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Maya Angelou: In her own words

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The American writer, civil rights activist and academic, Maya Angelou, has died at the age of 86. She leaves behind her a large body of work including seven volumes of autobiography and many poems. Here are some of the quotes which made her famous.

  • "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
  • "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
  • "If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be."
  • "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."
  • "It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody."
  • "I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'."
  • "You can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
  • "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."
  • "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style."
  • "Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently."
  • "Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option."
  • "Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God." (This was her final tweet, posted on 23 May)
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