33 Powerful Quotes on Change for a More Rewarding Life

Change is a beautiful thing. It’s full of promise, hope, and the idea that you can become the very best version of yourself. But it’s not the easiest thing to embrace. Change often means a shift in attention to something new. It also sometimes means discomfort. 

The payoff? Hard to say off the bat. But there’s a lot more to be gained by stepping out of your comfort zone. And that matters today. We’re part of a world that’s becoming increasingly smaller. The web and social media have lessened degrees of separation, and we’re able to access information and see live examples of the people and lives we aspire to.

Finding nuggets of truth to help inspire change are a dime a dozen, but some don’t resonate as well. To help, we’ve collected some of our favorites in one place for moments when you need that extra bit of inspirational help. 

Here’s our collection of 33 powerful quotes on change. They include quotes on change and how to leverage it in your work to help you beat the status quo, embracing change and moving forward, and quotes that inspire change.


33 Powerful Quotes on Change for a More Rewarding Life:


Quotes to Motivate Change at Work

1. “Change is the end result of all true learning.” – Leo Buscaglia 

2. “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer

3. “A bend in the road is not the end of the road… Unless you fail to make the turn.” – Helen Keller 

4. “The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them.” – Steve Maraboli 

5. “Change almost never fails because it's too early. It almost always fails because it's too late.” – Seth Godin

6. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” – Stephen Hawking

7. “It's not that some people have willpower and some don't… It's that some people are ready to change and others are not” –  James Gordan

8. “The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize sleeping people around specific goals. You have to wake the people up first, then you'll get action.” – Malcolm X

9. “Change your thoughts and you change your world” – Norman Vincent Peale

10. “To change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our perceptions.” – Stephen Covey

11. “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.” – John Dryden

12. “The comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease, and secure. You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Roy T. Bennett

13. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston S. Churchill

14. “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan W. Watts 

15. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller

16. “It's only after you've stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” – Roy T. Bennett


Quotes to help you embrace change and move on

17. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

18. “There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.” – Theodore Roosevelt

19. "True life is lived when tiny changes occur." – Leo Tolstoy

20. “A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.” – Icelandic Proverb

21. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” –

Lao Tzu

22. “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

23. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. – Oprah Winfrey

24. “Nobody likes to change. There will always be resistance to change, and there always will be change. And the quicker you get to that, the easier it is. It’s not such a difficult thing. If you entrench yourself and go, ‘By God, I will not change, I will not have this.’ Then, you’re a dead man. We’re great at adaptability. It’s our strongest suit.” – Nick Nolte


Quotes that inspire change and the value it brings

“Self-transformation commences with a period of self-questioning. Questions lead to more questions, bewilderment leads to new discoveries, and growing personal awareness leads to transformation in how a person lives. Purposeful modification of the self only commences with revising our mind’s internal functions. Revamped internal functions eventually alter how we view our external environment.” ― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

25. “Excuses proclaim an unwillingness to change.” ― Frank Sonnenberg, Listen to Your Conscience: That's Why You Have One

26. “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou

27. “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Wilson Watts

28. “To shift your life in a desired direction, you must powerfully shift your subconscious.”

Kevin Michel, Moving Through Parallel Worlds To Achieve Your Dreams

29. “We should strive to welcome change and challenges because they are what help us grow. Without them, we grow weak like the Eloi in comfort and security. We need to constantly be challenging ourselves in order to strengthen our character and increase our intelligence.” – H.G. Wells

30. “We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.” – Charles R. Swindoll

31. “In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer

32. “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” – Steve Jobs

33. “Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle, and best at the end.” – Robin Sharma


Embrace Change

We are all resistant to change and often don’t realize that change is inevitable. Change comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes small, sometimes major - think moving to another country, having children, starting a new job, or buying a house. One thing is certain, change has more to offer than what you’re living with, especially if you want more for your life.  And remember, if there’s ever a moment you feel a motivational quote will help, these will be here to inspire you. 

About the Author
Nadica Naceva, Head of Content at Influencer Marketing Hub, is a seasoned writer and reviewer with in-depth expertise in digital and content marketing. Leveraging her extensive experience in guiding content creation and strategic direction, Nadica brings a critical eye and analytical approach to reviewing articles and educational pieces. Her commitment to accuracy, integrity, and innovation with each review helps IMH grow as a leading source in influencer marketing. Her insights are backed by first-party data, ensuring content meets the highest standards of relevance.