — are sure to resonate.

Bookmark these 50 best personal growth  quotes to draw upon in the months ahead.

Quotes for a Growth Mindset

• “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” - Maya Angelou
• “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” - Ernest Hemingway
• “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” - Carrie Fisher
• “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” - Abraham Maslow
• “We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” - Oprah Winfrey
• “When we’re growing up there are all sorts of people telling us what to do when really what we need is space to work out who to be.” - Elliot Page
• “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” - Frederick Douglass
• “Permit yourself to change your mind when something is no longer working for you.” - Nedra Glover Tawwab
• “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” - Chinese Proverb
• “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” - Carl Bard

Quotes About Change

• “Change brings opportunity.” - Nido Qubein
• “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things could fall together.” - Marilyn Monroe
• “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” - Steve Maraboli
• “Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.” - Deborah Day
• “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen
• “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” - Angela Davis
• “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” - Jane Goodall
• “Change is made of choices, and choices are made of character.” - Amanda Gorman
• “Tradition is nothing but ancestral peer pressure.” - Indya Moore
• “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” - John F. Kennedy

Quotes About Education

• “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” - Malcolm X
• “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.” - Helen Keller
• “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” - Walt Disney
• “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” - John Dewey
• “You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.” - Cesar Chavez
• “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” - Bill Nye
• “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” - Benjamin Franklin
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
• “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” - Sydney J. Harris
• “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” - Malala Yousafzai

Find Your Program

Quotes about success.

People often think of achievement as an end goal, but if you're wondering how to be successful , you should prepare for an ongoing process of growth and self-discovery. Look to these quotes remind you of what's really important on your personal quest for success.

• “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” - Albert Einstein
• “The swiftest way to triple your success is to double your investment in personal development.” - Robin Sharma
• “I would like to think that all of my successes in life are really just the fruit of my failures.” - Yvie Oddly
• “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett
• “Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that's when you're more successful. You have to choose to do it.” - Simone Biles
• “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson
• “Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a stepping stone towards it.” - Sundar Pichai
• “When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.” - Karen E. Quinones Miller
• “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” - Babe Ruth
• “Success isn't about the end result, it's about what you learn along the way.” - Vera Wang

Quotes About Life

Because personal growth is a long-term effort, you're bound to encounter obstacles along the way. These quotes might help you find your life direction  or guide you toward growth when you're facing hardship or feeling discouraged.

• “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
• “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” - Rick Warren
• “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” - Shonda Rhimes
• “You are the one that possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own happiness.” - Diane von Furstenberg
• “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you… never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe
• “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” - Les Brown
• “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experiences that reveals the human spirit.” - e.e. cummings
• “If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life you want, you’re eventually going to be forced to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.” - Kevin Ngo
• “It is never too late to be who you might have been.” - George Eliot
• “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” - Dolly Parton

Whether you’re pursuing a new dream , working hard toward ongoing goals or making a plan to transform your life in some way, you're bound to encounter challenges along the way. But those challenges could be a gateway to growth and new opportunities.

If you find any of these quotes particularly inspirational, consider printing them out and posting them in the places you view often throughout the day. Sometimes a simple quote can impact you in the most positive of ways.

Know someone who needs a bit of motivation? Share these quotes and help them on their personal growth journey.

A degree can change your life. Find the SNHU online college degree  that can best help you meet your goals.

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Southern New Hampshire University where they earned their bachelor's and master's, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon's short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. They're currently writing their debut novel, which was Longlisted for The First Pages Prize. Connect with them on LinkedIn .

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About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

50+ Job Quotes That Could Change How You Feel About Your Career

Some days are just a slog. We all have days when we can’t get focused, are convinced we’re on the wrong path, or just plain feel exhausted. Whether you’re looking to apply for that job you'll actually love waking up for, building up the confidence to ask for that promotion, or trying to figure out what you should do with your life, you might need a little boost.

So we’ve pulled together 50 career quotes to help you look at your job from a different perspective, motivate you to keep working toward your goals, or inspire you to take that next step.

Read More: 45 Inspirational Quotes That Will Get You Through the Work Week

“Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it.”  —Katharine Whitehorn

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  —Alice Walker

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”  —M. Scott Peck

“If you don’t feel it, flee from it. Go where you are celebrated, not merely tolerated.”  —Paul F. Davis

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”  —Confucius

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”  —Milton Berle

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”  —Kurt Cobain

“Nothing will work unless you do.”  —Maya Angelou

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”  —Winston Churchill

“The future depends on what you do today.”  —Mahatma Gandhi

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”  —Mae West

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”  —Stephen Covey

“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”  —Chris Grosser

“Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”  —Francis of Assisi

“Write your own book instead of reading someone else’s book about success.”  —Herb Brooks

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”  —Gore Vidal

“Getting fired is nature’s way of telling you that you had the wrong job in the first place.”  —Hal Lancaster

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  —Eleanor Roosevelt

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”  —Steve Jobs

“There is nothing like a concrete life plan to weigh you down. Because if you always have one eye on some future goal, you stop paying attention to the job at hand, miss opportunities that might arise, and stay fixedly on one path, even when a better, newer course might have opened up.”  —Indra K. Nooyi

“A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory.”  —Arthur Golden

“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”  —Nelson Mandela

“Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.”  —Sandra Day O’Connor

“Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.”  —Paulo Coelho

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”  —Elbert Hubbard

“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.”  —Sheryl Sandberg

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”  —Oscar Wilde

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”  —Gloria Steinem

“A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.”  —Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”  —Mark Twain

“He who never makes an effort, never risks a failure.”  —Anonymous

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”  —Lao Tzu

“You know, everybody has setbacks in their life, and everybody falls short of whatever goals they might set for themselves. That's part of living and coming to terms with who you are as a person.”  —Hillary Rodham Clinton

“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”  —Seth Godin

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”  —Les Brown

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”  —Mother Teresa

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time when the tide will turn.”  —Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Make sure your own worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”  —Laird Hamilton

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue these.”  —Michael Nolan

“When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it may be that they take better care of it there.”  —Cecil Selig

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”  — Amelia Earhart

“Don’t feel sorry for yourself, only assholes do that.”  —Haruki Murakami

“I was once afraid of people saying ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’”  —Oprah

“The best revenge is massive success.”  —Frank Sinatra

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”  —Beverly Sills

“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”  —Charles Swindoll

“If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission.”  —Eddie Colla

“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.”  —Anna Freud

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”  —Martin Luther King Jr.

"There isn’t any great mystery about me. What I do is glamorous and has an awful lot of white-hot attention placed on it. But the actual work requires the same discipline and passion as any job you love doing, be it as a very good pipe fitter or a highly creative artist." — Tom Hanks

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”  —William James

“If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.”  —Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Regina Borsellino contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

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Nail your uni application with our personal statement examples.

Discover personal statements by subject, from A to Z. Find inspiration for your own application with these successful personal statement examples from real students.

A-Z of Personal Statements

Learn from previous student personal statements here. We have collated over 700 personal statement examples to help you on your university journey and to help you with how to write a personal statement.

These personal statement examples will show you the kind of thing that universities are looking for from their applicants. See how to structure your personal statement, what kind of format your personal statement should be in, what to write in a personal statement and the key areas to touch on in your statement.

A personal statement is a chance to tell your university all about you - a good personal statement is one that showcases your passion for the subject, what inspired you to apply for the course you’re applying for and why you think you would be an asset to the university.

Our collection includes personal statement examples in Mathematics, Anthropology, Accounting, Computer Science, Zoology and more.

Writing a personal statement has never been easier with our vast collection of personal statement examples.

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Personal Statement Help

What is a personal statement.

A personal statement is an essay written by a student applying to either a college or university. A personal statement is written and then uploaded to UCAS and is then attached to any university applications that the student may then make.

If you need more information check out our personal statement advice articles .

How to write a personal statement

There isn't a clearly defined personal statement template for you to use as each person's statement is different.

When it comes to writing a personal statement for universities, your personal statement should touch on your passions, your interest in the course, why you're applying for the course and why you would be an asset to the university you're applying to.

Talk about the clubs and societies that you belong to, any work experience you may have and any awards you might have won.

If you're still looking for information check out our article on how to write a personal statement .

How to start a personal statement

When it comes to starting your personal statement, the best thing to do is to be succinct and to have enough tantalising information to keep the reader informed and eager for more.

Your introduction should touch on your personal qualities and why you are applying for the subject you're applying for. Keeping things short and sweet means that it also allows you to break your personal statement up, which makes it easier for the reader.

We have plenty of advice for students that are wondering about what to include in a personal statement .

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Home › Motivational Quotes

Motivational Quotes

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If you’re reading this, then you’re here for one reason – motivation . These motivational quotes are the place to start when you need a boost.

While it’s sometimes difficult to know what to do, we still have to get started. And what better way than to learn from those who have lived and shared the messages that motivated them.

So whether you’re lacking motivation or just need a little push to get going, get ready to be seriously motivated!

Here are our best motivating quotes to propel you to do more, be more, and achieve your goals today.

Page Contents

Top 10 Motivational Quotes

We talk on principal, but act on motivation. Walter Savage Landor

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Mark Twain

Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Vince Lombardi

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Joe Kennedy

The best way to predict the future is to create it. Abraham Lincoln

Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you. Arnold Palmer

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller

Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning. Robert Kiyosaki

The Best Motivational Quotes

It’s ok to need a little something extra to kick start your efforts sometimes. Finding motivation when you need it is often an important step to higher achievement.

Do you know what motivates you? In case that’s not an easy question to answer, we hope you’ll find something to motivate you right here with the best motivational words we could find.

So whether you’re at work, school, or anywhere in between, these lines should stoke your fires.

The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Herman Melville

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Arthur Ashe

Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. Nido Qubein

You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan

Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do. Oprah Winfrey

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Christopher Columbus

One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals. Michael Korda

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. Martin Luther King Jr.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle

God always strives together with those who strive. Aeschylus

Change your thoughts and you change your world. Norman Vincent Peale

It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. Babe Ruth

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday. Matty Mullens

Never give up , for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stow

The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how high you raise your foot. Benny Lewis

Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing. William Arthur Ward

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination. Tommy Lasorda

More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin. Orrin Woodward

Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams. Ralph Waldo Emerson

You don’t drown by falling in water; you drown by staying there. Robert Collier

If you’re going through hell, keep going Winston Churchill

Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly. Robert Schuller

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas Edison

Fortune sides with him who dares. Virgil

If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done. Thomas Jefferson

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Maria Robinson

Motivational Quotes for Work

Nothing will work unless you do. Maya Angelou

The more I want to get something done the less I call it work. Richard Bach

The work you do when you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life. Jessica Hische

Focus on being productive instead of busy. Tim Ferriss

The beginning is the most important part of the work. Plato

An employee’s motivation is a direct result of the sum of interactions with his or her manager. Bob Nelson

If you don’t value your time, neither will others. Stop giving away your time and talents- start charging for it. Kim Garst

Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. John Wooden

There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits. Michael Phelps

Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. Farrah Gray

If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you. Steve Jobs

To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like. Mike Gafka

If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work. Thomas J. Watson

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Vidal Sassoon

We aim above the mark to hit the mark. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential. John C. Maxwell

When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them. Karen E. Quinones Miller

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. Albert Einstein

The individual who says it is not possible should get out of the way of those doing it. Tricia Cunningham

You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction. George Lorimer

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. Thomas Jefferson

Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. William Butler Yeats

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. Greg Anderson

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. Pearl S. Buck

Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started. David Allen

Motivational Quotes for Students

Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden

The wise does at once what the fool does at last. Balthasar Gracian

To know and not to do, is not to know. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Zeal without knowledge is fire without light. Thomas Huxley

Perfection is boring. Getting better is where all the fun is. Dragos Roua

Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter. Francis Chan

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. Alice Walker

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards. Vernon Sanders Law

Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground. Theodore Roosevelt

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. Leonardo da Vinci

There are two kinds of people in this world; those who want to get things done, and those who don’t want to make mistakes. John C. Maxwell

If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary. Jim Rohn

Live out of your imagination, not your history. Stephen Covey

If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you’ll never become that person. Clayton M. Christensen

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. Albert Einstein

Always remember that you are absolutely unique; just like everyone else. Margaret Mead

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. Mark Twain

The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare. Bobby Knight

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Michael Jordan

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Ronald Reagan

There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed. Ray Goforth

Motivational Thoughts

We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret. Earl Nightingale

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. Dale Carnegie

If you continue to think they way you’ve always thought, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got. Kevin Trudeau

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it. William Arthur Ward

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. Aristotle Onassis

The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning. Pele

Good things come to people who wait, but better things come to those who go out and get them. Grant Cardone

Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. Leo Buscaglia

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. Theodore N. Vail

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. Booker T. Washington

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. Epictetus

Nurture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes. Benjamin Disraeli

Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. Coco Chanel

Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it away from you. Mark Cuban

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. Stephen Covey

Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you. George Whitefield

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. Michael Jordan

You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get. Michael Phelps

Whatever the mind of man can conceive, and bring itself to believe, it can achieve. Napoleon Hill

Find a victory in every defeat to remain hopeful, and find a defeat in every victory to remain humble. Orrin Woodward

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. Denis Watiley

The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach . Benjamin Mays

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. Robert Louis Stevenson

Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia. Charles Schulz

Don’t downgrade your dream just to fit your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny. Stuart Scott

Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. W. Clement Stone

Quotes about Motivation

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. Zig Ziglar

Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly. Stephen Covey

There is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it. Jane Smiley

Everything boils down to motivation. Brendon Burchard

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. Wayne Dyer

Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek. Mario Andretti

Competition is the best form of motivation. Cordae

Motivation, passion, and focus have to come from the top. Kevin Plank

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. Jim Ryun

Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you’re willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it. Lou Holtz

Music – it’s motivational and just makes you relax. Taika Waititi

When you fail you learn from the mistakes you made and it motivates you to work even harder. Natlaie Glubis

I’m not one for those motivational speeches. I’ve always been more of an example guy. Carey Price

People always need to hear good motivational speeches. Rudy Ruettiger

Real obsession needs an unconscious motivation behind it. Damon Galgut

Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower

With the new year comes a refueled motivation to improve on the past one. Gretchen Bleiler

Once something is a passion, the motivation is there. Michael Schumacher

A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning. Pat Riley

For me, motivation is a person who has the capability to recruit the resources he needs to achieve a goal. Arsene Wenger

Don’t worry about motivation. Motivation is fickle. It comes and goes. It is unreliable – and when you are counting on motivation to get your goals accomplished, you will likely fall short. Jocko Willink

Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity. Bo Bennett

I think it all comes down to motivation. If you really want to do something, you will work hard for it. Edmund Hillary

Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can’t be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people. Lee Iacocca

I didn’t need to be motivated by other people overlooking me. My motivation was internal, to be better every day. Adam Thielen

Our greatest motivation in life comes from not knowing the future. Thomas Frey

The changing of the goals helps keep the motivation fresh. Bradley Wiggins

Other people’s success spurs me on to do well and gives me motivation. Nicholas Hoult

Self-Motivation Quotes

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. Booker T. Washington

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. A.A. Milne

I’m self-motivated. I’m motivated for myself to be the best I can be – for me to do that, I have to have my own motivation, my own positive energy. Deshaun Watson

I am not afraid… I was born to do this. Joan of Arc

The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. Bruce Feirstein

Don’t wait for your feelings to change to take the action. Take the action and your feelings will change. Barbara Baron

If you want to make a permanent change, stop focusing on the size of your problems and start focusing on the size of you! T. Harv Eker

Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene. Arthur Christopher Benson

If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore. Michele Ruiz

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul. Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears. Laird Hamilton

It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. Lewis Carroll

The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of. Not the circumstances. Anthony J. James

You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. Andrew Murphy

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. Plutarch

Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit. Bern Williams

It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. Muhammad Ali

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. Norman Vincent Peale

The number one reason people fail in life is because they listen to their friends, family, and neighbors. Napoleon Hill

Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open. Pauline Kael

When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. Paulo Coelho

With self-discipline most anything is possible. Theodore Roosevelt

When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge. Terry Bradshaw

Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack. Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it. Arnold Toynbee

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. Vince Lombardi

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it. Washington Irving

All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. Orison Swett Marden

Motivating Quotes

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all. Dale Carnegie

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. Sam Levenson

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe. Anatole France

Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Charles Dickens

You may only succeed if you desire succeeding; you may only fail if you do not mind failing. Philippos

Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. Benjamin Disraeli

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. George Addair

Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up. Isabelle Lafleche

Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. George Herbert

There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or you’re out. There is no such thing as life in-between. Pat Riley

Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. Winston Churchill

Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. Mary Anne Roadacher-Hershey

Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. Abraham Lincoln

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life. Robin Sharma

Do or do not. There is no try. Yoda, Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back

If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on. Sheryl Sandberg

Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty. William J. Bennett, The Book of Virtues

Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay. Simone de Beauvoir

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

Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today. James Dean

Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses… on your powers, instead of your problems. Paul J. Meyer

My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength. Michael Jordan

If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission. Brian Tracy

Taking it easy won’t take you anywhere. Nike Slogan

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. Lyndon B. Johnson

Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. Neil Gaiman

Do what you feel in your heart to be right―for you’ll be criticized anyway. Eleanor Roosevelt

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. George S. Patton

When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it – but all that had gone before. Jacob Riis

We hope all of these motivational quotes have you pumped up and ready to take action.

Whatever type of motivation works for you, the important part is to use it to achieve your goals. We all have the potential to do more and be more when we want to be. So go find yours and live up to it today!

More Motivational Quote Categories

• Attitude Quotes
• Dale Carnegie Quotes
• Determination Quotes
• Discipline Quotes
• Finding Yourself Quotes
• Hard Work Quotes
• Helping Others Quotes
• Leadership Quotes
• Meditation Quotes
• Moving On Quotes
• Never Give Up Quotes
• Nike Quotes
• Procrastination Quotes
• Sports Quotes
• Success Quotes
• Teamwork Quotes
• Zig Ziglar Quotes

Quincy Seale

5 thoughts on “Motivational Quotes”

Those collections are meaningful and easy to remember. “Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” is my favourite one and hope I can do what I want to do soon. Thank you for sharing.

Every quote you shared is very motivating and will help who is really looking for some motivation. For some of motivational blog and stories you can visit my website.

Wow!! It was a beautiful collection of quotes. Some not heard of (best part of your collection that it’s not filled with the common ones) but so deep and meaningful. Great piece of work! Glad came across this. Was looking for some quote for our magazine and looks like I’ve reached the destination.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” First time hearing this quote and I think it’s brilliant! Thanks for this article, Quincy!

Excellent list, thank you for this.

I would like to add a quote from the late hero, Kobe Bryant.

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

This would be great to share in your article.

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165 Inspirational Quotes To Keep You Motivated In Life

Inspirational quotes can help motivate us and create a positive outlook on life and work when we need it most. They do so by harnessing the power of positive thinking. Reframing our brains to think positively is a key step in leading a happy and successful life.

You make a choice when you decide how you will react to any given situation. If you’re choosing (sometimes subconsciously) to complain and think negatively, your natural reaction will be to dwell on the negatives of every situation.

When you actively choose to think positively, regardless of how absolutely ridiculous it may seem, you will turn the situation into a development plan for growth, helping you become a better problem-solver and leader . Over time and after reframing your mind to think positively about problems, you’ll stay motivated , inspired, and empowered to take on any challenge that comes your way!

While reading through this list of the best motivational quotes in English, I recommend writing down some of the best inspirational and motivational quotes that resonate with you and your current situation. After writing them down, find the most motivational thought or the most inspiring passage, read it out loud, and then really try to understand the meaning.

You may find these inspirational quotes may come in handy when you’re having a hard day and need a little extra encouragement a and motivational line!  So read these, write some down, and refer to them often.

Inspirational Quotes

The power of positive thinking is remarkable. When you think of something that brings you joy, your brain releases endorphins. Those endorphins fill you with the feeling of well-being.

Positive thinking helps you frame your mindset and change your life.

But when we feel down, it’s often difficult to conjure up things that make us happy. That’s why having some positive inspirational quotes or a motivated line on hand can be helpful in situations like that.

From short inspirational quotes and widely relatable anecdotes to motivational quotes specifically about work and life in general, here is a list of some of my favorite inspirational quotes.

Inspirational Quotes For Your Personal Life

• “People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.”— Carrie Ann Moss
• “Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” — Lady Gaga
• “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”― George Bernard Shaw
• “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot ― it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” ― Maya Angelou

Inspirational Quotes For Positive Thinking

• “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem
• “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
• “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you’re willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” —Lou Holtz
• “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius

Inspirational Quotes For Happiness

• “You are who you are meant to be. Dance as if no one’s watching. Love as if it’s all you know. Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” James Dean
• “You do not find the happy life. You make it.” — Camilla Eyring Kimball
• “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth.” ― William W. Purkey
• “Folks are usually about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

Inspirational Quotes For Dark Times

• “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle
• “You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.” — Unknown
• “Fairytales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be killed.” – G K Chesterton

Inspirational Quotes From Fairy Tales

• “Just because it’s what’s done doesn’t mean it’s what should be done!”- Cinderella
• “With a smile and a song, life is just like a bright sunny day. Your cares fade away.” – Snow White
• “When we get to the end of the story, you will know more than you do now…” – Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen
• “The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible then treat possibilities as probabilities.” -Charles Dickens

 Inspirational Quotes For Risk-Taking

• “Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” — Mahatma Gandhi
• “It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest. —Walter Anderson
• “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”- Brian Tracy

Inspirational Quotes To Build Confidence

• “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.”– Helen Keller
• “We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action. Fear is nature’s way of warning us to get busy.” –  Dr. Henry Link
• “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” – Hasidic Proverb
• “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.” – Don Zimmer
• “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”― Marilyn Monroe
• “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” —E.E. Cummings
• “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” Zig Ziglar

Inspirational Quotes To Help You Excel

• “Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” –  Malala Yousafzai
• “The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” ― Walt Disney
• “Leaders set high standards. Refuse to tolerate mediocrity or poor performance.” – Brian Tracy
• “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi

Inspirational Quotes To Overcome Bad News

• “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
• “Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today.” – Will Rogers
• “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
• “Leaders never use the word failure. They look upon setbacks as learning experiences.” – Brian Tracy

Inspirational Quotes For Positive Thoughts

• “We become what we think about” – Earl Nightingale
• “There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.” – Brian Tracy
• “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
• “Develop an ‘attitude of gratitude.’ Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything you do.” – Brian Tracy

Inspirational Quotes To Stay Motivated

• “Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities.” – Robert H. Schuller
• “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” – Helen Keller
• “Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just one step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Famous Quotes from Successful People

In your success journey, inspiration guides and motivates you through challenges. Explore the wisdom of successful people who have not only achieved greatness, but have also left a trail of inspiration for others to follow.

Inspirational Quotes By William James

• “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James
• “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James
• “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”― William James

Inspirational Quotes By Henry David Thoreau

• “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”― Henry David Thoreau
• “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” ― Henry David Thoreau
• “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” ― Henry David Thoreau
• “There is no remedy for love but to love more.” ― Henry David Thoreau

Inspirational Quotes By Oprah Winfrey

• “You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey
• “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” ― Oprah Winfrey
• “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”― Oprah Winfrey

Inspirational Quotes About Life By Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Inspirational Quotes By Albert Einstein

• “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
• “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.” – Albert Einstein
• “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
• “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein

Motivational Quotes

Motivational quotes, like the inspirational quotes above, are meant to inspire action. These quotes have the potential to encourage you to become the best version of yourself.

Let your positivity and optimism inspire you and  lead you to find success elsewhere. That’s my favorite way to achieve success.

These quotes are here to help motivate you to reach your peak performance. Read them when you need a push to work towards your goals.

You experience external change only once you change internally. Start today and watch how everything around you begins to change!

Motivational Quotes To Be Successful

• “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.” – Paulo Coelho
• “While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” Henry Link
• “Imagine your life is perfect in every respect; what would it look like?” – Brian Tracy
• “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” Chuck Palahniuk
• “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
• “Reading is to the mind, as exercise is to the body.” – Brian Tracy
• “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” —George Lorimer
• “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” —Thomas Carlyle

Motivational Quotes To Pursue A New Dream

• “Waiting insistently in front of a tightly closed door is unfair to all of the open doors! Give a chance to the open doors!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go. Dr. Seuss
• “You make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it. You draw your own box.”— Duchess Meghan
• “The key responsibility of leadership is to think about the future. No one else can do it for you.” – Brian Tracy
• “Make your life a masterpiece, imagine no limitations on what you can be, have, or do.”  – Brian Tracy

Motivational Quotes For Moving Forward

• “Every closed door isn’t locked and even if it is…YOU just might have the key! Search within to unlock a world of possibilities!”― Sanjo Jendayi
• “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”— Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa
• “It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone.” Mahatma Gandhi
• “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”― Robert Frost
• “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” – Michael Phelps
• “To see what is right and not do is a lack of courage.” – Confucius.

Motivational Quotes To Stay On The Right Track

• “Life has got all those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.”— Nicole Kidman
• “The effective leader recognizes that they are more dependent on their people than they are on them. Walk softly. ” – Brian Tracy
• “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” – Michelle Obama
• “Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try. For one thing we know beyond all doubt: Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, ‘It can’t be done.’” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It takes courage to examine your life and to decide that there are things you would like to change, and it takes even more courage to do something about it.” – Sue Hadfield

Motivational Quotes To Stay Positive

• “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
• “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden
• “It hurt because it mattered.” – John Green
• “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” -Zig Ziglar
• “Make sure your worst enemy is not living between your own two ears…”― Nitya Prakash
• “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
• “Life changes very quickly, in a very positive way, if you let it.”  – Lindsey Vonn
• “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot
• “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” —Muhammad Ali

Motivational Quotes For A Successful Outcome

• “The only limits you have are the limits you believe.” Wayne Dyer
• “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ― Marie Curie
• “Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “Change the game, don’t let the game change you.” – Macklemore

Short Motivational Quotes

• “Self-doubt kills talent.” Edie McClurg
• “You get what you give.” – Jennifer Lopez
• “Your life only gets better when you get better.”- Brian Tracy

Motivational Quotes For Work

• “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan
• “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs
• “Entrepreneurs are great at dealing with uncertainty and also very good at minimizing risk. That’s the classic entrepreneur.” – Mohnish Pabrai.
• “Integrity is the most valuable and respected quality of leadership. Always keep your word.” – Brian Tracy

Motivational Quotes To Change The World

• “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”— Maya Angelou
• “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”- Rob Siltanen
• “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffet
• “Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” – Brian Tracy

Motivational Quotes For The Whole Human Race

• “War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate.” — Marvin Gaye
• “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
• “Light tomorrow with today!” –  Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• “Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.”  – Mae Jemison
• “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”― Mae West
• “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” — Henry Ford

Motivational Quotes by Famous People

In a world that often presents numerous challenges and obstacles, motivation helps push you forward toward your goals. Here, we’ll look at the empowering words of successful people who have made a significant impact on the world.

Motivational Quotes By Martin Luther King, Jr.

• “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Motivational Quotes By Winston Churchill

• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
• “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
• “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston Churchill
• “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” ― Winston Churchill

Motivational Quotes By Thomas Edison

• “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. There is no substitute for hard work.”  – Thomas Edison
• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”― Thomas A. Edison
• “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven’t.”― Thomas Edison
• “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” ― Thomas A. Edison

Stay On Track With Daily Inspirational Quotes

These positive quotes can push you towards progress and help you accomplish the goals you create for yourself.

Use these words of inspiration whenever you feel like you need a boost. They can guide you through any challenge and allow you to face any situation head-on. But the encouraging words do not stop here. I have so much more to share with you to boost your confidence and keep your mind focused on all the positive possibilities you can accomplish.

Sign up today to receive my  Daily Motivational Quotes Email  every day for the next 30 days. These daily quotes are sure to get you inspired for success!

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Shona Barrie – Director of Admissions, University of Stirling

UCAS asked admissions tutors – the people who read and score your personal statement – for their advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when writing your personal statement. 

The most common piece of advice was not to worry about it – and don’t be tempted to copy anyone else’s.

Read our step-by-step guide to writing your personal statement

Then follow our simple tips below.

• Do talk about why you’re a good candidate – talk about you, your motivations and what brings you to this course.
• Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
• Do make it relevant . Connect what you’re saying with the course and with your experiences.
• Do outline your ideas clearly .
• Do avoid the negatives – highlight the positives about you, and show you know your strengths.
• Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.
• Do ask people you trust for their feedback.
• Don’t be modest or shy . You want your passions to come across. 
• Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
• Don’t use quotes from someone else, or cliches.
• Don’t leave it to the last minute – your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.
• Don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement , but don't just rely on a spellchecker. Proofread as many times as possible.
• Don’t copy and paste – make yours original.
• Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or on social media or share your personal statement with anyone including your friends and family, unless asking for feedback from people you trust.
• Don’t worry about it – we have all the advice you need to help you stand out in your personal statement. 

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Don’t be tempted to copy or share your statement.

UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied. 

Find out more

Ana ghaffari moghaddam – third year law student and careers coach, university of liverpool.

You’ve got this. Follow those simple steps and use your personal statement as your chance to shine .Use the below as a checklist to make sure you've avoided all common pitfalls.

Want more tips on what to include in your personal statement? Use the links below.

• Get started with our personal statement builder . 
• Five things all students should include in their personal statement. 
• See how you can turn your personal statement into a CV, apprenticeship application or covering letter. 
• Read How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber .

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55 Personal Mission Statement Quotes for 2024

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Do you ever feel like you’re just drifting through life? Have you ever asked yourself what more you could be doing with the abilities and talents you possess?

Many people have had the same feeling and asked the same question in their quest for a more meaningful life. The truth is, we all hunger for a sense of purpose—something that becomes our reason for getting up every morning .

A personal mission statement is a concise representation of this purpose. Having one gives you a destination in life.

In this article, we’re sharing a compilation of personal mission statement quotes to help you discover your life’s purpose.

Hopefully, these quotes will inspire you to craft your own personal mission statement .

Before heading on to the quotes, let’s talk about specific reasons why a personal mission statement is important.

Table of Contents

Why Do You Need a Personal Mission Statement?

As mentioned earlier, a mission statement provides you with a sense of purpose.

It clarifies the goals you want to achieve. This short statement allows you to stay on track and ensure that you’re working toward the goals that are aligned with your purpose.

When you have a personal mission statement, you’ll find that it is liberating to base your decisions and actions on it. Distractions are minimized or even avoided entirely.

Considering that your personal mission statement is the foundation of your actions and decisions, you’ll also discover that success comes more easily.

If you already have a personal mission statement, the following quotes can serve as additional inspiration as you continue to live out your life’s purpose .

This list of quotes is an affirmation of all that you have worked on to gain a deeper understanding of who you truly are and what you’re meant to do in this lifetime.

Here they are!

55 Personal Mission Quotes

• “ The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focused on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based. ” – Stephen Covey
• “ Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements. ” – Ron Livingston
• “ Make your life a mission – not an intermission. ” – Arnold H. Glasgow
• “ To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal. ” – Abdul Kalam
• “ Mission defines strategy, and strategy defines structure. ” – Peter F. Drucker
• “ Without a mission statement, you may get to the top of the ladder and then realize it was leaning against the wrong building! ” – Dave Ramsey
• “ The mission of your life should be to leave a better world behind than what you inherited. ” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• “ Every person above the ordinary has a certain mission that they are called to fulfill. ” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• “ Surround yourself with those who are on the same mission as you. ” – Richard Blackmore
• “ Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission. ” – Zig Ziglar
• “ A mission statement is not something you write overnight… But fundamentally, your mission statement becomes your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and values. It becomes the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life. ” – Stephen Covey
• “ Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive it isn't. ” – Richard Bach
• “ Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. ” – Henry Ford

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. ” – Henry Ford

• “ The only permission, the only validation, and the only opinion that matters in our quest for greatness is our own. ” – Steve Maraboli
• “ Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it. ” – Buddha
• “ I define personal success as being consistent to my own personal mission statement: to love God and love others. ” – Joel Manby
• “ To ensure that your work is also a play, I recommend that you develop a personal mission statement. This will help you find what it is to enjoy so much that you lose track of time when you're doing it. ” – Ken Blanchard
• “ What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. ” – Zig Ziglar

• “ You are here for a special mission. There is a purpose of your life. Find that purpose of your life, work on it and live your life happily. ” – Raaz Ojha
• “ The most extraordinary people in the world today don’t have a career. They have a mission. ” – Vishen Lakhiani
• “ Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. ” – Viktor Frankl
• “ We all have a purpose in life, and when you find yours you will recognize it. ” – Catherine Pulsifer
• “ The secret of success is constancy to purpose. ” – Benjamin Disraeli
• “ Bitter experience has taught us how fundamental our values are and how great the mission they represent. ” – Jan Peter Balkenende
• “ A man with money is no match against a man on a mission. ” – Doyle Brunson
• “ When you discover your mission… it will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it. ” – W. Clement Stone
• “ There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born and how you become most truly alive. ” – Oprah Winfrey
• “ Success demands singleness of purpose. ” – Vincent Lombardi
• “ Life without purpose is like a body without soul. ” – Tasneem Hameed

• “ Knowing our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward our destinies. First, we have a question, then dreams, daydreams, and intuitions lead us toward the answers, which usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being. ” – James Redfield
• “ A warrior’s mission is to foster the success of others. ” – Morihei Ueshiba
• “ My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some humor, and some style. ” – Maya Angelou
• “ It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. ” – Winston Churchill
• “ Anything and everything you have experienced has been purposeful; it has brought you to where you are now. ” – Iyanla Vanzant
• “ To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist. ” – Oscar Wilde
• “ In the midst of excitement, grief, joy, and solitude, I remind myself every moment that the sole mission of my life is to find ‘the ultimate questioner' — that unimaginable who has put me in this madness to answer an unanswerable question. ” – Kedar Joshi
• “ The bigger your mission becomes, the greater inspiration you will be given. ” – Ryuho Okawa
• “ Greatness is a life mission, being the best is not about being better than anyone else but striving to be the best that you can and bringing out the best in others. ” – Dominick Cruz
• “ People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost. ” – Dalai Lama
• “ Knowing your life purpose is the first step toward living a truly conscious life. A life purpose provides us with a clear goal, a set finish line that you truly want to reach. ” – Simon Foster
• “ The person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. ” – Thomas Carlyle
• “ Peak performers see the ability to manage change as a necessity in fulfilling their missions. ” – Charles A. Garfield

• “ He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. ” – Friedrich Nietzsche
• “ Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it. ” – Viktor Frankl
• “ Having a purpose is the difference between making a living and making a life. ” – Tom Thiss
• “ Discovering your purpose is the most significant thing you will do in your life, and you, your loved ones, and the world will be better off because you went on this journey. ” – Mastin Kipp
• “ The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. ” – Pablo Picasso

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. ” – Pablo Picasso

• “ We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, callings. ” – Abraham H. Maslow
• “ The two most important days in life are the day you born and the day you discover the reason why. ” – Mark Twain
• “ Until your mission is an obsession, nothing will change in your life. ” – Robin Sharma
• “ What matters most in a purposeful life is giving ones fullest strength to ones cause. Great efforts assure satisfaction, while common efforts can lead to regrets. ” – John Soforic
• “ Understanding purpose is one thing, but recognizing the importance of having purpose is another. Everybody has a unique purpose in their life, whether it be to help others, provide for family, or be free. ” – Ben Gothard
• “ The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose. ” – Charles Dickens
• “ Can you have more than one major mission pervading your life? No. That would be like coming to a fork in the road and trying to go both ways by straddling it. ” – Charles A. Garfield
• “ The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. ” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Final Thoughts on Personal Mission Statement Quotes

There you have it—a list of the finest personal mission statement quotes to inspire and motivate you to live in alignment with your true purpose.

We hope you enjoyed reading these words as much as we enjoyed compiling them.

If you are looking for more resources about personal mission statements, you can check out these amazing personal mission statement examples . Finally, here is a five-step guide to writing your personal mission statement .

Related Posts:

• Mission Statements VS Goals: 5 Key Differences
• 11 Life Purpose Questionnaires & Quizzes to Take
• 9 Best Books on Finding Your Purpose in Life

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100 Powerful Motivational Quotes to Help You Rise Above

100 motivational and inspiratinal quotes about life and success to help you conquer lifes challenges..

Every member of the human race knows that life can present difficult challenges, often taking all the fun out of our day to day lives. To overcome these obstacles there are a lot of good strategies you can employ, and very often the answer lies within. 

One great way to dig deep and overcome your difficulties is to get motivated! You may need motivation for work, home life, or simply to gain the extra positive energy necessary to develop success and get through the week. 

Enjoy the inspirational quotes below, and remember that the only limit to achieving our desires is one of imagination! Create your own happy life by filling it with purpose, and you can achieve excellence and fulfill your own dreams and your own life plan on your terms.

Motivational Quotes: Information to Inspire Your Life

There Is No Greater Thing You Can Do With Your Life And Your Work Than Follow Your Passions – In A Way That Serves The World And You. RICHARD BRANSON (more Richard Branson quotes)

Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. ROALD DAHL

If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one. DOLLY PARTON

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. HELEN KELLER

Life is a series of baby steps along the way and if you add up these tiny little steps you take toward your goal, whatever it is, whether it's giving up something, a terrible addiction or trying to work your way through an illness. HODA KOTB

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. OPRAH WINFREY (more Oprah Winfrey quotes)

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone. REBA MCENTIRE

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking: “What’s in it for me?” BRIAN TRACY

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams. OPRAH WINFREY

As soon as something stops being fun, I think it’s time to move on. Life is too short to be unhappy. Waking up stressed and miserable is not a good way to live. RICHARD BRANSON

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, '"What are you doing for others?""

Martin luther king, jr. (more martin luther king, jr. quotes), "i've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why i succeed.", michael jordan, "nothing can dim the light that shines from within.", maya angelou, "it's not what we have in life but who we have in our life that matters.", margaret laurence, "embrace the glorious mess that you are.", elizabeth gilbert, "sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.", "when one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.", helen keller, "life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how i react to it.", charles swindoll, "don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.", robert louis stevenson, "without passion, you don’t have energy. without energy, you have nothing.", warren buffett (more warren buffett quotes), "it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. if you think about that, you’ll do things differently.", warren buffett, "remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.", dale carnegie, work for that feeling that you have accomplished something…don’t waste your time on this earth without making a mark., "life is not fair, get used to it", "the only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.", ralph waldo emerson, "live for each second without hesitation.", we define ourselves far too often by our past failures. that’s not you. you are this person right now. you’re the person who has learned from those failures., "you don’t need to be better than anyone else, you just need to be better than you used to be.", success quotes to inspire and help you overcome roadblocks.

For some, there is only one motivation that they need, and that’s providing for their family. For others (like Elon Musk, for example) motivation can be harder to come by - especially if your goal is to move the human race forward and onto Mars!. 

Everyone feels like quitting at some point, and no one has all the answers. And even though it can be tempting to get under the blanket and shut out the world sometimes, quitting won’t make the challenges go away. If you give zero effort, you’ll have exactly the same number of chances at getting what you want.

Use these motivational quotes for work, for your personal life, and for anything that requires that extra boost of motivation.

When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour. ELON MUSK (more Elon Musk quotes)

Talent is god-given. Be humble. Fame is Man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. JOHN WOODEN

Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose. WAYNE DYER

The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty. WINSTON CHURCHILL (more Winston Churchill quotes)

If you can tune into your purpose and really align with it, setting goals so that your vision is an expression of that purpose, then life flows much more easily. JACK CANFIELD

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. NAPOLEON HILL (more Napoleon Hill quotes)

A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided. TONY ROBBINS (more Tony Robbins quotes)

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. HENRY DAVID THOREAU

By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands – your own. MARK VICTOR HANSEN

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. JOHN LENNON

You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it. CHARLES BUXTON

You cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life; at some point, you have to unleash the potential and make your move. ERIC THOMAS

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. CALVIN COOLIDGE

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure. PAULO COELHO

Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine. ROY T. BENNETT

The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do. SWATI SHARMA

You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind. DALE CARNEGIE

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. JIMMY DEAN

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I’m possible'! AUDREY HEPBURN

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. HENRY FORD

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. GEORGE ADDAIR

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

If you set goals and go after them with all the determination you can muster, your gifts will take you places that will amaze you. LES BROWN

Someone else’s success does not equal a failure for you. JOE ROGAN

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. WINSTON S. CHURCHILL

Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. ALBERT EINSTEIN

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. STEVE JOBS

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. ALICE WALKER

You have to see failure as the beginning and the middle, but never entertain it as an end. JESSICA HERRIN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF STELLA & DOT

Inspirational Quotes About Persevering Through Difficulty: From Albert Einstein to Babe Ruth

It may be just an opinion, but a so-called “minimum wage work ethic” will not get you want you want (or deserve!). Use the following handpicked motivational quotes to inspire you to not give up, but rather, to come through the other side and emerge as a winner!

I like criticism. It makes you strong. LEBRON JAMES

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. ALBERT EINSTEIN

Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. WINSTON CHURCHILL

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. THOMAS EDISON

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. ARISTOTLE ONASSIS

It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up. VINCE LOMBARDI

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. HENRY FORD

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. VINCENT VAN GOGH

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. CONFUCIUS

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. C.S. LEWIS

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

It always seems impossible until it’s done. NELSON MANDELA

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. NELSON MANDELA

Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed. BOB RILEY

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. MAHATMA GANDHI

You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. JOEL OSTEEN

Every problem is a gift –- without problems we would not grow. TONY ROBBINS

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. MARK TWAIN (more Mark Twain quotes)

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. THEODORE ROOSEVELT

It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs. JILLIAN MICHAELS

The man who says he can, and the man who says he can’t are both correct. CONFUCIUS

Never give up. You only get one life. Go for it! RICHARD E. GRANT

You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. BABE RUTH

If you can’t, you must. If you must, you can. TONY ROBBINS

It is never too late to be what you might have been. GEORGE ELIOT

You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over. RICHARD BRANSON

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. ROBERT F. KENNEDY

Motivational Quotes for Women - From Eleanor Roosevelt to Lady Gaga

We all look forward to strong, successful and independent women. But have you ever wondered how they managed to become strong and successful? 

Here are some motivational quotes about success for you to achieve your ambitious goals from some of the most impressive women throughout history.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. MAYA ANGELOU (more Maya Angelou quotes)

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. MARGARET MEAD (more Margaret Mead quotes)

Life imposes things on you that you can’t control, but you still have the choice of how you’re going to live through this. CELINE DION

Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can. HILLARY CLINTON

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

I've always been famous, it's just no one knew it yet. LADY GAGA (more Lady Gaga quotes)

Any actress who appears in public without being well-groomed is digging her own grave. JOAN CRAWFORD

Fame is not the glory! Virtue is the goal, and fame only a messenger, to bring more to the fold. VANNA BONTA

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. HELEN KELLER

My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent. RUTH BADER GINSBERG

Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and enjoying it for everything that it is. MANDY HALE

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Without an open-minded mind, you can never be a great success. MARTHA STEWART

If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just. ANITA RODDICK

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. AMELIA EARHART

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

Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me. ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain. VIVIAN GREENE

Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got to keep going. CHANTAL SUTHERLAND

We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. BARBARA DE ANGELIS

I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all. CATHERINE THE GREAT

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. DIANE MARIECHILD

Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. CHARLOTTE WHITTON

I want to do is because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others. AMELIA EARHART

Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore. LADY GAGA

Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country. MARGARET THATCHER (more Margaret Thatcher quotes)

Motivational Quotes for Business 

Starting a business is tough, but if you want to change the world and make money while you’re at it, you might need some inspirational quotes and motivational quotes to get you going. You can not only plan to be a success, you can plan to succeed beyond your wildest dreams! Who knows – you could be the next Steve Jobs! Let these quotes for business inspire you, remind you of why you started in the first place, and get you out of your comfort zone.

Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. GEORGE HERBERT

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. ZIG ZIGLAR

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure. HELLEN KELLER

Play by the rules, but be ferocious. PHIL KNIGHT

Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow. ANTHONY ROBBINS

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong. WARREN BUFFETT

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. HENRY DAVID THOREAU

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ANAÏS NIN

Don’t settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something. ASHTON KUTCHER

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. MARK TWAIN

Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you. GEORGE WHITEFIELD

When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it. JIM ROHN

Fortune always favours the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself. P. T. BARNUM

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. THOMAS A. EDISON

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. DALE CARNEGIE

When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there. ZIG ZIGLAR

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. PELE

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. HELEN KELLER

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. WINSTON CHURCHILL

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. STEPHEN COVEY

The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same. COLIN R. DAVIS

Opportunities don't happen. You create them. CHRIS GROSSER

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. HERMAN MELVILLE

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. MICHAEL JORDAN

Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. RICHARD BRANSON

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. COLIN POWELL

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. VIDAL SASSOON

There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them. SETH GODIN

Motivational Quotes for College Students - Quotes About Life in School and Beyond

Being a college student is stressful. After all, preparing for the real world is not an easy job! We can all use a little bit of help getting through, so check out these motivational quotes about life to keep you resilient.

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up. NELSON MANDELA

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. OG MANDINO

It never gets easier. You just get better. JORDAN HOECHLIN

The true success is the person who invented himself. AL GOLDSTEIN

All progress takes place outside the comfort zone. MICHAEL JOHN BOBAK

Make the most of yourself….for that is all there is of you. RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. W. CLEMENT STONE

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them. WASHINGTON IRVING

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. THEODORE N. VAIL

With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world. Dalai Lama

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. CHRISTIAN D. LARSON

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. WALT DISNEY

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. CONFUCIUS

Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better. JIM ROHN

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. MARK TWAIN

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. JOSHUA MARINE

Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now. DENIS WAITLEY

College is the reward for surviving high school. JUDD APATOW

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. MALCOLM X

Every year, many, many stupid people graduate from college. And if they can do it, so can you. JOHN GREEN

Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest when you haven't planted. DAVID BLY

College inspired me to think differently. It's like no other time in your life. LARA OLEYNIK

Motivational Quotes from Celebrities

Everyone looks for a little wisdom and inspiration now and then, even celebrities. Here are some of the top motivational quotes from celebrities to push you forward on your journey to success. Allow these inspirational quotes to fill your mind with clarity and purpose, straight from Hollywood.

You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak. GEORGE CLOONEY

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. LUCILLE BALL

Don't give it five minutes if you're not going to give it five years. MEGHAN MARKLE​

Every day is not a success. Every year is not a success. You have to celebrate the good. REESE WITHERSPOON

Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable. COCO CHANEL

I refuse to accept other people’s ideas of happiness for me. As if there’s a ‘one size fits all’ standard for happiness. KANYE WEST

Life is being on the wire, everything else is just waiting. KARL WALLENDA

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing. DENIS WAITLEY

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default. J.K. ROWLING

When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. ELLEN DEGENERES  

Stick around. Don’t lose your heart, just keep going, keep at it. MARK RUFFALO

I'd rather be called a boy and play with paper airplanes than be called a man and play with a girl's heart. NIALL HORAN

I don’t like to share my personal life… it wouldn’t be personal if I shared it. GEORGE CLOONEY

The image is one thing and the human being is another. It's very hard to live up to an image, put it that way. ELVIS PRESLEY

I've always been famous, it's just no one knew it yet. LADY GAGA

Your imperfections make you beautiful, they make you who you are. So just be yourself, love yourself for who you are and just keep going. DEMI LOVATO

No matter how talented you are, not everybody is going to like you. But that’s life, just stay strong. JUSTIN BIEBER

Don’t feel stupid if you don’t like what everyone else pretends to love. EMMA WATSON

If you can do what you do best and be happy, you are further along in life than most people. LEONARDO DICAPRIO

Ignore the naysayers. Really the only option is, head down and focus on the job. CHRIS PINE

I’ve learned it’s important not to limit yourself. You can do whatever you really love to do, no matter what it is. RYAN GOSLING

I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself. EMMA STONE

I’m a big believer in accepting yourself and not really worrying about it. JENNIFER LAWRENCE

I don’t do things for the response or the controversy. I just live my life. RIHANNA

Motivational Quotes for Entrepreneurs

Planting a sapling and starting your own business are similar in terms of growth. First, you need to invest money and time. Then, gently taking care of your new project, you must build with no expectations in return. During the entrepreneurial journey, you may require constant motivation. 

Here is a collection of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs to help you keep the fires burning bright. Hopefully, these inspirational quotes will help you so that you never lose the passion you need to succeed.

I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. ESTÉE LAUDER

Don’t let others convince you that the idea is good when your gut tells you it’s bad. KEVIN ROSE, CO-FOUNDED DIGG

Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life is too short to think small. TIM FERRISS

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. G.K. CHESTERTON

I don’t know the word ‘quit.’ Either I never did, or I have abolished it. SUSAN BUTCHER

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. THEODORE ROOSEVELT

If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time. STEVE JOBS

Almost everything worthwhile carries with it some sort of risk, whether it’s starting a new business, whether it’s leaving home, whether it’s getting married, or whether it’s flying into space. CHRIS HADFIELD

Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. WILL RODGERS

The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. BARACK OBAMA

Winners never quit and quitters never win. VINCE LOMBARDI

The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell. ANDREW CARNEGIE

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

Success depends on employees. For me knowing and connecting with my employees is very important. DIVINE NDHLUKULA, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF DDNS SECURITY OPERATIONS LTD

Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless. JAMIE PAOLINETTI

Do not focus on numbers. Focus on doing what you do best. It’s about building a community who want to visit your site every day because you create value and offer expertise. CASSEY HO, FOUNDER OF BLOGILATES.COM

In the age of transparency, honesty, and generosity, even in the form of an apology, generate goodwill. ALEXANDER ASSEILY, FOUNDER OF JAWBONE

If you know too much before the start, then you will get overwhelmed. Come up with an original idea, and don’t copy because there will be no passion. You need that otherworldly passion. Just start. JENI BRITTON BAUER

Don’t try to do everything by yourself, but try to connect with people and resources. Having that discipline and perseverance is really important. CHIEU CAO

It’s necessary to find a mentor who can invest time to know your personal capabilities and business model. NIGEL DAVIES, FOUNDER OF CLAROMENTIS

Don’t get distracted. Never tell yourself that you need to be the biggest brand in the whole world. Start by working on what you need at the present moment and then what you need to do tomorrow. So, set yourself manageable targets. JAS BAGNIEWSKI, CO-FOUNDER OF EVE SLEEP

You have to get good at ceding control and not taking things personally. Even seasoned entrepreneurs have struggled with that. I think it’s about not taking failures personally and also not taking successes personally. LEILA JANAH, FOUNDER OF SAMASOURCE AND LXMI

Your ability to attract, evaluate, and forge strong working relationships with co-founders, early employees, and investors often mean the difference between failure and success. CLARA SHIH, CO-FOUNDER OF HEARSAY SYSTEMS

My advice is to focus on the importance of forging a long-term relationship, whether with colleagues, partners, or customers. It is often easy to get caught up in short-term decisions. SHEILA LIRIO MARCELO, FOUNDER OF CARE.COM

If you’re starting something on your own, you better have a passion for it, because this is hard work. SALLIE KRAWCHECK, CO-FOUNDER OF ELLEVEST

Be nicer to your customers than your competitors. RICHARD REED, CO-FOUNDER OF INNOCENT DRINKS

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Teens React Heroically to Prom Night Situation

No one knows how they might respond in an emergency until they’re actually in one. Stress affects everyone differently, and sometimes, we’re forced into a stressful situation without any preparation. So when a group of teens acted heroically after their friend was in trouble, a community applauded them.

An Unexpected Prom Night Detour

Brock and his friends following the car accident

YouTube/East Idaho News

A senior named Brock had a lot to celebrate as he was driving to his prom at Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Brock was a great student and had served on his Student Council all throughout his high school career. His date, Macee, was in the front seat, and they had just picked up their friends Jaycee and Anders.

According to the kids, Brock was in the middle of telling a joke when he began having a seizure. “Apparently, when Brock’s seizure started, he floored the gas and aggressively jerked the wheel, causing them to go through several fences and through a canal and hitting other objects along the way,” Brock’s mom wrote to East Idaho News .

The mom explained that when Brock was a toddler and young boy, he had experienced seizures, but at the time of the accident, he had been seizure-free and off of medication for more than a decade. The episode shocked everyone, especially Brock’s friends in the car, who had no idea what was happening.

Quick-Thinking Teens React

When the teens realized Brock was no longer joking or in control of the car, they sprang into action.

“I was trying to get his foot off the gas or throw the car into park because he was just stuck,” Macee recalled to the news outlet.

Eventually, she was able to get Brock’s foot off the gas and put the car in neutral. She steered the vehicle away from a pond before it came to a stop. The car was totaled, but it could have been much worse for these kids had they gone into that water.

As soon as the car stopped, Jaycee and Anders helped Brock out and laid him down. He was asleep, so they called 9-1-1, along with Brock’s mom, for help. As for Brock, he couldn’t remember any of it and only recalled waking up in the hospital.

“All of these heroes are seniors at Bonneville. They are my heroes and I know the outcome could have been very different had they not acted quickly,” Brock’s mom wrote. “They are all OK from the wreck with the exception of a few bumps and bruises. I am forever grateful!”

A Community Responds

The story touched East Idaho News producers, and a crew showed up to Brock’s house a few weeks later to meet the surprised teens. Each kid received an Amazon gift card and thanks from the community for their quick thinking.

“Keeping a level head and acting on your instincts, go with what you know, would be the biggest takeaway,” Macee said.

Macee also revealed that she and Brock had to miss their prom, but they held a drive-through prom after everyone was safe and home. She still got to wear her dress and take photos for the occasion.

“Everyone just drove through and waved at me and gave me a hug; it was awesome,” Brock said. “We had our own prom.”

“We made it fun,” Macee added. “We were prom king and queen.”

Keeping a Level Head

As Brock’s mom pointed out, this situation could have been much worse were it not for the teens’ quick thinking and ability to remain calm during a terrifying situation. It’s a good reminder for all of us that when faced with an emergency, we should try to stay clear-headed.

Take deep breaths, rely on any training you may have had, and remember to call for help as soon as you can. If you’re a parent, be sure to teach your kids how to react in an emergency situation, too, because, as this story proves, you never know when you may need that information in life.

Another great strategy for remaining calm in an emergency situation is to practice calm every day. Whether that’s through breathwork, meditation, or just taking a few minutes to yourself, it can make a world of difference when you’re faced with anything unexpected in life.

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Jennifer Garner Gives Her Shoes to Homeless Man

You don’t often witness moments of celebrities and paparazzi working together for the greater good, but then again Jennifer Garner isn’t like most celebrities. The actor is known for her charitable work and doing what it takes to help others, but this might be one of her most inspiring stories yet.

A Day of Kindness

Jennifer Garner caught on camera helping a homeless man.

YouTube/ X17onlineVideo

Recently, photographers captured Jennifer Garner helping people out in Santa Monica, California. The actor, dressed down in a white T-shirt and a trucker’s cap, was handing out supplies to homeless people by the beach.

One outlet recorded a video of her handing out the items, and the videographer happened to catch the moment when Garner realized the man in a wheelchair she was helping needed new shoes.

Wanting to assist, she got out of the car, removed the man's old shoes, and put fresh socks on his feet. She tried to put her own shoes on the man, but they didn’t fit. Garner then spotted the videographer following her and approached him with a simple request: could she buy his shoes?

Inspiring Good Acts

In the video, the man refused payment for his shoes and gave them to the man instead. Furthermore, Garner’s acts of kindness inspired him to go above and beyond as well: he added several items to the pile, including a blanket, some pants, and a fresh t-shirt.

“Jennifer Garner's selflessness reminds us all of the power of compassion and the positive impact one person can have on another's life,” the outlet wrote in its video caption.

In the video’s comments, people added their own thoughts, calling Garner a “real-life angel” and saying it was the nicest gesture they’ve ever seen from a celebrity.

“Anyone here who is doubtful of her actions, get a life, seriously,” one person wrote. “Would any other celebrity touch a homeless person’s feet and help change their pants at all? Would YOU do it?”

“There should be more movie stars helping people in need,” added someone else. “Jennifer is such a wholesome and kind person.”

“Usually, I'm skeptical about recorded good deeds of celebs or influencers since it's too often about their narcissistic need for attention. However, this here, is clearly a woman who acted out of concern and empathy. Well done, Jennifer. Well done,” wrote someone else.

We Are All the Same

One of the most touching parts of this story is that, at the end of the day, we are all human. And sometimes, we all need help. Some people have more than others, whether that be health, money , status, privilege, or something else. But having more doesn’t make one person better than another, and it doesn’t mean we can’t stop to help a fellow human being in need.

Garner, who on the surface seems to have been given a pretty decent hand in life, knows that. Her actions with that homeless man prove it. More importantly, by showcasing her kindness and empathy, she inspired others to help in their own ways.

At the end of the day, kindness is what makes the world go round, no matter who you are. Lead with it and remember it when you’re in a position to help someone else. One day, when you need it most, it will also show up for you.

Copyright © 2024 Goalcast

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How To Start A Personal Statement: An Expert View

Starting a personal statement can often be the hardest challenge that applicants face. The prospect of starting with a blank page can be daunting, and it can often lead to people not starting in good time. This post will give you the tools you need to get started in the right way…

There are 9 steps to starting a personal statement, and apart from the first and last, you can work on them in any order. Do not write the first draft from scratch or try to write the opening paragraph first. Instead, gather key information and make comprehensive notes before creating the content.

Here are those nine steps in greater detail…

1 Make a Resource Document with Relevant Sections

The very first step when starting work on your personal statement is to create a single resource document. This can be in pages, word or in-app; whatever works best for you. All of your research, notes and writing will go into this one document, so make sure you’re comfortable with the software you use. The rules for this document are simple and if you stick to them, your personal statement will have a far higher chance of success.

Firstly, make sure your document is available across your devices. If you have reliable cloud storage, keep it there. Secondly, if you have connectivity or security issues, or you’re not comfortable with working online, make sure you regularly save a local copy. Back it up, but only work on one version and make sure you know exactly which version is which. Lastly, organise your document into specific, well-planned sections, and be disciplined about adhering to this structure. If you’re not sure how to divide your document, you can see an example below, based on the headings in this post.

If you’re more comfortable with pen and paper planning, a simple workbook like this will suit you perfectly.

2 Research Courses and Gather Key Vocabulary

Research a range of courses that focus on your chosen subject or speciality. You can do this incredibly easily and comprehensively here in the UK or here in the US . Once you have identified courses offering core components and modules that interest you, and with descriptions that engage you, take the time to make a list of the top 10 common or closely related vocabulary used to describe not only the course but also the attributes of a potential student.

You should end up with a list of powerful buzzwords that apply across the spectrum of courses you’re applying for. You should be ready to use a mix of these words, if appropriate and relevant, in your personal statement. This will show the reader that not only have you done your research, but that you are exactly the right fit for their program.

3 Consider Personal Inspirations and Anecdotes

Some consider this heading to be contentious, but in the early stages of starting your personal statement, it is vital that you prioritise writing about yourself. Regardless of whether you think they’re trivial or profound, note down as many of the reasons why you want to study a particular subject or go into a particular industry as you can. You might only use a sentence from this section in your final document, but having a pool of notes about what drives you is important; it will provide the reader with a tangible insight into your motivations and ambitions.

You might list personal experiences that inspired your interest in a subject or consider individuals or groups that have fostered your interest. You might have a desire to make a change in a particular field, or to work on overcoming a challenge faced by others. You might even have seen something as a child that has stayed in your mind. For now, write it all down. At a later point in the process, you will want to distil your motivation into an effective, relevant passage.

4 Evidence Your Knowledge, Skills and Suitability

One of the most important elements to include in a personal statement is evidencing your academic and personal suitability for the course you are applying for. At the start of the process, this might feel like a bit of a list, but you can develop it later, when you start to shape the material. Lots of the content in this section is likely to come from what you’ve explored and been inspired by during current or previous courses of study.

For now, make a list of all the skills you have that you think will be relevant to your application. You’ll want to think about specific subject-related knowledge, wider academic skills and your personal suitability for the course. I’ve given you some examples in the table below to get you started. Think as deeply as you can about what the subject would demand of you at a higher level, and how you can show that you meet the appropriate standard, rather than just telling the reader that you do. Here’s a great video going into that in a bit more detail:

Use your planning document as a space to write down everything that occurs to you, as long as it follows the structure in the table below. You could even insert a table of your own into your document, if it helps. You can always remove the table and turn the points into logical, well-crafted prose later in the process.

5 Evidence Wider Reading, Activities and Opinions

When you start your personal statement, it is important to keep an accurate record of the wider reading you do in preparation for the course. Some of this is likely to be related to your current courses of study, but specifically, admissions teams are looking for evidence that you have researched, read and participated in activities that extend your knowledge of the subject beyond your current syllabus, and by extension, make you a more suitable candidate for study at a higher level.

You should be able to evidence a range of books you’ve read that relate to the subject you want to study, but also trade publications you’ve seen, videos and lectures you’ve watched, workshops, conferences or seminars you have attended live or online and ways in which you have sought out opportunities to deepen your knowledge in general. This can seem like a lot of work, but if you are dedicated to deeper study of a subject, it should naturally be ongoing and enjoyable.  

It is also good practice, along with notes of what you read or experienced, to give your informed opinion of it. This will be very useful in your personal statement, as you’ll be able to make comparative points to demonstrate your knowledge as well as your academic potential. There are some excellent pointers for improving your academic research here .

6 Gather Information About the Subject or Industry

Regardless of your intended field of study, you will be able to gather some key information about contemporary movements or opinions in the field, or opportunities and challenges within the industry that are relevant to your course. Take some time to move beyond the information in your current course texts and use your own research to develop a few specific, clear examples. You will want to refer to some of these in your personal statement, but only when doing so is relevant to the point you want to make.

Remember, you should evidence your suitability by showing your knowledge, opinions and ambition, not by listing the top three answers to a quick Google search.  As an example, if you were applying for a degree in Medicine, you might gather the following kinds of information:

7 Explain Your Ambitions in Relation to the Course

This can be a challenging thing for some people to write about but is exactly what admissions officers and course leaders want to see. So, having thoroughly researched the content of the courses you are applying for, make a list of the specific ambitions you have for your studies.

Rather than saying “I want to learn more about Physics”, which doesn’t really mean anything, perhaps you could say “I am particularly interested in deepening my understanding of fluid dynamics, in advance of applying for an Aeronautics placement later in the course.” By writing like this, you are showing that you understand the course content, and making your application purposeful; there’s a specific reason for your choices, which is important to universities.

You could also show a wider level of ambition by linking the specialisms of study on a particular course with your career aspirations. If you want to go into Events Management as a career, then talking about the value of studying a module in Venue Risk Management connects your goals to the course content incredibly clearly.

8 List Your Relevant Co-Curricular Experiences

This section should list all the things you have done in addition to your studies that might be relevant or valuable to your application. When you are starting your personal statement, it’s alright to pour lots of thoughts and examples into this document. You will need to review and edit later, but for now, it’s alright to include as much content as you can.

What makes an experience relevant or valuable? It needs to have a direct bearing on your ability to successfully complete a higher level of study in your chosen field, or it needs to evidence sympathetic skills which will be of value to you during the course.

For example, saying that you enjoy swimming has no immediate relevance to an application to study Archaeology. However, if you have developed a self-disciplined and motivated mindset due to regular and demanding training, then that’s a skill worth mentioning, as it could be related to your potential success as a student. If you intend to study Interior Design, and you have experience of a part-time job in retail, that’s not a particularly valuable inclusion. Explaining what you learned about visual design as a result of creating a successful window display in the store would evidence relevant skills as well as indicating that you can balance study and work effectively.

9 Edit and Structure Relevant Content Carefully

It will take you a long time to research and note down all of these elements, but it is worth persevering, being accurate and thorough, and giving yourself the time to go through these steps in full. Once you have all this information, you’ll find you’ve got a large document, and it might seem like quite a challenge to edit it down. However, once you’ve gathered everything, you’ll find the hardest part of the process has been completed.

If you need some help with proofing and editing, you should check out Grammarly . I often recommend this free, intuitive software to students as it really helps get personal statements to a high level of accuracy, and it’s great for university study as well. You can click here to find out more about it , or hit the banner.

Depending on the context you’re writing your personal statement for, you’ll need to edit down to a specific word or character count. Even if you don’t have a word count to work to, it will be important to edit your notes to make your personal statement compelling and engaging. If you’re stuck on getting your first paragraph right, you can pick up some great advice here , and you can check out how to structure your content successfully over at this post .

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support. You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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Professionals

Why Quotes Should Be Avoided in a Personal Statement

Written by David Lombardino   |  Updated February 23, 2024

How Do I Stand out?

One of the greatest challenges—and for many the single greatest challenge—in applying for medical residency is deciding what to write in the personal statement. How do I stand out? What can I write to catch the program director’s attention?

These are questions that plague every one of the 45,000 applicants for medical residency across the U.S. and Canada every year, and they are ones that both U.S. and Canadian medical graduates and international medical graduates (IMGs) have to answer.

The Greatest Obstacle to Writing a Personal Statement

I have been editing, proofreading and critiquing personal statements for medical residency since 2008. It started as a favor I would do for friends and acquaintances, and has grown to overseeing, as editor in chief, the 1,000+ personal statements DLA Editors & Proofers reviews annually.

From what I have seen, the greatest obstacle preventing candidates from knowing what to write in their personal statements is not actually understanding what a personal statement is.

What Exactly Is a “Personal Statement”?

To understand what a personal statement is—and therefore to avoid the common pitfalls in writing one—it is necessary to consider first what the words “personal” and “statement” mean.

Let us start with the word “statement,” since it is the noun and therefore the foundation of the term.

According to Webster's Third New International Dictionary , a “statement” is “a report or narrative (as of facts, events, or opinions),” an “account” or “recital.” A “narrative,” or “narration,” is “the act or process of telling the particulars of an act, occurrence, or course of events.”

For candidates applying for medical residency, both the “act” and “occurrence” is the process of applying for medical residency, and the “course of events” is the path that has led to the candidate's now applying for medical residency.

When we add the definition of “personal” to this description, we get an even clearer picture.

“Personal” means “of or relating to a particular person.” It is “not public or general.” The “particular person,” of course, is the candidate preparing for medical residency.

Applying this meaning to that of “statement,” we can see that the “path” that is to be described by the “personal statement” should be the one of the applicant, and no one else.

The Challenge of Being “Personal” in a “Personal Statement”

Of the two components of the “personal statement,” by far the one that most applicants struggle with is the “personal” aspect.

Our clients are smart, driven individuals who excel at gathering, analyzing and prioritizing information to find possible solutions to a problem. The process is one in which they have been well trained, as the foundation for taking an effective patient history to arrive at the most likely differential diagnosis.

The greatest difficulty they have when needing to write their personal statements is not in their ability to approach a problem logically, but in being able even to know how to approach the problem of what to write, which for many defies logic.

This is particularly true for applicants raised outside the U.S. or Canada in cultures in which they were taught never to focus on themselves or to divulge any personal details, no matter how trivial.

Why Candidates Use Quotes in Their Personal Statements

No matter whether the candidates are U.S. or Canadian medical graduates or IMGs—and therefore for various reasons—they tend just the same to want to use quotes in their personal statements, with the quotes they want to use tending to fall into one of three categories.

The first and most common is a quote from someone famous. Examples of this are quoting Mohammed, Nelson Mandela or Thomas Jefferson.

The second is a quote from what a professor, attending or public speaker said in front of a class or group.

The third is a quote from a close friend, family member or otherwise particularly influential individual that has had a profound effect on the candidate.

In most cases, the quote is used in the introduction, and in most of these the candidate uses it in the first sentence. The reason for this is quite simple: the candidate is stuck on how to start, they do not have enough confidence in their own words, they believe such a device will attract the attention of an otherwise disinterested program director, or all of the above.

Why Using a Quote in a Personal Statement Is Almost Always a Mistake

What many candidates do not realize is that quoting someone else—particularly in the introduction and especially in the first sentence—is almost always a mistake.

There are several reasons for this.

Most commonly—as in the first two types of quotes described above—the quote has had no direct influence in shaping the candidate’s personal or professional path.

For a quote from Mohamed, Mandela or any other person to be effective, it must be crucial to the point in the narrative at which it occurs.

If it occurs in the first sentence, for example, it must be that the quote, above all the other candidate’s influences, has been foundational in their path. This is rarely likely, except in the case in which the candidate first heard the quote at a very young age and replayed it over and over again in their mind every—or almost every—day since.

Such quotes are more likely to have come from a parent or close family member or family friend than from a famous person.

When the quote occurs somewhere in the introduction after the first sentence, or elsewhere in the personal statement, it must similarly have had a profound effect on the candidate's individual path, or it must be otherwise crucial to the narrative.

In the first case it would be from someone particularly influential in the candidate’s life. This could be from a close family member or from some other individual close to the candidate. It could be from a professor or attending if it represents a key moment in the candidate's development.

What I mean by “gimmick” is something that someone writes as a crutch in place of what should actually be written.

In most cases the candidate does not realize that what they have written will come across as a gimmick, or they—at least before using our services—are at a loss with regard to what else to write.

When evaluating whether a quote is being used effectively, we come back to the key pillar of the personal statement, which is that it must be “personal.”

Too often, the quotes come across as either filler material or as a result of the candidate's, for whatever reason, not taking the effort simply to tell their own story.

What Candidates Should Write in Their Personal Statements Instead of a Quote

One problem we see is that there is a lot of misleading advice—and, even worse, examples—on how to write a personal statement that encourage the candidate to start with a famous quote. For almost every candidate, this is, by contrast, the worst place to start.

What is easy, though, is to ask one simple question to help decide whether starting with a quote is a good idea. This is: “Where did I get the idea for using this quote?”

If the answer is not that “it has had a profound effect on me since I heard it” or, in other words, that “there is no other way for me to tell my story without it,” then chances are it will not be successful to use it in the personal statement.

What a candidate should write instead is simply their own path in their own words.

Instead of trying to find a quote to use for the first sentence, the candidate should reflect on what exactly was the beginning of their path, and start with describing that.

One way to start could be: “As far back as I can remember, I have had a strong desire to help others” or “I will never forget the first time my uncle took me to visit the slums.”

Opening with a clear, direct statement like this from the candidate's own point of view will always be the most effective way to gain the attention of the program director, and to encourage them to read past the first sentence.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published January 30, 2017, and last updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness June 16, 2022.

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wisdom quotes trending all quotes

100 Short Quotes That Will Inspire You (FAST)

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

Best Quotes – Very Short – Inspirational – Wise – Takeaways – Further Readings

Here are 100 short inspirational quotes for you.

I’ve been collecting and using them since 2004.

And one thing I’ve learned is this:

The most effective and inspiring quotes are the shortest.

For example, one of the quotes I’ve repeated the most in my head is “stay hungry, stay foolish” by Steve Jobs.

It’s only 4 words long.

But it’s packed with wisdom and power.

The best part?

It’s a practical quote you can apply in your life.

Like most quotes you’ll find here.

So, I guarantee you’ll find inspiration FAST .

It’s a collection I’ve been upgrading and pruning for 19+ years.

I hope you’ll like it as much as I do.

Are you ready for great one-liners, simple thoughts, and wise sayings to start your day?

Let’s begin!

The Best Short Quotes

He who is brave is free. Seneca

You can totally do this.

We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough. Helen Keller

The fastest road to meaning and success: choose one thing and go all in. Maxime Lagacé

Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong. Winston Churchill

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. Samuel Beckett

Impossible is for the unwilling. John Keats

I can and I will.

No pressure, no diamonds. Thomas Carlyle

Don’t tell people your plans. Show them your results.

Prove them wrong.

Good things happen to those who hustle. Anaïs Nin

Go forth on your path, as it exists only through your walking. Augustine of Hippo

No guts, no story. Chris Brady

Take the risk or lose the chance.

Screw it, let’s do it. Richard Branson

Boldness be my friend. William Shakespeare

Keep going. Be all in. Bryan Hutchinson

Dream big. Pray bigger.

If you want it, work for it.

Leave no stone unturned. Euripides

Stay foolish to stay sane. Maxime Lagacé

And so the adventure begins.

You can if you think you can. George Reeves

Whatever you are, be a good one. Abraham Lincoln

Broken crayons still color.

Grow through what you go through.

Do it with passion or not at all.

Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. Christopher Reeve

If it matters to you, you’ll find a way. Charlie Gilkey

She believed she could, so she did.

The past does not equal the future. Tony Robbins

Forget about style; worry about results. Bobby Orr

Success is the child of audacity. Benjamin Disraeli

Whatever you do, do with all your might. Marcus Tullius Cicero

If you’re going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill

When nothing goes right, go left.

Every noble work is at first impossible. Thomas Carlyle

We are twice armed if we fight with faith. Plato

Be faithful to that which exists within yourself. André Gide

Let him that would move the world first move himself. Socrates

Persistence guarantees that results are inevitable. Paramahansa Yogananda

My life is my message. Mahatma Gandhi

I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Euripides

The true success is the person who invented himself. Al Goldstein

Fall seven times, stand up eight. Japanese proverb

Each day provides its own gifts. Marcus Aurelius

• 79 Positive Quotes To Uplift Yourself
• 77 Life Lessons Quotes (To Learn And Grow)
• 57 Life Goes On Quotes That Will Move You

Very Short Quotes (For Tattoos, Mantras, etc.)

I love you.

You matter.

Choose joy.

Choose happy.

Take it easy.

Be in the now.

Live the moment.

Keep going.

Keep your chin up.

Relax. Seriously. Ryan Holiday

Paradise is a mindset. Maxime Lagacé

Keep moving forward.

Fear less. Love more.

Work hard. Stay humble.

Enjoy the little things.

The best is yet to come.

Collect moments – not things.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson.

More Short Inspirational Quotes

Be a voice. Not an echo.

Every wall is a door. Ralph Waldo Emerson

If youth knew; if age could. Sigmund Freud

Time is the soul of this world. Pythagoras

Life begins where fear ends. Osho

Stars can’t shine without darkness.

Be who you needed when you were young.

Find what you love and let it kill you. Charles Bukowski

Related : 10 Gentle Ways to Find Inspiration in Everyday Life (andymort.com)

Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. Will Rogers

The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. William Blake

Peace of mind is freedom from desire. Shane Parrish

Know yourself and you will know what to do. Maxime Lagacé

The less you want, the richer you are. Yanni

You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop. Rumi

Freedom is taking what comes. Maxime Lagacé

Small And Simple Quotes

You have to be odd to be number one. Dr. Seuss

Wherever you are, be there totally. Eckhart Tolle

The quieter you become, the more you can hear. Ram Dass

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

A man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent. Martin Luther King Jr

Failure is success if we learn from it. Malcolm Forbes

Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice. Henry Ford

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau

What counts can’t always be counted; what can be counted doesn’t always count. Albert Einstein

The man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. James Crook

Fools chase. The wise relax. Maxime Lagacé

Key Takeaways

• Life is short . Be patient with results and impatient with actions.
• You can accomplish many things. But start with ONE and give it your 100%. Then go to the next.
• Choose hope and positivity. But remember: what’s valuable is not easy.
• Stop overthinking. Planning is fine, but life gets better when you expect less and trust more.
• You have one life. And it’s right now. In front of you. So GO!

Further Readings

• Topic: Life
• 100 Life Quotes To Transform Your Life Today
• 100 One Word Quotes (For Quick Inspiration)
• 101 Two Word Quotes (Find Motivation And Inspiration)
• 100+ Of The Most Famous Quotes Of All Time
• 75 Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)
• 5 Ways to Find Inspiration (hint: stop looking for it!) (notsomoderngirl.com)
• How To Get Motivated Now (becalmwithtati.com)
• 120 Inspirational Quotes For Teens To Cheer Yourself Up
• 100 Inspirational Quotes For Women To Empower You
• 130 Inspirational Quotes For Men
• 87 Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think

Hope you liked these short inspirational quotes! If you did, share one of them with a friend today!

What’s your favorite short quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

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"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -Aristotle

Copyright © 2004-2024

Politics | Presidential debate: Is Biden sick? What does…

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Politics | Presidential debate: Is Biden sick? What does Trump mean by ‘after-birth’ abortions? The people react

Just minutes into the debate, it dominated social platform X’s trending topics list, with #Debates2024 generating almost 80,000 posts in the first 30 minutes. By the end of it, the hashtag had grown to about 335,000 posts. The takeaway? The people weren’t happy.

ok if you don't live in the US, please turn the debate off. This is our private family humiliation, and we'd all prefer you not stare. — Ginny Hogan_ (@ginnyhogan_) June 28, 2024

Don’t watch the debates if you’re one of those people who gets really sad when you see an elderly person eating soup alone at a restaurant. — Christin (@hexprax) June 28, 2024

The hashtag #swapJoeout began circulating during and after the debate, with many encouraging the Democratic party to choose a different nominee.  2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang was among those calling for the change after Biden’s performance.

Guys, the Dems should nominate someone else – before it’s too late. #swapJoeout — Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) June 28, 2024

Early comments pertained to Biden’s opening statements, with users commenting that the president’s voice sounded frail and hard to understand. At 81 years old, users questioned if he could be sick, or generally expressed frustration at his age.

Is Joe Biden sick? Yikes. His voice is awful already. — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 28, 2024

Joe Biden’s voice ran out after the first sentence #Debates2024 pic.twitter.com/Z5fITgcutv — Brent (@Brentweets) June 28, 2024

Joe Biden is literally malfunctioning pic.twitter.com/j6OGPitN2C — kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) June 28, 2024

NBC News Whitehouse correspondent Kelly O’Donnell wrote on X that Biden has a cold, confirmed by two sources familiar with the situation.

NEW: Two sources familiar with the situation say “President Biden has a cold.” — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) June 28, 2024

Trump also garnered harsh criticism from his early statements about COVID-19 policy.

Trump now taking credit for the economic Covid recovery under Biden. <— Sounds like someone went to debate prep. — Symone D. Sanders Townsend (@SymoneDSanders) June 28, 2024

“We largely fixed it” Trump says about Covid pic.twitter.com/yoH2D958Us — Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) June 28, 2024

Early-debate reactions also pertained to Trump’s comments around after-birth abortions.

Responding to Trump’s comments about abortions, CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale wrote on X that, “Trump’s claim that some Dem states allow people to execute babies after birth is fiction. No state allows this. He’s said the state he’s talking about is New York, which doesn’t allow this, though false social media memes have said it does.”

Trump’s claim that some Dem states allow people to execute babies after birth is fiction. No state allows this. He’s said the state he’s talking about is New York, which doesn’t allow this, though false social media memes have said it does. https://t.co/KhSVQPfk3V — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 28, 2024

That’s literally not how abortion works. This disinformation about abortion is meant to confuse people and distract from what Trump and his allies really want to do → ban all abortions. — Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) June 28, 2024

Biden’s comments about Trump’s recent track record – including his felony conviction – received reactions from social media users.

Woah! Biden didn’t hold back. He just unloaded on Trump for being a convicted felon, rapist, sleeping with a porn star while his wife Melania was pregnant, and “having the morals of an alley cat.” #debates #debates2024 pic.twitter.com/b4ae5RB0XK — Lynnette KhalfaniCox (@themoneycoach) June 28, 2024

Both candidates received plenty of comments on their responses regarding border policy. Notably, the X account for the official union of the U.S. Border Patrol responded to a comment that Biden made about its endorsement of his position, generating widespread reactions.

To be clear, we never have and never will endorse Biden. — Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) June 28, 2024

Late into the debate, both candidates went on a brief aside about golf, which was not well-received.

Just two men arguing about their golf game. America. pic.twitter.com/9DzhYUL4GU — Deadspin (@Deadspin) June 28, 2024

Two old, white men talking about golf. Sigh. Here we are. #Debates2024 — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 28, 2024

Throughout the debate, general consensus – and the most popular posts of the night – seemed to revolve around persistent points regarding Trump and Biden’s ages and overall dissatisfaction with the candidates.

Ummm… these cannot possibly be our only options… #Debates2024 pic.twitter.com/4O7XU3B8RR — hgtp://altif (@altifbrown) June 28, 2024

This is the worst SNL cold open ever #Debates2024 — Chris Illuminati (@chrisilluminati) June 28, 2024

The rest of the world watching the US #Debates2024 pic.twitter.com/b0EJFq5nPQ — Natasha ❀ (@ndelriego) June 28, 2024

This is an updating story. Check back for developments.

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