"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it."
Mother Teresa
Missionary, Nun
Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary known for her humanitarian work, particularly in caring for the impoverished in India through her organization, the Missionaries of Charity.
- Born
- August 26, 1910
- Died
- September 5, 1997
- Quotes
- 878
- Rank
- #98
About Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa — Life and Legacy
Mother Teresa, born in 1910 in Albania, became a symbol of compassion and selfless service. Her significant contribution was founding the Missionaries of Charity, which focuses on helping the poorest of the poor. Central to her philosophy was the idea that love is the greatest force for change. She famously stated, 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love,' which encapsulates her belief that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a substantial difference in the world. This perspective challenged the notion that only grand gestures matter, emphasizing that everyday compassion is vital. Her quotes resonate deeply today, as they address the universal human need for love and connection. By highlighting the importance of serving others, she inspired millions to engage in humanitarian efforts, showing that love can bridge divides and heal wounds. Mother Teresa's legacy continues to influence how we think about charity and the moral responsibility to care for one another, reminding us that genuine compassion is essential for a just society.
Quote collection
Mother Teresa quotes (page 1 of 44)
878 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies: Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank people will try to cheat you: Be honest anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight: Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten by tomorrow: Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway."
"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
"Some people come in our life as blessings. Some come in your life as lessons."
"At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in."
"I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things."
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you."
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."
"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family."
"Your true character Is most accurately measured by how you treat those who can do 'Nothing' for you"
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."
"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."
"On the British Royal Divorce (Charles and Dianna). She is such a sad soul. It is good that it is over. Nobody was happy anyhow. I know I should preach family love and unity, but in their case. . . ."
"The beginning of prayer is silence. If we really want to pray we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart God speaks. And to be able to see that silence, to be able to hear God we need a clean heart; for a clean heart can see God, can hear God, can listen to God; and then only from the fullness of our heart can we speak to God. But we cannot speak unless we have listened, unless we have made that connection with God in the silence of our heart."
"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things."
"Speak tenderly; let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well."
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."
"There is much suffering in the world - physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience."
"I don't do great things. I do small things with great love."