Reflect on a productive day of learning with these inspirational quotes that can be found in your favorite movies. Our collection of classic lines from well-known characters will give you the uplifting push you may need to make each day a positive one. You’ll pick up words of wisdom from Gandalf and have a giggle with Captain Jack Sparrow’s wit as you wander through our list of quotes that have been specially composed with educators in mind.
1. “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” – Rafiki, “The Lion King”
2. “To me, being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends.” – Coach Gary Gaines, “Friday Night Lights”
3. “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are… it is our choices.” – Dumbledore, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
4. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
5. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Narrator, “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat”
6. “You must strive to find your own voice because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.” – John Keating, “Dead Poets Society”
7. “Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” – Alfred, “Batman Begins”
8. “I don’t regret the things I’ve done, but those I did not do.” – Lucas, “Empire Records”
9. “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” – Professor X, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
10. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke, portrayed in “Hotel Rwanda”
11. “Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” – Christopher Morcom, “The Imitation Game”
12. “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” – Benjamin Button, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
13. “Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” – William Wallace, “Braveheart”
14. “Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.” – Sean Maguire, “Good Will Hunting”
15. “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” – John Keating, “Dead Poets Society”
16. “Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be.” – Soothsayer, “Kung Fu Panda 2”
17. “We can’t retract the decisions we’ve made, we can only affect the decisions we’re going to make from here.” – Nick Rice, “Law Abiding Citizen”
18. “Keep moving forward.” – Wilbur, “Meet the Robinsons”
19. “My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.'” – Forrest Gump, “Forrest Gump”
20. “You have to get lost before you find yourself.” – Margo, “Paper Towns”
21. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” – Gandalf, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”
22. “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” – Christian, “Moulin Rouge!”
23. “A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that that knowledge doesn’t go to waste.” – Principal Jacobs, “Mr Holland’s Opus”
24. “There’s no such thing as a simple act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” – Scott Adams, portrayed in “Pay It Forward”
25. “But you know that when the truth is told, you can get what you want or you can just get old.” – Billy Joel, quoted in “13 Going on 30”
26. “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” – Jimmy Dugan, “A League of Their Own”
27. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela, quoted in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
28. “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
29. “I never look back, darling! It distracts from the now.” – Edna Mode, “The Incredibles”
30. “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” – Dr. Seuss, “The Lorax”
31. “Great men are not born great, they grow great.” – Mario Puzo, quoted in “The Godfather”
32. “You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.” – Gusteau, “Ratatouille”
33. “It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.” – Blackburn, “Black Hawk Down”
34. “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin, “Pooh’s Grand Adventure”
35. “The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.” – Charles Kingsleigh, “Alice in Wonderland”
36. “You cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours.” – White Queen, “Alice in Wonderland”
37. “When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.” – Samuel Goldwyn, quoted in “Being There”
38. “Kid, there are heroes and there are legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” – Babe Ruth, “The Sandlot”
39. “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – John Keating, “Dead Poets Society”
40. “So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s a great balancing act.” – Dr. Seuss, “The Cat in the Hat”
41. “Just keep swimming.” – Dory, “Finding Nemo”
42. “Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it.” – Merida, “Brave”
43. “After a while, you learn to ignore the names people call you and just trust who you are.” – Shrek, “Shrek The Third”
44. “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” – Captain Jack Sparrow, “Pirates of the Caribbean”
45. “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.” – Grandmother Willow, “Pocahontas”
46. “Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want.” – Heath Ledger as Patrick, “10 Things I Hate About You”
47. “Life’s a garden, dig it!” – Joe Dirt, “Joe Dirt”
48. “We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.” – J.K. Rowling, quoted in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
49. “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore, “Winnie the Pooh”
50. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Master Oogway, “Kung Fu Panda”