Here are some quotes about change, drawn from some of history’s brightest minds, to inspire us to seize opportunities with courage, determination, and hope. Change is a chance for improvement, but even if it goes wrong, it brings learning and growth. These quotes also highlight opportunities that arise from change—the possibilities that change offers.

Changing is difficult, especially if the need isn’t clear, but change is constant. If we—or our company—don’t initiate it, something external will, bringing potential threats. It’s not just about leaving one position for another, but about always being ready to embrace and leverage change.

• “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb, writer
• “You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Christopher Columbus, navigator
• “Change before you have to.” — Jack Welch, businessman
• “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy, politician
• “It is not the strongest, the fastest, or the most intelligent who survive, but those who adapt best to change.” — Charles Darwin, naturalist
• “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination.” — Jimmy Dean, singer and actor
• “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi, lawyer and politician
• “To hell with circumstances; I believe in opportunities.” — Bruce Lee, martial arts master
• “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt, historian and politician
• “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn, businessman
• “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” — Woody Allen, filmmaker