Remembering Dr. Maya Angelou

Today I take the opportunity to honor and remember a great communicator: Maya Angelou.

She is a woman who inspired, guided, motivated and educated society by using the power of communication.

I am sure each of us have our own introductory memory of Dr. Angelou. For me it was a book report and speech my sophomore year in high school. It was on her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which led her to become one of the most influential voices in contemporary literature. Actually, back then my first thought was, “how cool a book about studying birds!” of course, much like To Kill a Mockingbird I soon realized the mention of our feathered friends were merely a metaphor, but a powerful and inspiring one at that.

Dr. Angelou is a renowned civil rights activist, poet, novelist, educator, memoirist, producer, actress, historian and filmmaker.

She is a woman who truly left her mark on this planet and will not be forgotten. Her poignant quotes not only resonate with me, but have been and will be with me always. I feel the way for a person’s spirit to live on is to continue to talk about them and speak/share their words. Therefore allow me to share with you just a few of my favorite words from Maya Angelou…

My Favorite Quotes from Dr. Maya Angelou

“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.”  (This is my favorite!)

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

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

“Nothing will work unless you do.” 

“I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life.”

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

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

“You shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

“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.”

“You alone are enough you have nothing to prove to anybody.” 

“Surviving is important, Thriving is elegant!”

Continue to apply these and carry on her spirit!

More on Dr. Maya Angelou

Watch the audio/video recital of Dr. Angelou’s famous poem “Phenomenal Woman”  http://youtu.be/VeFfhH83_RE

For more information about Maya Angelou: http://mayaangelou.com/bio/