It’s been one year since the world lost one of the most prolific artists of our time at the age of 86, Maya Angelou. She was a poet, dancer, author, actress and singer. She will live forever in the hearts and minds of the many that she influences around the world. Here are some of my favorite of her life lessons.
Maya Angelou smiling in Washington, Nov. 21, 2008. Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP
“Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“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.”
“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
Author and poet Maya Angelou pictured in 1974. Photo by Wayne Miller/Magnum
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.”
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
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