"You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive."

Motivation

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on motivation by Maya Angelou resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in motivation is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Maya Angelou

"Stand firm when justice demands it, even if you stand entirely alone. For where clarity resides, peace inevitably follows — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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More about Motivation

"It is a radiant truth that fortitude is the quiet voice at eventide saying: i will try once more tomorrow — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"I've been trying to find women writers for my staff for a while now and I have three women on my staff and three guys so it's pretty equal. I don't know why that is. It's been the same thing for a while. It's hard for female comedians to stand out. That's weird. That's a shame."

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