Having made a living through various occupations—including writer, fry cook, prostitute, nightclub dancer, journalist, director and producer of plays, movies and TV programmes, opera cast member and coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference—when Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86, she had a lot of life experience clocked up.

And with that came a hell of a lot of wisdom, which she generously shared through her writings and lectures. To mark the first anniversary of her passing, here is a small selection of some fabulous advice—to help us live our best lives:

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”

“When people show you who they are, believe them.”

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

Thank you Maya for the life lessons. They were gratefully recieved and embraced.

Relephant:

3 Essential Life Lessons that Maya Angelou Taught Me.

Author: Hilda Carroll

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo via Flickr