50 Powerful Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes That Will Change You

Introduction

Quotes have the power to condense big ideas into a single, memorable line that can shift your mood, sharpen your focus, or give you courage when you need it most. Eleanor Roosevelt's words are especially potent: candid, compassionate, and practical. Use these quotes when you need a push to act, a reminder of your worth, a boost of confidence, or a new perspective on life's challenges.

Motivational quotes

• "Do one thing every day that scares you."
• "You must do the things you think you cannot do."
• "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."
• "Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes."
• "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
• "It takes as much courage to have tried and failed as it does to have tried and succeeded."
• "A woman is like a teabag — you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
• "One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes… and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility."
• "We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all."

Inspirational quotes

• "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
• "If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor."
• "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
• "When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die."
• "Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world."
• "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."
• "To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."
• "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."
• "Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you'll be criticized anyway."

Life wisdom quotes

• "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
• "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do."
• "Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, be lulled into a sense of complacency."
• "Understanding is a two-way street."
• "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously."
• "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."
• "It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it."
• "You must accept the fact that there will be obstacles, and meet them with courage and persistence."

Success quotes

• "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
• "You would be surprised how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."
• "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires them to have confidence in themselves."
• "I will not be triumphed over."
• "With conviction, planning, and persistence, small steps become great achievements."
• "The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like."
• "Success for me is knowing that I did everything I could to help others and stand for what I believed in."
• "There is nothing new except what has been forgotten."

Happiness quotes

• "Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product of a life well lived."
• "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."
• "Happiness depends on a certain kind of courage: the courage to be oneself."
• "To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind."
• "The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."
• "Joy and peace come not when things are perfect, but when we choose to see what is good and act on it."
• "The bright hours of life are often followed by dark ones; still, the bright hours show us that light exists."
• "Be your own friend; be kind to yourself and allow room for growth."

Daily inspiration quotes

• "Keep on doing the things you are doing. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."
• "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have."
• "Make each day your masterpiece; small acts repeated become the life you want."
• "When will you realize that what you do for yourself dies with you, but what you do for others and the world remains and is immortal."
• "Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed."
• "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees."
• "We must do our part—each day, in whatever way we can—to make the world a little kinder and more just."
• "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly."

Conclusion

Eleanor Roosevelt's words are a blueprint for courage, compassion, and deliberate action. Keep a few of these quotes where you can see them — on your desk, phone, or mirror — and let them guide small choices that add up to meaningful change. Over time, a handful of powerful lines can reshape your mindset, strengthen your resolve, and help you live with greater purpose.