Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
Barack Obama Quotes
HelpInvestmentInfrastructureCollaboration If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help... Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business - you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.
Economic RecoveryInvestmentGrowth And we can see the positive impacts right here at Solyndra. Less than a year ago, we were standing on what was an empty lot. But through the Recovery Act, this company received a loan to expand its operations. This new factory is the result of those loans.
OptimismBeliefLeadership Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do.
LeadershipCourageIdentity If you're looking for the safe choice, you shouldn't be supporting a black guy named Barack Obama to be the next leader of the free world.
EducationOpportunitySkill DevelopmentEconomic Mobility You can choose a future where more Americans have the chance to gain the skills they need to compete, no matter how old they are or how much money they have. Education was the gateway to opportunity for me. It was the gateway for Michelle. And now more than ever, it is the gateway to a middle-class life.
DiplomacyInternational RelationsDemocracyProgress Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America. That's why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people.
Wealth DistributionCommunity Benefit I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.
TaxesFinancial Policy I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.
SecurityLeadershipPowerDiplomacy In a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power - including strong and principled diplomacy.
UnityDiversityInclusivityPatriotism I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together: black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young, old; gay, straight; men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag to this big, bold country that we love. That's what I see. That's the America I know!
DemocracyCitizenshipFairnessGritKindness Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I'll be right there with you as a citizen - inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.
AcceptanceFamilyUnderstandingInclusivity I think that there's no doubt that as I see friends, families, children of gay couples who are thriving, you know, that has an impact on how I think about these issues.
UnityFaithTolerance And I will do everything that I can as long as I am President of the United States to remind the American people that we are one nation under God, and we may call that God different names but we remain one nation.
CommitmentFutureDutyTransition Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq's future is not.
RecognitionEqualityInclusivityAcceptance I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they've got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.
AmbitionHard WorkPotentialSelf-Improvement We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.
EducationResponsibilityInvestmentOpportunityAccess We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.
BitternessFrustrationPrejudiceMaladaptive Coping It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
ExceptionalismNational Identity I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.
Military OperationsPreparednessMilitary StrategyOverextension Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.
PoliticsCynicismHope In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?
EconomyManufacturingJob CreationAmerican Industry We can choose a future where we export more products and outsource fewer jobs. After a decade that was defined by what we bought and borrowed, we're getting back to basics, and doing what America has always done best: We're making things again.
PatriotismUnityAllegianceDefense There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
DemocracyVoiceInequalityPublic Discourse Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.
Nuclear ResponsibilityMoral DutyLeadership As a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has a moral responsibility to act.
AdvocacyPartnershipDedication I've been fighting with Acorn, alongside Acorn, on issues you care about, my entire career.
UnityShared ValuesCommunityAcceptance We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
Middle EastConflictHistory The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.
ProgressOpportunityEducationEconomic SecurityFuture Yes, we've still got more work to do. More work to do for every American still in need of a good job or a raise, paid leave or a decent retirement; for every child who needs a sturdier ladder out of poverty or a world-class education; for everyone who has not yet felt the progress of these past seven and a half years.
MaturityCooperationCompromiseResponsibility We want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it's not just my way or the highway.
Hip-HopCommunicationIntelligenceConciseness The thing about hip-hop today is it's smart, it's insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable.
Work EthicDreamSuccessEqualityProgress There are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments and are moving this country forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams.
AmbitionPurposePotential Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
ImmigrationTalentLogicStrategy The immigration issue is, I recognize, one that generates a lot of passion, but it does not make sense for us to want to push talent out.
WagesCorporate ResponsibilityEconomics Immigrants aren't the reason wages haven't gone up enough; those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns.
IntegrityLeadershipStrategyPublic Opinion There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who's occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can't be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.
LeadershipNational SecuritySelf-Reliance I am the commander in chief of the United States armed forces, and Iraq is gonna have to ultimately provide for its own security.
ComplexityNuanceIntegrity Issues are never simple. One thing I'm proud of is that very rarely will you hear me simplify the issues.
RivalryResiliencePerseveranceStrength Eight years ago, you may remember Hillary and I were rivals for the Democratic nomination. We battled for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it was tough, because Hillary was tough. I was worn out. She was doing everything I was doing, but just like Ginger Rogers, it was backwards in heels.
National IdentityValueIdealsCitizenship One of the great strengths of the United States is... we have a very large Christian population - we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.
People WatchingObservationSimplicityNostalgia I just want to go through Central Park and watch folks passing by. Spend the whole day watching people. I miss that.
UnityOpportunityHard WorkResponsibilityProgress What I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all - the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.
HealthcareEnergyNational SecurityJustice After a century of trying, we declared that healthcare in America is not a privilege for a few, it is a right for everybody. After decades of talk, we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil. We doubled our production of clean energy. We brought more of our troops home to their families, and we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden.
Government ReformEfficiencyTransparencyResponsibilityInnovation It's time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent.