When you need a little inspiration in your life there is no one better to turn to than that of a comforting character. Whether it’s someone in your family or turning to an old friend from a favorite fictional place, inspirational quotes help us to feel better and give us a new way to see the world. These are the inspirational quotes that we like the best, not only because of their wisdom but because they perfectly suit our mantra of living life to your tastes and doing things your own way.
Auguste Gusteau, Ratatouille
“You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.”
You need to live life to your tastes, not the tastes anyone imposes on you. Auguste’s point, and the entire point of the movie Ratatouille really, is that your history, the place you grew up, or any place you’ve been in the past, has no bearing on what your life should be like in the future. You just need to make it what you want.
Morticia Addams, The Addams Family
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly.”
You know, Morticia really had it right when she was speaking of normalcy. Who cares if someone doesn’t agree with what your normal is? Since when does someone have the definitive definition of what “normal” means anyhow? You need to stick with your personality and do things your way. Be true to who you are and ignore the rest.
Ben Platt, Tony Award-winner
“All the young people watching at home: don’t waste any time trying to be like anybody but yourself, because the things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”
God, do I love Ben Platt. For those who might not be familiar with him, he’s an actor, singer, and the Broadway star of Dear Evan Hansen. It’s an incredibly powerful show that deals with mental health, honesty, and friendship. Naturally, his show earned him a Tony Award and during his speech he gave a wonderful inspirational quote to all the young people who might have been watching. Be true to yourself and remember that whatever traits you have that make you you are the ones that are most important.
Elastigirl, The Incredibles
“Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it.”
When it comes to being your own person, it’s all about sticking true to your identity. You need to hold onto the things that make up your character and when you live life to your tastes you do exactly that. Your identity is what separates you from the rest, and doing things your way and living life how you want is just part of it.
Mac MacGuff, Juno
“Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you…”
Leave it to Juno’s dad, Mac, to bestow wisdom upon us when we need it the most. This quote is one of our favorites because it reminds you to be yourself and as soon as you find someone destined to be in your life, they will respect you for you. It doesn’t even need to be a romantic partner – finding the right person can mean finding the right friends and those who encourage you to be you.
Babe Ruth, The Sandlot
“Kid, there are heroes and there are legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you’ll never go wrong.”
If there’s anything that will encourage you to live life the way you want to, it’s going to be Babe Ruth’s advice to always stay true to who you are. His wisdom serves as a reminder that we need to make our mark in life and it’s the good we do that keeps our names remembered long after we go. But, we also need to live our lives based on what our guts tell us. I mean, who wouldn’t want a little life advice from our favorite sports hero?
Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook
“You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.”
Sure, some of us may think that Nicholas Sparks books are too sappy to sit through, but this a quote that resonates with people. Oftentimes we find ourselves wondering if we made the right choice, or holding back on something we really want in order to appease others. But, what is life if you don’t do the things that are best for you – that you know are right for you? Even if it stings other people, you need to follow your own path. That’s what living life to your tastes is all about, right?
Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something, not even me. Alright? You dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”
Before Jayden Smith was ever really known, he starred in a movie with his father, Will Smith, about a father trying his hardest to provide for his son. This inspirational film was loaded with great quotes, but it’s when Will delivers the most notable speech of the movie that he moved everyone to reflect on their lives. Take it from a man who kept his faith up and devotion going even when things were going terribly – don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything. You’re capable of anything you set out to do, even if others can’t see it.
Chuck Noland, Cast Away
“I know what I have to do now. I’ve got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?”
No one really knows what the future holds and if we need to take advice from anyone who better than America’s hero, Tom Hanks? In order to live life to the fullest, and more importantly to your tastes, you need to focus on what’s in front of you and go from there. Remember to keep a level head and approach life with a calm demeanor. You could make all the plans in the world, but who knows what life will throw at you? Take it one step at a time!
Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything
“There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.”
Never give up on yourself or what you have planned for your future. From one of the most inspiring people ever, Hawking’s movie-counterpart tells us that even if we fail at something, that doesn’t mean we will fail at everything. This world is full of things to conquer and achieve and living your life the way you want to is going to get you far in life.
Rafiki, The Lion King
“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But, you can either run from it or learn from it.”
Rafiki was always my favorite side character from The Lion King and even though we were only virtually bonked on the head, we all learned something from this monkey. The past has the chance to haunt us and hurt us the longer we give it power and dwell on things we can’t change. But, if we learn from our past and keep moving forward, we can keep living life to our tastes without making the same mistakes.
Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter
“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”
Of course, you can live life to your tastes and base things around your personal preferences. But, it’s the choices you make that show who you are as a person and Dumbledore is really trying to let us know that we should be mindful of the things we choose. Remember to be a good person and that your decisions will stick with you throughout the years.
White Queen, Alice In Wonderland
“You cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours.”
There’s no better quote we can think of to close off this list with than this one. Don’t curb yourself or your choices to impress someone else or to fit in with the crowd. Besides, you’re never going to please everyone, so you might as well just be yourself and become close with those who accept who you are. Never forget to live life to your tastes, not someone else’s!
