morgan freeman
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
July 15, 2020 ·  4 min read

In Honor of Morgan Freeman 83rd Birthday, Here are 22 Inspirational Quotes

Morgan Freeman turned 83 this past June and he has been inspiring people throughout his career as an American actor. With his versatility, humor, emotional depth, and soothing voice, he has become one of the most respected performers in the industry. Back in the day, he broke the stereotype placed on black people for consistently getting roles that were not written for black actors on the stage and screen. 

Who is Morgan Freeman? 

Before he became well-known through roles in ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ ‘Glory,’ ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ and ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy,’ he aspired to become a fighter pilot. 

“I had this very clear epiphany,” he told AARP Magazine. “You are not in love with this; you are in love with the idea of this.” 

When that career plan disappointed him, he began acting in 1967, starting with a Broadway debut in an all-black production of Hello Dolly! He began to appear in roles on screen in the 1970s. 

He got his first Academy Award for his portrayal of a hustler in Street Smart in 1987 for best supporting actor. His directorial debut was made in 1993 with his antiapartheid film, BophaHe won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as a former boxer in Million Dollar Baby in 2004.  

He also received many awards, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 2008 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award (a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement) in 2012. [1] 

“He’s a delightful man,” said Mike Wallace, who interviewed the actor for a 2006 piece on 60 Minutes. “He’s a thoughtful man. He’s in no sense a bitter man. He’s still exploring his life and times. I have immense respect for Morgan Freeman.” [2] 

22 Inspirational Quotes by Morgan Freeman 

  1. The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit. 
  1. When you have made your choice, it is providence that is your guide. Good, bad, or indifferent. Your fate lies in that. 
  1. I can say that life is good to me. Has been and is good. So I think my task is to be good to it. How do you be good to life? You live it. 
  1. One of the things you can always depend on – this is one of the truths of the universe, and you heard it first from here – whatever we decide we want to do is what we do. 
  1. As long as you feel like a victim, you are one. 
  1. I always tell my kids if you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving. 
  1. Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. 
  1. Don’t be different just for different’s sake. If you see it differently, function that way. Follow your own muse, always. 
  1. If you wake up and the snow is knee-deep outside, you are not filled with rage. It’s just something that you’ve got to cope with. If you’re living in a situation it’s the only situation that you know, and you’ve got to deal with it. 
  1. We humans are more concerned with having than with being. 
  1. If your life turns out to be good and you have a tremendous amount of luck in your life, it’s a good thing to turn around and make it work for others. 
  1. I once heard a wise man say there are no perfect men. Only perfect intentions. 
  1. If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle. 
  1. Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance. 
  1. How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. 
  1. Never let pride be your guiding principle. Let your accomplishments speak for you. 
  1. Challenge yourself; it’s the only path which leads to growth. 
  1. Very often, you know, you stop walking because you say, ‘Well, I’m tired of climbing this hill. I’m never going to get to the top.’ And you’re only two steps from the top. 
  1. I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away the part of you that knows it was a win to lock them up does rejoice. 
  1. If you look back on your life and where you started from it’s like looking back down a mountain back to the desert floor. It’s like now I can’t believe I had whatever it takes or perceived whatever it took to get here. 
  1. Was I always going to be here? No, I was not. I was going to be homeless at one time, a taxi driver, truck driver, or any kind of job that would get me a crust of bread. You never know what’s going to happen. 
  1. Insanity is coasting through life in a miserable existence when you have a caged lion locked inside and the key to release it. 

Keep Reading: Robin Williams’ Daughter Finds Priceless Photos Of Her Dad During Isolation Cleaning

[1] “Morgan Freeman.” The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica. May 28, 2020 

[2] “Morgan Freeman Biography.” Editors. Biography. August 16, 2019