Allow these quotes to inspire you to make a difference in the lives of those around you and to make the world a better place.
Today’s society is shaped by people who believe in their ability to make a difference. It can be intimidating to consider how much effort is required to make a difference in the world. However, it all starts with small steps that can lead to significant results.
So, be that one person who can significantly impact the world and many people’s lives. Browse our selection below to get inspired!
Start here.
And don’t forget to check out these encouraging quotes and deep meaningful quotes.
Best Quotes That Will Inspire You to Make a Difference
1. “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events.” – Robert F. Kennedy
2. “Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count.” – Stella McCartney
3. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale
5. “You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them.” – John Piper
6. “The best way to make a difference in the world is to start by making a difference in your own life.” – Julia Louis-Dreyfus
7. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jake Goodall
8. “If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world.” – Elaine S. Dalton
9. “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” – John F. Kennedy
10. “If you can find ways to give people hope that they can achieve something or make a difference, then there’s an opportunity for something good to happen.” – Jeffrey Skoll
11. “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.” – Jimmy Carter
12. “A small change can make a big difference. You are the only one who can make our world a better place to inhabit. So, don’t be afraid to take a stand.” – Ankita Singhal
13. “We have this day and the rest of our lives, however long that may be, to make a difference, change our behavior, take action, and do the things we’ve always dreamed of.” – Scott Allan
14. “When you believe in what you’re doing and use your imagination and initiative, you can make a difference.” – Samuel Dash
15. “Each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.” – Dr. Cornel West
Also read: Inspirational Quotes
Great Quotes That Will Drive You to Make a Difference
16. “You can make a difference, wherever you are. It begins with a decision and defined purpose.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
17. “Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.” – William Arthur Ward
18. “Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes.” – William Paul Young
19. “Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference.” – Colin Brown
20. “Learn to appreciate every moment of your life, stop thinking of the future too much, you have a choice to make a difference in your life at any time you wish.” – Auliq Ice
21. “Never forget that you are one-of-a-kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.” – R. Buckminster Fuller
22. “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader, they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role, always about the goal.” – Jeremy Bravo
23. “You have created a hero and born to prove it. Stand on challenges and make a difference.” – Israelmore Ayivor
24. “Understand and be confident that each of us can make a difference by caring and acting in small as well as big ways.” – Marian Wright Edelman
25. “It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” – Mahatma Gandhi
26. “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale
27. “When you live for the purpose of making a difference for the people, for society, for the things that are beyond you, then significance will not be able to elude you.” – Sunday Adelaja
28. “Don’t chase success. Decide to make a difference and success will find you.” – Jon Gordon
29. “Anybody can make a difference and be the voice for the voiceless.” – Zach Hunter
30. “Being a man or a woman is a matter of birth. Being a man or a woman who makes a difference is a matter of choice.” – Byron Garrett
Quotes on the Wonders of Making a Difference in People’s Lives
31. “Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out, and help. This week, reach someone that might need a lift.” – Pablo
32. “I think there’s no higher calling in terms of a career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve the world.” – Jack Lew
33. “To make a difference in someone’s life, you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You just have to care enough and be there.” – Anonymous
34. “Aim to make a difference in someone’s life every single day, including your own.” – Dow Zantamata
35. “Believe that what you do matters and will make a difference in people’s lives. You don’t have to save the world in one stroke but you can make a difference one person at a time.” – Anonymous
36. “Regardless of whatever I do, I know what my purpose is: to make a difference in people’s lives.” – Tim Tebow
37. “We can always make a difference to someone, no matter what role we play.” – Lindsey Sterling
38. “Never underestimate the valuable and important difference you make in every life you touch for the impact you make today has a powerful rippling effect on every tomorrow.” – Leon Brown
39. “When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because you’re making a commitment and difference in that person’s life.” – Zig Ziglar
40. “It’s about making a difference in people’s lives. Remembered or not, lived out in a small town or on the world stage, the journey of relevance matters.” – Marian Deegan
41. “The difference we make in other people’s lives is eternal.” – Anonymous
42. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela
43. “If there is richness and righteousness in us, then we can make a difference in the lives of others, just as key individuals have influenced the lives of each of us for good and made us richer than we otherwise would have been.” – Spencer W. Kimball
44. “Small acts of kindness can make a difference in other people’s lives more than we can imagine.” – Catherine Pulsifer
45. “You can make a difference in the lives of others. Be a doer—don’t only be a hearer.” – James Strand
Short Quotes About Making a Difference
46. “I never said to be like me, I say be yourself and make a difference.” – Marilyn Manson
47. “If you want to make a difference, think different.” – Palle Oswald
48. “Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does.” – William James
49. “Little things make a big difference.” – Yogi Berra
50. “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make a change.” – Barbara Mikulski
51. “Make a difference about something other than yourselves.” – Toni Morrison
52. “Make a difference. No matter how small or big it is.” – Anonymous
53. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
54. “An individual can make a difference—a team can make a miracle.” – Anonymous
55. “Make a difference, not just a living.” – Anonymous
56. “If you cannot feed a hundred people, feed one.” – Mother Teresa
57. “Heart is what makes a difference.” – Jerry Sloan
58. “Ultimately it’s the simple things that make a difference.” – Chris Smalling
59. “Make a difference. Live a life that matters.” – Frank McKinney
60. “To make a difference, you have to have large aspirations.” – Roshni Nadar
Powerful Quotes to Help You Make a Difference in Your Own Way
61. “Find something that you are passionate about in making a difference and you’ll find a waiting kinship of people willing to unite for the cause.” – Wes Adamson
62. “‘Oh, it makes a difference,’ I thought. And if it doesn’t make a difference you will make it make a difference.” – Chaim Potok
63. “It’s not about what I see for our future, or humanity; It’s about what I do for our future and humanity.” – Steve Maraboli
64. “There is no greater joy, nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.” – Mary Rose McGeady
65. “We must be free inside to make a difference outside.” – Vishal Mangalwadi
66. “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” – Robert F. Kennedy
67. “Never give up on you. In order to make a difference you would have to somehow be different.” – Johnnie Dent Jr.
68. “No matter how small you may feel you make a big difference in this world.” – Anonymous
69. “You may find that making a difference for others makes the biggest difference in you.” – Brian Williams
70. “It’s the curiosity that drives me. It’s making a difference in the world that prevents me from ever giving up.” – Deborah Meier
71. “Everything you do and every decision you make should be from a place of good. You should always be striving to make the world a better place.” – Les Brown
72. “We can talk about making a difference or we can make a difference.” – Anonymous
73. “Majority of folks out there are trying to make a difference. Don’t just make a difference; become the difference.” – Ogwo David Emenike
74. “One person really can make a difference. Each person is the revolution.” – Bryant McGill
75. “Make a difference in someone’s life, don’t be the change they need.” – Rashida Costa
Quotes That’ll Encourage You to Make a Difference in the World
76. “I choose bold. I choose action. I choose what’s right for the people. I choose to make a difference.” – Bill Richardson
77. “To make a difference in the world, it only takes one optimistic person, who can gather millions of people to make the change.” – Gia Russell
78. “I believe that one individual who is determined to make a difference in the world, can, with desire, drive, dedication, discipline, passion, and persistence. The world can be altered and billions of people’s lives can be impacted positively in an unimaginable way.” – Anonymous
79. “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.” – Nelson Mandela
80. “We may not have the ability to change all of the world’s wrongs, but we can make a difference where we are.” – Dillon Burroughs
81. “Never doubt that one person can make a difference.” – Ingrid Newkirk
82. “By being kind, we have the power of making the world a happier place in which to live, or at least we greatly diminish the amount of unhappiness in it so as to make it a quite different world.” – Lawrence G. Lovasik
83. “God doesn’t just give you resources for your own enjoyment, but to make a difference in the world around you. God never blesses us just to sit on what we have. He blesses us so we can bless others.” – Rick Warren
84. “You were born to make a difference, to contribute, and to share your gifts with the world.” – Darren Hardy
85. “Magic happens when people are in the zone, when they can focus their creative energies on making a difference in the world.” – Mattias Skarin
Quotes About Making a Difference That Everyone Can Relate To
86. “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” – Barbara De Angelis
87. “You don’t have to be a billionaire to believe you can make a difference. Give your resources to a charity and volunteer in your community.” – Germany Kent
88. “I think one of the best words in the English language is ‘compassion.’ I think it holds everything. It holds love, it holds care—and if everybody just did something. We would all make a difference.” – Michael Crawford
89. “I can’t fix the world’s problems. But I will do what I can to make a difference where I can.” –Anonymous
90. “The purpose of life is not to be happy but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten
91. “I believe that every single one of us, celebrity or not, has a responsibility to get involved in trying to make a difference in the world.” – Shakira
92. “When we work together, we have the power to take problems head-on and make a huge difference in our lives and in the lives of others around us.” – David DeNotaris
93. “We all have dreams—we all want to believe deep down in our souls that we have a special gift, that we can make a difference, that we can touch others in a special way, and that we can make the world a better place.” – Tony Robbins
94. “It is better to have a meaningful life and make a difference than to merely have a long life.” – Bryant McGill
95. “When you retire you can make a big difference in the lives of others by giving your time to help those in need.” – Catherine Pulsifer
Insightful Quotes to Empower You to Make a Difference
96. “Go out and make a difference in your community. You don’t need endless time and perfect conditions. Do it now. Do it today. Do it for 20 minutes and watch your heart start beating.” – Barbara Sher
97. “You don’t need to come from wealth or privilege to make a difference.” – Joni Ernst
98. “If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now.” – Anonymous
99. “Vision comes alive when everyone sees where his or her contribution makes a difference.” – Ken Blanchard
100. “You are here to make a difference in this world, and the best way to do that is to use your knowledge and experience—on any topic, in any industry—to help others succeed.” – Brendon Burchard
101. “So no matter what your age, keep yourself motivated by setting goals. By being active, by making a difference in others’ lives. Don’t think once you reach a certain age you can stop. Or don’t let your age make you feel that you have all the time in the world. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Make a difference today.” – Catherine Pulsifer
102. “By giving up a little portion of your life, by letting go of your selfishness, you can make a big difference in some lives.” – Henry Cloud
103. “Make a difference today for someone who’s fighting for their tomorrow.” – Jim Kelly
104. “One person can make a difference. In fact, it’s not only possible for one person to make a difference, it’s essential that one person makes a difference. And believe it or not, that person is you.” – Bob Riley
105. “A spontaneous prayer makes differences and changes.” –Toba Beta
106. “You are never too insignificant to make a difference.” – Gift Gugu Mona
107. “It is our job to make a difference and leave the world a better place.” – Karol G
108. “I think we forget sometimes how blessed we are to be able to help others and make a difference!” – Gautam Rode
109. “All success in life comes from serving other people in some way. If you want to make a lot of money, serve a lot of people, and serve them in a way that really makes a difference to them.” – Brian Tracy
110. “If we wish to truly experience a life that makes an eternal difference, the power within us is not enough. It is the power God offers that matters.” – Dillon Burroughs
More Quotes About Making a Difference That’ll Pique Your Interest
111. “When we get to the end of our life, the question playing over and over in our mind will be, ‘Did my life make a difference?’” – Brian Fleming
112. “Each time we make a difference in someone else’s life, no matter how small, it will encourage them to do the same for others.” – Thomas E. Pierce
113. “Focus on your work. Do what you’re great at. Don’t compare yourself to others and or waste time criticizing the lives and work of others. Do what matters most to you and make a difference doing that.” – Germany Kent
114. “On a mission to make a difference, build an empire, and leave a legacy.” – The Mogul Mom
115. “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw
116. “We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.” – Marian Wright Edelman
117. “Every individual can make a difference every day by making conscious choices.” – Jane Goodall
118. “The question is not whether you can make a difference in the world but what useful difference you can make!” – Mehmet Murat İldan
119. “Those who make a difference in this world are the ones who are not afraid of being different.” – Michael Bassey Johnson
120. “Anyone can make a difference, so you don’t have to have it be some huge, global campaign—you can start small, and that’s just as important.” – Blake Mycoskie
How Would You Make a Difference in the Lives of Other People?
Many people believe that they cannot make a difference in the world. But, the truth is that each of us has been placed in this world to contribute in our own special way.
Moreover, it doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. It simply has to be something you do with the purpose of doing good; it all starts with an idea. They quickly turn into words, which turn into actions.
Remember, each of us can be the change we wish to see in the world. An excellent place to start is to view yourself more positively so that you can influence more change.
May these quotes inspire you to start doing whatever is within your ability to spark change in the world. Begin to show more concern and love to those around you! Always keep in mind that the power lies within you; you just have to believe in yourself and move actively toward your purpose.
Are there any other good quotes you’d like us to add? Which of the quotes above changed your perspective and worldview? Share them in the comments section below.
