If you're a teen who wants some motivation or inspo, we've got you covered with inspirational quotes for teens that feature motivating themes to help you get through school, relationships, and extra-curricular activities like sports or music. You can use our motivational quotes for teens as high school yearbook quotes, for social media, as motivational wall decor anywhere you hang out, or really, anywhere you need a little push.
Inspirational Quotes for Teens About Teenage Life
One of the same things that's great about being a teen is what also makes it so challenging: you're approaching adulthood, so you can do a lot more. But with great power (being old enough to do cool stuff) comes great responsibility (making plans for adulthood). We get it — we've made it through the transition and came out on the other side, and you will, too. In the meantime, our inspiring quotes for teens can help keep you moving along.
- The sky is full of stars, and there's room for them all to shine.
- A door is an entrance or an exit, never an obstacle.
- High school is only 1/20 of your life. It's but a blip on the radar.
- You have one job as a teen, and that's to enjoy life without borders.
- You might not have the power to make every decision in your life, but you always have the power to make your life your decision.
- The teen years are where most people figure out exactly who they are.
- There's a world of possibility ahead of you. Imagine how far you can go, and then bring it into being.
- You hold the keys to the rest of your life. You're in the driver's seat.
- In this moment, the best thing you can be is exactly who you are.
- You have infinite worth. Don't let anyone else tell you any differently.
- 91% of the things you worry about don't happen. Think of all the time and energy you could save, and what you could do with it if you stopped worrying about everything.
- You are who you believe you are, so what you say to yourself matters.
Motivational Quotes for Teens
You have a lot going on, and we totally get that. But all the things you do today are helping you build a big, rich life for tomorrow that's filled with things you're super passionate about. Looking for some motivation to help you keep going with all the amazing things you're doing, and all the great things that are yet to come?
- To be successful, you first must try.
- "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." ~ Wayne Gretzky
- Take it one step at a time. When you focus on the step you're taking, the next one will be ready when you're ready to take it.
- You have the building blocks of success right now. Everything you know and do can lead you to the next thing you need to move ahead.
- There's a lot in life you can't control. But you can always choose your attitude.
- "There is no try, only do, and do not. Very like the wind, our feelings are." ~ Yoda
- Life will be so much better if you remove the words "should" and "shouldn't" from your vocabulary.
- You don't have to be like anyone else. All you have to do is be like yourself.
- You never need to make yourself smaller so someone else can feel bigger.
- If you want other people to believe in you, then you first need to believe in yourself.
- “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right.” ~ Henry Ford
- Accomplishment doesn't have a timeline. Do the best with what you have right now.
- Here's the thing about messing up. Right now, this very second, you can make a different choice.
- Every moment is a new moment to do the best you possibly can — no matter what you did in the past.
- The great thing about choice is that if you make a bad one, you can always choose something else.
Related: Teen Quotes About Life
Inspirational Quotes About Teenage Relationships
Relationships are a big deal when you're a teen (and when you're an adult, too). Whether it's friendship, romance, or the love of family, your relationships are super important. Quotes about love and friendship help you stay focused on the people who mean the most to you.
- When you open your mind and your heart, you'll always see that there's an open door.
- Relationships aren't about how much you're loved, but about how much you love.
- You're meant to find yourself in high school, not your soulmate.
- Stop worrying about who loves you and start loving yourself.
- When you look beyond the rules and expectations, you'll see that parents are people, too — people who acted exactly like you when they were your age.
- It doesn't matter who the relationship is with. Setting healthy boundaries and respecting theirs is essential.
- The healthiest and best relationships are ones in which you can be yourself, and they can be themselves.
- Looks fade, but a good heart lasts forever.
- Friendships are the one thing you learn in high school that you'll always need.
- Love looks different at every age, and it looks most exciting when you're a teenager.
- Think of dating in high school like trying free samples — see what's available before you commit.
- When you hurt someone else's feelings, the best way forward is always a genuine apology.
Inspirational Quotes for Troubled Teens
If your life feels too chaotic or depressing, don't lose hope. There's always something in life to look forward to if you choose to see it.
- Showing is always more powerful than telling, so let them see who you want to be.
- What's the best way through any trouble? Breathe and take it one step at a time.
- It's okay to prioritize yourself and your mental health. If you're struggling, there's always someone who has been there who can help.
- You aren't your struggles.
- Your trauma doesn't define you.
- No matter how lonely you feel, you're never alone.
- You deserve kindness, compassion, and love.
- No matter what you've done or what has happened, you are worthy. You are always worthy.
- Starting when you're down means you can only go up.
- Others have the right to believe whatever they want, but what matters is what you believe.
- Those who play on the easy levels in the game of life never show as much skill as those who play the harder levels.
- Your life is meant to be about being the best you possible, and you're the only one who knows what that looks like.
- Today might suck, and tomorrow too, but every day has the potential to be great if you make it so.
- Where you came from isn't as important as how it helped you grow.
Quotes to Inspire Teenage Girls
Quotes for teenage girls can inspire you to look beyond gender stereotypes and superficial norms to see what a woman can be.
- Who won prom queen only matters for that one day. Who succeeds in life matters always.
- Ask any honest woman, and she'll tell you, the best years of your life are yet to come.
- "Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like." ~ Emma Watson
- You are not defined by your looks or social status. You decide what defines you.
- Every great woman started as a young girl, so you're halfway there.
- The glass ceiling is cracking, and you could be the one to shatter it to pieces.
- Being a girl has its perks and its drawbacks, but they are yours, and you should own them.
- You don't owe anyone your time, your attention, or your body.
- Your body is your home. Fill it with love.
- "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
- There's no such thing as "too much." Be as loud, smart, funny, proud, and emotional as you want. You are always just right.
Quotes to Inspire Teenage Boys
Looking for a motivational boost to get you through the day? Our quotes can help.
- Every day is a new adventure waiting to be found.
- Be the best at what you're good at. Stop striving to succeed at what they say a man should be.
- Strength is a power of the mind, not the body.
- You don't have to be Prince Charming — he's a fictional character. You just have to be the best version of you, and that's perfect.
- Those good ol' boys the old guys talk about originated in high school.
- All successful men in any career field were told "No" when they were teenagers.
- There is no such thing as "too sensitive." It's okay to feel what's in your heart, no matter what.
- "I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work." ~ Thomas Edison
- It's not about how tough you are. It's about how resilient you are.
- Don't squash your feelings because someone says you should. Your feelings are your guidance system.
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“If I cannot do great things. I can do small things in a great way.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Inspirational Quotes for LGBTQIA+ Teens
We've come a long way in the United States, but we still have a long way to go. And we know it can feel lonely when you're working out issues of gender identity and sexual orientation. If you need to feel seen and supported to be exactly who you are, these motivational quotes for LGBTQIA+ teens may help.
- True courage is being yourself.
- Your voice is important. Share it not only to encourage others but because you deserve to be heard.
- Don't let anyone label you and put you in a box. You are perfect, exactly as you are.
- “When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.” ~ Barack Obama
- It doesn't matter who you love. All that matters is that you love.
- You never need to apologize for being who you are.
- “Being born gay, Black, and female is not a revolutionary act. Being proud to be a gay, Black female is.” ~ Lena Waithe
- Don't be afraid to be exactly who you are. Let your light be a beacon to all who are worthy of your brilliance.
- It's okay if you're unsure how you identify or who you love. Just be exactly who you are right now.
- You don't have to hide who you are to please others. If they don't see you for your utter magnificence, it's their loss. Not yours.
- The universe doesn't make mistakes. You are perfect exactly as you are.
Inspirational Quotes for Teens From Pop Culture
Some of the most inspiring quotes for teens are crafted by songwriters and screenplay writers for TV or movies. Let one of these thoughtful lines be the motivation you need to push through high school.
Uplifting Quotes for Teens from Popular Songs
If you need inspiration on a variety of topics, just turn on the radio, and you'll find tons of uplifting motivation.
- “A loss ain’t a loss, it’s a lesson.” ~ Jay-Z "Smile"
- “The miracle is not some magic that you’ve got – the miracle is you.” ~ "All of You" from Encanto
- "You can't spell 'awesome' without 'me'." ~ Taylor Swift's "Me!"
- "One small spark can turn into a flame." ~ Tegan Marie's "Keep It Lit"
- "I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more." ~ Lil Nas X "Old Town Road."
- "I needed to lose you to love me," ~ Selena Gomez "Lose You to Love Me"
- "While you're tremblin', that's when the magic happens and the stars gather by your side," ~ Beyoncé "Spirit"
- "Yeah, I got boy problems, that's the human in me, bling bling, then I solve 'em, that's the goddess in me." ~ Lizzo "Truth Hurts"
Encouraging Quotes for Teens From TV and Movies
From books made into movies to your favorite Netflix shows, the things you watch are also filled with inspiring quotes for every situation.
- "I want to be a part of the people that make meaning, not the thing that is made." ~ Barbie in Barbie
- "Use your gift for good, no matter how hard it gets." ~ Indira Shetty in Gen V
- "Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world." ~ Jonathan in Stranger Things
- "If you believe in this story, finish it." ~ Nancy's mom in Stranger Things
- "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness." ~ Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
- "It may seem like a small role now, but it matters. In the end, everything matters." ~ Jay Asher in 13 Reasons Why
- "Everyone we meet, everyone we love, how we got here, what path we choose, and who we choose to remember, they are all a part of our story. But we cannot allow the story to be written for us." ~ Natasha Kingsley in The Sun is Also a Star
- "Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it." ~ Merida in Brave
Inspiration Just for Teens
Making it through the teen years can feel like a lot. But you aren't alone. These motivational quotes for teens can be reminders to keep going and that you are never alone.
