We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Maya Angelou, a poet, author and civil rights activist whose wisdom, spirit and humor have been an inspiration and a buoy for so many people since she published her first memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in 1969. Her advice and wisdom were simple, digestible and profound. Here are a few of our favorite quotations that we’ll always hold near to our hearts.

On giving back: “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

On complaining: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

On writing: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.”

On the Golden Rule: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

On breaking the cycle: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

On survival: “All my work, my life, everything I do is about survival, not just bare, awful, plodding survival, but survival with grace and faith. While one may encounter many defeats, one must not be defeated.”

On acceptance: “At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.”

On forgiveness: “You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.'”

On seizing the day: “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lrNS7I2Wqg&feature=youtu.be