Inspiring Quotes About Change: Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs And Others

Understanding change and the power of inspirational quotes

Change happens. Some people may consider change as inevitable as the tide—even tranquil lives can experience moments of change. While changes can be frightening at times, they may also lead to inspiration, beauty, and realizations. To understand change and embrace transitions in your life, it may be helpful to look at how changes can impact mental wellness and read inspirational quotes about change that offer an optimistic outlook on the future. 

Recognize how change impacts mental health with professional support

Connect with a therapist

How does change affect individuals? 

How humans react to change can be complicated. In some sense, people often crave change, so long as it's a comfortable change. Major change may bring about growth. However, people may be more likely to fight or avoid major changes, especially when they are out of one’s control. As Sydney J Harris puts it: “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”

Emotional responses to major life changes

Major life changes, even when they are positive changes, can cause a stress reaction. While there are often positive possibilities inherent in change, individuals may not see them until time offers a new perspective. In the moment, a person may become worried, frustrated, or unsure…Conversely, they may become elated, excited, or positive. Emotions are often intrinsically tied to change, and it can be normal for one to experience multiple emotions at once, including those that are contradictory. 

Growth through embracing change

Whether the major change in one’s life incites positive or negative feelings, these emotions are often temporary. Positive and negative changes in life can function as waves: crests and crashes and ebbs and flows. However, what change can, and often does, create is a lasting transformation in one’s inner self. By seeing change as a teacher for growth, individuals may take a more optimistic outlook and improve daily life, acceptance skills, and coping mechanisms. 

Inspiring quotes about change by Oprah Winfrey, Helen Keller, Maya Angelou, Steve Jobs, George Bernard Shaw, and others

The following are quotes from public figures on the topic of change and how it drives individuals’ lives and relationships and the world: 

The power of self-transformation: Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Steve Jobs, and others

1. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” –Harriet Tubman
2. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” –James Baldwin
3. “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” –Walt Disney
4. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” –Oprah Winfrey
5. “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world.” –Margaret Mead
6. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” –Maya Angelou
7. "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." –Steve Jobs
8. “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” –Malala Yousafzai 
   

   Inspiring change in the world: Helen Keller, George Bernard Shaw, and others

9. “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” –Stephen Chbosky
10. “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.” –John Assaraf
11. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” –Nelson Mandela
12. “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” –Nikos Kazantzakis
13. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” –Mother Teresa
14. "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." –Helen Keller
15. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” –George Bernard Shaw
16. “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” –Martin Luther King, Jr. 

    Embracing uncertainty and moving forward: Inspiring quotes about change

17. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” –Barack Obama
18. “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.” –Gilda Radner
19. “Yesterday I was so clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” –Rumi
20. “You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” –Roy T Bennet
21. “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” –Gail Sheehy 
    

    Strengthening through adversity

22. “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” –Haruki Murakami
23. “Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle, and best at the end.” –Robin Sharma
24. “The good and bad things are what form us as people…change makes us grow.” –Kate Winslet
    

    Focusing on growth and movement

25. “Nothing ever happens unless something is moved.”—Albert Einstein
26. “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” –Socrates
    

    New beginnings

27. “After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.” –Alfred Edward Perlman
28. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it, and the confidence will follow.” –Carrie Fisher
29. “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” –Angela Davis
    

    Finding meaning through change

30. “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” –Alan Watts
31. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” –Frederick Douglass
32. “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” –C.S. Lewis

Recognize how change impacts mental health with professional support

Connect with a therapist

When the stress of change becomes overwhelming

Despite the positive nature of some types of change, or the positive outcomes of others, individuals may spend time and substantial energy fighting it. In addition, sometimes the stress of major life changes can become overwhelming, as in the death of a loved one, a major move, or the breakup of a relationship. 

In these cases, it may be helpful to seek professional help.

Benefits of cognitive-behavioral therapy

Exploring online therapy options

If you find it difficult to schedule therapy appointments in your busy life, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be an effective and convenient solution. Through an online platform, clients can connect with a therapist via phone, video, or live chat sessions from any location with an internet connection. In addition, online platforms offer unique resources like online support groups and worksheets. Research has proven that online therapy is as effective as in-person sessions.