Using the power of quotes is a skill that anyone who needs his ideas can use to understand your audience better. Whether you are a student, teacher, public speaker, or an entrepreneur, using quotes in your essay, book, speech, or presentation helps reinforce your argument by drawing on academically accepted sources.

Check out top 10 quotes that can inspire you for writing an explanatory essay, or pursue your literary endeavors:

1. The quote “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever,” from Mahatma Gandhi points out you should prioritize the things that you want to do. Instead of being afraid, live your life to the fullest to die with no regrets. We are living in an age where the advancement of technology has resulted in an ever-changing job environment, and technological automation is causing job loss. To excel, one needs to strive to become a lifelong dynamic learner to stay relevant and keep thriving.

1. This Bill Gates’ quote “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world…if you do so, you are insulting yourself,” strongly suggest against the practice of comparing oneself with others. Checking a friend’s vacation photographs on social media puts you in a bad mood? Do you feel that your friends are in better shape, a better financial situation, have a better job, or a more beautiful spouse than yours? This practice only brings envious feelings besides wasting a lot of your productive time.

1. Revered for numerous successful inventions, Thomas Edison was aptly called the wizard inventor. He did not let his failed cement inventions or the spirit phone, besides several others to bog him down. He wrote: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If you fail to stay determined, actual failure is inevitable, but if you stay motivated, you will overcome. Maintain your focus and make peace with the fact that there would be setbacks, which should not be misinterpreted as failures.

1. If not for the power of imagination, there won’t be any science fiction movies and nor would they inspire inventors to bring the products from these movies to life. Albert Einstein rightly said: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” When someone talks about their dream project, they often tend to zone out into a whole other dimension where they have achieved a favorable outcome. Their passion for making the goals they set for themselves drives them to work harder.

1. In the US, obesity a significant health concern as it leads to increased risks of numerous chronic diseases. Socrates was indeed ahead of his time in commenting: “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” The health concerns that plague children and adults alike today can be narrowed down to the sedentary lifestyle and mindless eating.

1. An optimist is better equipped to look for fulfillment in more than one place. With the quote “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us,” Alexander Graham Bell critiques the pessimist thinking. Clinging on to old methods and ideologies robs you from learning and enjoying the new ones.

1. For anyone who is accustomed to second-guessing themselves, the quote “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase,” from Martin Luther King, Jr. can help them see the world differently. Don’t wait for a time when all the indicators are favorable for you to start. When embarking upon a journey, just having faith in your abilities and knowing that the first few milestones are clear, suffice.

1. You must be able to recall several incidents when you made a situation worse by reacting too quickly, without even consulting your brain. Charles Swindoll, the Texan pastor, asserts it with his quote: “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” Swindoll is not just telling to think before you speak, but it also includes facial expressions, body language, and of course your actions.

1. For those who complain a lot about the world for not being conducive for their success or happiness, this Leo Tolstoy quote “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself,” is the perfect intervention. Attempting to change things that are not in your control can only add frustration and anger to your life. Stop dreaming to live in a Utopian paradise where everything is perfect, and all odds are in your favor.

1. Finally, the one thing that most have forgotten is that “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” Dalai Lama. Being happy promotes a better lifestyle. To be happy is often a choice and we fail to comprehend its importance. A happier person has a better immune system and is better equipped to handle stress.

While using quotes from highly successful people in your explanatory essay can inspire your readers to do more, and go beyond the expectations, adding quotes by great thinkers can make them reassess their path, values, and beliefs. I invite all readers to adopt the skills learned from these quotes and also share them with your loved ones who you feel can benefit from discovering them.