30 Famous Quotes Everyone Should Know

Ever notice how just a few words can stop you in your tracks and make you think differently?

Some quotes have a strange kind of magic. They stick with you, challenge you, and sometimes even change you. I’ve felt it myself—during late-night struggles with binge eating, after quitting video games cold turkey, or while kneeling in prayer, searching for peace. A short, powerful quote has helped flip the script in my mind more than once.

So today, I want to share 30 of those quotes with you. The kind that actually make a difference. The kind you’ll want to write on a sticky note and keep where you can see it.

Let’s dive into these timeless words—and how they can help you right now.

1. “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda

This one hit me hard when I first started my health journey. I used to say, “I’ll try to lose some weight.” But trying became stalling. When I changed that to “I will,” I lost over 110 pounds. There's power in commitment.

Action tip: Swap “I’ll try” for “I will” or “I won’t.” It keeps you honest.

2. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Fear of failure can be paralyzing. I remember staring at GoodExistence.com’s blank homepage thinking, “What if no one cares?” But putting my effort out there led to real connections. Don’t wait for perfect. Just start.

Action tip: Take one small shot this week. Email that person. Sign up for that class. Hit publish.

3. “Discipline equals freedom.” – Jocko Willink

This one changed how I viewed routines. Waking up early, doing deep work, eating clean—that structure opened up freedom I never expected. I had more energy. More confidence. More clarity.

Action tip: Try one habit with consistent discipline for a week. See how good it feels.

4. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln

You don’t have to be the best. Just show up fully where you are. Whether I was sweeping floors or building Good Existence, I learned to take pride in showing up well.

Action tip: Focus on doing your current role—parent, student, employee, whatever—with care and intention.

5. “The only way out is through.” – Robert Frost

There’s no shortcut through pain. I had to face my laziness, my addiction to comfort food, my excuses. But going through the discomfort led to real change.

Action tip: Stop looking for the escape route. Do what needs to be done today, even if it’s hard.

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

Progress isn’t a sprint. I lost the weight over years, not weeks. Real transformation is slow and sticky, with lots of ups and downs.

Action tip: Don’t worry about speed. Just don’t stop.

7. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Scrolling through social media made me feel like I’d never measure up. Once I unfollowed accounts that triggered that feeling, I had more space to focus on my own journey.

Action tip: Unfollow anyone who makes you feel “less than.” Your peace is more important.

8. “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” – Gretchen Rubin

Big efforts are great, but daily effort? That’s what changes you. Overcoming binge eating wasn’t about one perfect week. It was about choosing to stop at “just enough” again and again.

Action tip: Pick one thing to do daily—walk, pray, write, stretch, call a friend—and show up.

9. “God’s timing is perfect.” – Unknown

I wanted life to move faster. I used to chase results. But when I leaned into faith, I found peace in waiting. Not everything needs to happen right now.

Action tip: Say this when you’re feeling rushed. Trust that delay isn’t denial.

10. “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

One salad won’t make you healthy. One workout isn’t the goal. It’s the tiny stuff, repeated over time. That’s how I beat 15 years of unhealthy living. One balanced day at a time.

Action tip: Focus on winning today. That’s enough.

Now here are 20 more worth reading, writing down, or even memorizing:

11–30: More Powerful Quotes to Keep You Going

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali
“Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible.” – Luke 1:37
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“One day or day one. You decide.” – Unknown
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Let go and let God.” – Unknown
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama
“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” – Jerzy Gregorek
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” – Susan Jeffers
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” – Voltaire
“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” – Robert Kiyosaki
“You can’t heal in the same environment that made you sick.” – Unknown
“You are not a mess. You are a deeply feeling person in a messy world.” – Glennon Doyle
“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” – Unknown
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later… it produces a harvest of righteousness.” – Hebrews 12:11
“You can’t pour from an empty cup.” – Unknown
“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” – Mike Murdock

Lasting Change Begins with a Thought

Sometimes all it takes is one word, one quote, one verse to shift something inside you. That shift can be small. A decision to go for a walk. To pray. To try again. But small shifts stack up over time. Keep stacking.

So here’s a simple challenge for today: