• Mar 17
• 10 min read

How do you start your day? Some people start their day with coffee, others with a workout, and many with words of wisdom that spark inspiration, love, gratitude, happiness, or joy. This listicle blog post is for you if you use words or quotes in your daily morning. You may have tried digital affirmation or other quotes. Have you ever tried Tolstoy quotes? If not, you can test it. Now, let’s dive into 110 unforgettable good morning quotes from Leo Tolstoy that will make you reflect, smile, and step into the day with a renewed sense of purpose.

110 Good Morning Quotes from Leo Tolstoy

 On Life and Purpose

1. “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Tolstoy, My Religion (1884), p. 98.
2. “There is only one time that is important—NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time we have any power.” – Leo Tolstoy, What Men Live By (1885), p. 52.
3. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy, Three Methods of Reform (1901), p. 12.
4. “If you want to be happy, be.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 34.
5. “Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life is impossible.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Confession (1882), p. 17.

   On Wisdom and Learning

6. “The more we live by our intellect, the less we understand the meaning of life.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 432.
7. “Knowledge is real knowledge only when it is acquired by the efforts of your intellect, not by memory.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 79.
8. “We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 587.
9. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 721.
10. “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 93.

  On Love and Kindness

11. “Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 1102.
12. “Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them.” – Leo Tolstoy, Family Happiness (1859), p. 46.
13. “Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 63.
14. “Kindness enriches our life; with kindness, mysterious things become clear.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 142.
15. “True life is lived when tiny changes occur.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 948.

 On Time and Patience

16. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 1245.
17. “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877), p. 327.
18. “The greatest truths are the simplest.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 99.
19. “The best way to live is to be like water—adaptable and calm.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Confession (1882), p. 41.
20. “There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 157.

On Hard Work and Success

21. “The stronger a person’s faith, the less he is afraid of difficulties.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 192.
22. “Genuine happiness can only be attained through work.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 238.
23. “The person who is afraid of suffering is already suffering from fear.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 174.
24. “A man is like a fraction: his numerator is what he is, his denominator is what he thinks of himself.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 51.
25. “One must work and dare if one really wants to live.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 206.

On Hope and Positivity

26. “Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 869.
27. “Rely on the past only for lessons, not for regret.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 199.
28. “One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 734.
29. “Be bad, but at least don’t be a liar, a deceiver!” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877), p. 643.
30. “A man is never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 172.

On Human Nature and Truth

31. “Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 67.
32. “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” – Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata (1889), p. 27.
33. “The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 88.
34. “True simplicity is not about poverty, but about freedom.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 119.
35. “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 201.

On Self-Improvement and Character

36. “Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 142.
37. “A man’s heart is like a field: if you do not cultivate it, it will grow weeds.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 167.
38. “There is no greatness where simplicity, goodness, and truth are absent.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 921.
39. “You should live in such a way that you can always tell the truth.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 132.
40. “To say that you can love one person all your life is like saying that one candle will burn as long as you live.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877), p. 527.

On Faith and Spirituality

41. “Faith is the force of life.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Confession (1882), p. 32.
42. “Happiness is an inside job.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 218.
43. “Every man, knowing to the smallest detail all the weaknesses of his soul, should take care to keep it clean.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 189.
44. “Each person’s task in life is to become an increasingly better person.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 231.
45. “We are asleep until we fall in love!” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 1007.
    

On Change and Growth

46. “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877), p. 3.
47. “A great truth is a truth whose opposite is also a great truth.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 265.
48. “Happiness is in the struggle, not just the victory.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 205.
49. “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.” – Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 217.
50. “To understand everything is to forgive everything.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), p. 782.

30 More Quotes from Leo Tolstoy to Start Your Day

51. “Anything is better than lies and deceit!” – Anna Karenina (1877), p. 598.
52. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness, and truth.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 861.
53. “All that we can know is that we know nothing. And that is the highest flight of human wisdom.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 587.
54. “The key to happiness is not in always getting what you want, but in learning to enjoy what you have.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 104.
55. “The most important knowledge is that which guides the way you lead your life.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 151.
56. “Life is fragile and temporary, but the love you give and receive is eternal.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 133.
57. “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 78.
58. “Happiness is doing good for others.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 178.
59. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 203.
60. “Every heart has its own sorrows which the world knows nothing about.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 224.
61. “Love and truth are the only things that are real and lasting.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 166.
62. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 173.
63. “He who has no faith in himself cannot be faithful to others.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 159.
64. “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 141.
65. “Patience and time do more than strength or passion.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 984.
66. “Life is the sum of all your choices.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 147.
67. “Happiness depends on how you see the world, not what the world gives you.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 199.
68. “The simplest things in life are often the most extraordinary.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 133.
69. “Real kindness is doing something for someone who can never repay you.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 181.
70. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 192.
71. “We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 197.
72. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 212.
73. “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 231.
74. “A good conscience is a soft pillow.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 244.
75. “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 
    

 On Wisdom and Learning

76. “There is no condition of life in which we cannot gain knowledge, if we will.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 104.
77. “The more we live by reason, the less we are dependent on external things.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 188.
78. “We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 587.
79. “Knowledge without love is nothing.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 143.
80. “A person who has no inner life is a slave to his surroundings.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 176.

On Life and Happiness

81. “Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 237.
82. “The best way to make someone happy is to be happy yourself.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 254.
83. “If you make it a rule to work more than you rest, then you will always be cheerful.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 201.
84. “Happiness is not in strength, nor in wealth, nor in power, but in inner peace.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 234.
85. “It is not beauty that endears, it’s love that makes us see beauty.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 917.

On Time and Change

86. “We must not be ashamed to change our opinions, for we are not ashamed to grow wiser.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 112.
87. “Life is a process of replacing one error with another, but a little less each time.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 193.
88. “It is not given to man to know his own fate; he must act according to his conscience.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 765.
89. “Most people spend their lives chasing what will not bring them happiness.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 198.
90. “People try to change everything except themselves.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 211.

On Love and Kindness

91. “Kindness enriches our lives; with kindness, forgotten doors are opened.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 225.
92. “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – A Confession (1882), p. 58.
93. “A person is never as good as he says, nor as bad as others say.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 239.
94. “True love begins when nothing is looked for in return.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 247.
95. “If you want to be happy, be.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 210.

On Simplicity and Contentment

96. “The simplest things in life bring the most happiness.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 217.
97. “He who is not content with little will never be content with much.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 184.
98. “There is more wisdom in a simple life than in all the books ever written.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 165.
99. “Nothing is needed for happiness more than a simple, honest life.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 208.
100. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 984.

On Strength and Courage

101. “Do what is right, let the consequence follow.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 250.
102. “Bravery is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 270.
103. “The best fighter is never angry.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 215.
104. “A true warrior fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 255.
105. “Success is being able to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 263.

On Humanity and The World

106. “The world can only be changed by changing oneself.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 242.
107. “There is no higher religion than human service.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 252.
108. “We are all connected. What happens to one, happens to all.” – A Calendar of Wisdom (1912), p. 273.
109. “The more one judges, the less one loves.” – Anna Karenina (1877), p. 633.
110. “One must live for all or not at all.” – War and Peace (1869), p. 1043.

Do you have a favorite Tolstoy quote? Share it in the comments!