16 Life Poems to Change Your Attitude towards Life Challenges
Dive into life poems that capture the beauty and complexity of existence. Let these verses inspire reflection, celebrate moments, and resonate with the journey of life.
Life is full of challenges. It presents different challenges to each and every one of us. Everyone has his/her own unique experiences about life. Inspiring People have captured these experiences in various formats, including autobiographies, short stories, movies and television shows, books and newspaper publications, Vlogs, blog posts, and poetry. There have been many wonderful life poems, which have the potential to change your attitude about life and it’s challenges.
But finding a suitable life poem that speaks to your situation isn’t a walk on the terrace, especially if you don’t know where to look. If you’re looking for poems of encouragement for yourself, you’ll find a wonderful collection of inspirational life poems below, that you’ll find nowhere else.
Contents
- 1 Life Poems #1 – “Life” by Sarojini Naidu
- 2 Poems about Life #2 – “Faith and Courage in Life” by Angie M Flores
- 3 Poem about Life #3 – “Each Moment Is Precious” by Pat A. Fleming
- 4 Life Poems #4 – “26 Things That Are Completely Under Your Control” by Caleb LP Gunner
- 5 Life Poem #5 – “Life Is a Privilege” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- 6 Life Poems #6 – “Death and Life” by Robert William Service
- 7 Life Poem #7 – “Just Being Me” by Elsa Nora
- 8 Life Poems #8 – “The True Meaning of Life” by Pat A. Fleming
- 9 Life Poem #9 – “Finding Hope” by Pat A. Fleming
- 10 Life Poems #10 – “You Will Never See Me Fall” by Joyce Alcantara
- 11 Life Poem #11 – “Destined To Fly” by Ashley Hyder
- 12 Life Poem #12 – “Pain Ends” by Katy A. Brown
- 13 Life Poem #13 – “What Is This Life” by Sir Walter Raleigh
- 14 Life Poem #14 – “Each Life Converges to some Centre” by Emily Dickinson
- 15 Life Poems #15 – “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou
- 16 Life Poem #16 – “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Helen Steiner Rice
- 17 Over to you
Life Poems #1 – “Life” by Sarojini Naidu
Inspirational Message: Preparing for the real life.
CHILDREN, ye have not lived, to you it seems
Life is a lovely stalactite of dreams,
Or carnival of careless joys that leap
About your hearts like billows on the deep
In flames of amber and of amethyst.
Children, ye have not lived, ye but exist
Till some resistless hour shall rise and move
Your hearts to wake and hunger after love,
And thirst with passionate longing for the things
That burn your brows with blood-red sufferings.
Till ye have battled with great grief and fears,
And borne the conflict of dream-shattering years,
Wounded with fierce desire and worn with strife,
Children, ye have not lived: for this is life.
Poems about Life #2 – “Faith and Courage in Life” by Angie M Flores
Inspirational Message: Taking lessons from your life’s challenges and trusting God for his tender mercies and bountiful grace.
In life there are people that will hurt us and cause us pain,
but we must learn to forgive and forget and not hold grudges.
In life there are mistakes we will make,
but we must learn from our wrongs and grow from them.
In life there are regrets we will have to live with,
but we must learn to leave the past behind and realize it is something we can’t change.
In life there are people we will loose forever and can’t have back,
but we must learn to let go and move on.
In life there are going to be obstacles that will cause interference,
but we must learn to overcome these challenges and grow stronger.
In life there are fears that will hold us back from what we want,
but we must learn to fight them with the courage from within.
God holds our lives in his hands. He holds the key to our future.
Only he knows our fate.
He sees everything and knows everything.
Everything in life really does happen for a reason: “God’s Reason”
Poem about Life #3 – “Each Moment Is Precious” by Pat A. Fleming
Inspirational Message: Living in the present (Mindfulness) and savoring each moment.
Live in the moment,
Just take it all in.
Pay attention to everything,
Right there and right then.
Don’t let your mind wander
To what’s coming next.
Cherish this moment
And give it your best.
Don’t let tomorrow
Make you rush through today,
Or too many great moments
Will just go to waste.
And the person you’re with,
In that moment you share,
Give them all of your focus;
Be totally there.
Laugh till it hurts,
Let the tears drop.
Fill up each moment
With all that you’ve got.
Don’t miss the details;
The lesson is there.
Don’t get complacent;
Stay sharp and aware.
It can take but a moment
To change your life’s path.
And once it ticks by,
There is no going back.
In just 60 seconds,
You may make a new friend.
Find your true love,
Or see a life start or end.
You become who you are
In those moments you live.
And the growth’s not in taking
But in how much you give.
Life is just moments,
So precious and few.
Whether valued or squandered,
It’s all up to you!
Life Poems #4 – “26 Things That Are Completely Under Your Control” by Caleb LP Gunner
Inspirational Message: Control the things which are under your control. You can’t change others, but can change yourself.
Your Beliefs
Your attitude
Your thoughts
Your perspective
How honest you are
Who your friends are
What books you read
How often you exercise
The type of food you eat
How many risks you take
How you interpret the situation
How kind you are to others
How kind you are to yourself
How often you say “I love you”
How often you say “thank you.”
How you express your feelings
Whether or not you ask for help
How often you practice gratitude
How many times you smile today
The amount of effort you put forth
How you spend / invest your money
How much time you spend worrying
How often you think about your past
Whether or not you judge other people
Whether or not you try again after a setback
How much you appreciate the things you have
Life Poem #5 – “Life Is a Privilege” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Inspirational Message: The privilege that life is, and why we should be grateful for the mere fact that we’re alive.
Life is a privilege. Its youthful days
Shine with the radiance of continuous Mays.
To live, to breathe, to wonder and desire,
To feed with dreams the heart’s perpetual fire,
To thrill with virtuous passions, and to glow
With great ambitions – in one hour to know
The depths and heights of feeling – God! in truth,
How beautiful, how beautiful is youth!
Life is a privilege. Like some rare rose
The mysteries of the human mind unclose.
What marvels lie in the earth, and air, and sea!
What stores of knowledge wait our opening key!
What sunny roads of happiness lead out
Beyond the realms of indolence and doubt!
And what large pleasures smile upon and bless
The busy avenues of usefulness!
Life is a privilege. Thought the noontide fades
And shadows fall along the winding glades,
Though joy-blooms wither in the autumn air,
Yet the sweet scent of sympathy is there.
Pale sorrow leads us closer to our kind,
And in the serious hours of life we find
Depths in the souls of men which lend new worth
And majesty to this brief span of earth.
Life is a privilege. If some sad fate
Sends us alone to seek the exit gate,
If men forsake us and as shadows fall,
Still does the supreme privilege of all
Come in that reaching upward of the soul
To find the welcoming Presence at the goal,
And in the Knowledge that our feet have trod
Paths that led from, and must wind back, to God.
Life Poems #6 – “Death and Life” by Robert William Service
Inspirational Message: Embracing death as an inevitable phase of life.
Twas in the grave-yard’s gruesome gloom
That May and I were mated;
We sneaked inside and on a tomb
Our love was consummated.
It’s quite all right, no doubt we’ll wed,
Our sin will go unchidden . . .
Ah! sweeter than the nuptial bed
Are ecstasies forbidden.
And as I held my sweetheart close,
And she was softly sighing,
I could not help but think of those
In peace below us lying.
Poor folks! No disrespect we meant,
And beg you’ll be forgiving;
We hopes the dead will not resent
The rapture of the living.
And when in death I, too, shall lie,
And lost to those who love me,
I wish two sweethearts roving by
Will plight their troth above me.
Oh do not think that I will grieve
To hear the vows they’re voicing,
And if their love new life conceive,
‘Tis I will be rejoicing.
Life Poem #7 – “Just Being Me” by Elsa Nora
Inspirational Message: Being true to your life’s principles and ideals despite how that makes others feel.
The life I seek must be fast
The speed of life makes me laugh!
Death’s just around the corner for a Queer like me!
Well so they say all of them Freaks.
Homophobia I really do detest
What I am is what I do best!
Like if you want, Answer! This ain’t no test
If you like me, “Great,” then we’re friends
If you hate me don’t make me get upset!
I’m just a Dike whom nobody Straight likes
Well forget you all, cause we love each other my Baby and I!
You don’t have to shake my hand,
I’m not asking you to stare.
If you don’t like what you see,
then get the Hell out of here!
I am what I am, So please understand
Even if you don’t “Who really gives a damn?”
Life Poems #8 – “The True Meaning of Life” by Pat A. Fleming
Inspirational Message: What’s important in life.
The Years have passed by,
In the blink of an eye,
Moments of sadness,
And joy have flown by.
People I loved,
Have come and have gone,
But the world never stopped,
And we all carried on.
Life wasn’t easy,
And the struggles were there,
Filled with times that it mattered,
Times I just didn’t care.
I stood on my own,
And I still found my way,
Through some nights filled with tears,
And the dawn of new days.
And now with old age,
It’s become very clear,
Things I once found important,
Were not why I was here.
And how many things,
That I managed to buy,
Were never what made me,
Feel better inside.
And the worries and fears,
That plagued me each day,
In the end of it all,
Would just fade away.
But how much I reached out,
To others when needed,
Would be the true measure,
Of how I succeeded.
And how much I shared,
Of my soul and my heart,
Would ultimately be,
What set me apart.
And what’s really important,
Is my opinion of me,
And whether or not,
I’m the best I can be.
And how much more kindness,
And love I can show,
Before the Lord tells me,
It’s my time to go.
Life Poem #9 – “Finding Hope” by Pat A. Fleming
Inspirational Message: Overcoming fear by looking at the silver lining.
I’ve always viewed life from the side lines,
Just watching it passing me by.
In the past, too afraid to just let go and live,
And lately too tired to try.
I’ve envied the people around me
So invested in living each day,
While I spent my time hiding out from the world
And searching for ways to escape.
For most of my life I truly believed
I was here to help somebody else,
But now it’s so clear it was just an excuse.
To avoid living life for myself.
It’s sad that our lives and the pain we endure
Can weaken our strength to move on,
But if we get lost in the scars of our past,
Without knowing our lives will be gone.
It’s true, people are disappointing,
They can turn in the blink of an eye,
But we can’t avoid hurting each other,
When we all want a chance at this life.
But there’s something I’ve learned through the wisdom of age,
A truth about all of our lives,
And that is no matter what path we each take,
In the end, we just want to survive.
So the time has now come to conquer my fears
And to stand up and face a new day.
Let the hurts of my past wash away with my tears
And stop letting my life slip away.
Life Poems #10 – “You Will Never See Me Fall” by Joyce Alcantara
Inspirational Message: Not giving up even in the face of adversity.
You may see me struggle,
but you won’t see me fall.
Regardless if I’m weak or not,
I’m going to stand tall.
Everyone says life is easy,
but truly living it is not.
Times get hard, people struggle
and constantly get put on the spot.
I’m going to wear the biggest smile,
even though I want to cry.
I’m going to fight to live,
even though I’m destined to die.
And even though it’s hard
and I may struggle through it all,
you may see me struggle…
but you will NEVER see me fall.
Life Poem #11 – “Destined To Fly” by Ashley Hyder
Inspirational Message: Overcoming your life’s addictions.
I remember the day we met.
Too young to see the danger.
I didn’t know the devil you were,
That you’d fill me with so much anger.
At first you gave me comfort,
Numbed me from the pain,
But the light you gave me faded,
Brought blackness to my veins.
Your trap worked as always.
I am not the only one to fall.
So many friends forever gone now;
No one’s left to call.
Dragged me to rock bottom,
Each day a life in hell anew,
Felt there was no possibility
Of breaking this dependence on you.
Every day I woke
With only you on my mind,
Desperate for your love,
More desperate for you to die.
Through time I saw you were evil.
I watched you steal my soul.
Each time I tried to get away,
You would not let me go.
Tried to scream and cry,
Eventually accepted my fate.
Everyone had tried to warn me,
And now it was too late.
Family and friends could never understand,
Couldn’t hear my silent plea.
They did not want to see
The sick effect you had on me.
You locked me in a cell.
You made me freeze at night,
Made me deceive those I loved,
Made me live in constant fright.
Left broken, battered, and bruised,
My number of scars grew.
Both physical and mental,
While the number of wasted years flew.
Went through the motions like a zombie.
No longer did I see
Any type of future
In this world for me.
You erased any shred of hope
When everyone turned their backs.
Difficult to escape this dark hole and cope,
Impossible to defend against your attacks.
I knew no church, no God.
YOU, my ultimate power.
No way to know real love.
I was now a rotted, dead flower.
Then one day it happened.
Most amazing hope one moment brings,
And I decided then and there
That I would grow my wings.
No longer will you take from me
Like you have stolen all these years.
You will never take my life.
No longer will I cry these tears.
I will deal with the pain.
I will swallow all my pride.
I will deal with my life of rubble.
I’m prepared for this difficult ride.
If it kills me to leave you,
Then I will gladly die,
Because with you I’m only surviving,
And I have been destined to fly.
I will soar, laugh, and smile,
Will breathe my life once more.
I will go back to a time
Before you came knocking at my door.
Life Poem #12 – “Pain Ends” by Katy A. Brown
Inspirational Message: Letting go of whatever causes you pain and sadness.
Breathe in the fresh air,
Put your mind at ease.
Let down your hair,
Let it flow in the breeze.
Let your eyes wander
To all the beauty to be seen.
If those toxic thoughts you still do ponder,
Then let out a scream.
Scream until the pain is gone,
Until you no longer feel afraid.
Open your eyes to a new dawn,
Let the darkness fade.
No longer compare yourself
Or your flaws to others’ perfections.
Take the negativity off the shelf.
Focus on your direction.
Pick the sadness up off the floor,
Sweep it into the wind.
Close the door on self-hatred.
Never let it back in.
For the lies it would often tell you,
You will no longer agree.
Happiness and love are what you should hold onto.
They are whom you should give the key.
Pay no attention to the toxic thoughts,
Listen to those who adore everything you are.
Overthinking was what you once were taught,
But now those thoughts you put in a jar.
Focus on your goals,
Never lose your fight.
It’s time to open new scrolls.
Everything will be all right.
Life Poem #13 – “What Is This Life” by Sir Walter Raleigh
Inspirational Message: A subtle description of what life is.
What is our life? A play of passion,
Our mirth the music of division,
Our mother’s wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for this short comedy.
Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,
That sits and marks still who doth act amiss.
Our graves that hide us from the setting sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.
Thus march we, playing, to our latest rest,
Only we die in earnest, that’s no jest.
Life Poem #14 – “Each Life Converges to some Centre” by Emily Dickinson
Inspirational Message: Every human life has a purpose, a goal, which we may ourselves be scarcely aware of – yet it nevertheless exists.
Each Life Converges to some Centre —
Expressed — or still —
Exists in every Human Nature
A Goal —
Embodied scarcely to itself — it may be —
Too fair
For Credibility’s presumption
To mar —
Adored with caution — as a Brittle Heaven —
To reach
Were hopeless, as the Rainbow’s Raiment
To touch —
Yet persevered toward — sure — for the Distance —
How high —
Unto the Saint’s slow diligence —
The Sky —
Ungained — it may be — by a Life’s low Venture —
But then —
Eternity enable the endeavoring
Again.
Life Poems #15 – “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou
Inspirational Message: Believe in yourself. Overcome fear and not allow it to master you
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Mean old Mother Goose
Lions on the loose
They don’t frighten me at all
Dragons breathing flame
On my counterpane
That doesn’t frighten me at all.
I go boo
Make them shoo
I make fun
Way they run
I won’t cry
So they fly
I just smile
They go wild
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Tough guys fight
All alone at night
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Panthers in the park
Strangers in the dark
No, they don’t frighten me at all.
That new classroom where
Boys all pull my hair
(Kissy little girls
With their hair in curls)
They don’t frighten me at all.
Don’t show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I’m afraid at all
It’s only in my dreams.
I’ve got a magic charm
That I keep up my sleeve
I can walk the ocean floor
And never have to breathe.
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Not at all
Not at all.
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Life Poem #16 – “Help Yourself to Happiness” by Helen Steiner Rice
Inspirational Message: Where to search happiness in life.
Everybody, everywhere
seeks happiness, it’s true,
But finding it and keeping it
seem difficult to do.
Difficult because we think
that happiness is found
Only in the places where
wealth and fame abound.
And so we go on searching
in palaces of pleasure
Seeking recognition
and monetary treasure,
Unaware that happiness
is just a state of mind
Within the reach of everyone
who takes time to be kind.
For in making others happy
we will be happy, too.
For the happiness you give away
returns to shine on you.
Over to you
All the life poems above attempt to illustrate the transient and fleeting nature of life and its different situations. So, it doesn’t matter what you’re going through right now; you’ll find a poem that aptly portrays your challenges and helps you go through them with courage and hope.
Thank you for reading this. I hope you liked the above Inspirational Life Poems. Which Life Poems you liked the most in above list? Please let us know your favorite life poems in comments section.
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