Motivational Poems for Mental Health
Explore these uplifting poems for a moment when you need some inspiration, reassurance and hope that the journey ahead is going to be okay.
1. Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
2. Follow Your Voice, POP Original
As someone who has always believed in fate, I never thought this could be,
A moment in my life where I don’t recognise my thoughts and I don’t recognise me,
Everything had been planned out and the route ahead of me set,
Why is it that now I feel I’m starting over and all I can sense is threat,
I was calm, fun-loving and always ready to grow,
But pushing myself to the limit I now know was not the way to go,
The small things have become big things, my world is so incredibly small,
I can’t run, I can’t walk, because first I must learn to crawl,
The way that I was, was not the way I was meant to be,
Now it is time to restart the clock and set myself free,
No longer will I compare, no longer will I be afraid,
I will be brave and ensure the debt I owe myself is repaid,
Embracing all the emotions, thoughts in my mind and deepest desire,
I had forgotten that I was my own strength and fueled my own fire,
From this day on I know that with everything and everyone I have a choice,
Come what may today or tomorrow all I must do is follow my voice.
3. The Invitation, Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
For love, for your dream,
For the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life’s betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy,
Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithless and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your own life
From its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes!”
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone,
And do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself,
And if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.
4. Never Stop Being You, Terrie Brushette
Never stop caring about the little things in life.
Never stop dreaming, and don’t give into strife.
Never stop wondering are we on our own.
Never stop thinking has your spirituality grown.
Never stop building bridges that lead to better tomorrows.
Never stop trying, and don’t give into sorrow.
Never stop feeling amazed at the beauty that surrounds you.
Never stop hearing the music, and don’t give into the blues.
Never stop pushing away negative thoughts that make you feel sad.
Never stop looking at all the miracles we have had.
Never stop loving the ones you hold dear.
Never stop giving, and don’t give into the fear.
Never stop smiling, but look forward to each new day.
Never stop shining in your own special way.
Never forget that all storms will clear.
Remember brighter tomorrows are always near.
5. No Second Take, POP Original
The time we have here will flash by right in front of our eyes,
Everyday we have a choice, do we have regrets or do we rise?
Anger, ridicule, depression, comparison and fear,
Can cost us our peace and who we are becomes unclear,
The biggest battle you will ever face is that with your own mind,
How hard it is to challenge the negative thoughts to which we are confined,
We can make ourselves believe we don’t deserve happiness, love and success,
But the what is forgotten is that all we need to do is say yes,
Yes, there are going to be obstacles, pain, failures and heartbreak,
But the sooner we accept the hard times, the quicker we will grow and awake,
Our strength often comes from our hardest times and biggest lows,
But embracing vulnerability, courage and hope will lead you to the path where joy flows,
From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, keep gratitude close to your heart,
Your loved ones and your experiences make your foundation and are what set you apart,
You are uniquely you, don’t look to the left and don’t turn to the right,
Look only within yourself and follow your own bright light,
If there is something you want to achieve, all you can do is give it your all,
And no matter which way things go, always remember to stand up tall,
If you feel anxious, defeated and unsure, make the changes you know you need,
Because only when we do right by ourselves and nurture our aches, will we be truly freed,
Challenge those limiting beliefs and take a chance even when you don’t know how it will go,
Because it’s far better to say I’ve tried rather than saying I’ll never know,
Relieve the pressure we all tend to put on ourselves and give you yourself a break,
We were put on this earth to live and with life, there is no second take.
6. Desiderata, Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
7. The Man Who Thinks He Can, Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t;
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the word we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will,
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outcasted, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
8. Do It Anyway, Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
