Sometimes, all you need is the right inspirational quote to give you a little pick-me-up when you're feeling down. Here are a few of our favorites that we've shared over the years.



You may think luck is a superstition, but there actually is a difference between people who consider themselves lucky and those who consider themselves unlucky. But when it comes right down to it: sometimes luck is just hard work in disguise.


Not everything needs to get done—and even fewer things need to get done now. True productivity relies in separating the urgent from the important, and the unimportant from everything else.



Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal once said Inspiration is like food poisoning: it sprays out uncontrollably when you need it the least. But you'll never get food poisoning if you don't eat, and you'll never get inspired if you don't work toward something.



It doesn't matter if you're in a position of "leadership" or not—a lot of the world's best leadership advice goes for your personal life, too. Don't be afraid to give up your credit when it matters, but don't get greedy when it doesn't matter.



Sometimes you have to work really hard to achieve your goals, but other times they come easily. No matter what, though, you can't get complacent: instead of taking a break when things go right, use it to build momentum. Your best work is always ahead of you.



Success is great, but applying value to that success will actually make you happy. Being a good person will actually make you happy.



This quote may be from Jim Jones, but that doesn't mean your bet has to be suicide for a cult leader. It just means sometimes, even evil people have good advice, and we could all benefit from breaking out of our comfort zone and taking a few risks.



Despite the cries of YOLO across the internet, you don't only get one chance in life to do what you want. Conventional wisdom, according to webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, says it takes about 7 years to master something—which means you've got 11 chances to do whatever you want. So don't be afraid to spend a few years teaching yourself a valuable skill, or pursuing that dream career. If it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted your onlylife—just one of them.



Whether you're trying to learn something new or survive a ton of criticism, sometimes life just hands you lemons. Whatever it is, though, you'll be better off in the end. A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.



It may not have been said by a famous philosopher or former president, but some of the best advice we've ever heard is that no matter what you do, people will judge you. You'll never be able to escape it. Luckily, you don't need everyone to like you—the only people that matter are your people. So let yourself do the embarrassing. Embrace the awkwardness. If you do, you'll go a lot higher than those who care what everyone else thinks.

Images by Ensuper (Shutterstock), Dchauy (Shutterstock), and Alex Jackson (Shutterstock).