50 Best Anne Lamott Quotes That Are Really Thought-Provoking

Moumita Dutta
Dec 12, 2023 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Jan 27, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Young female novelist in baggy sweater thinking hand at chin and looking away through window while sitting at cafe table with open diary and pen in hand
Age: 0-99
Read time: 8.0 Min

Anne Lamott quotes encompass love, peace, humor, single parenting and Christianity.

Anne Lamott is an American novelist who is notable for her huge contribution to the field of literature. She is a prominent Christian author known and remembered for her autobiographical non-fiction books.

Some of her famous works are, 'Bird By Bird', 'Travelling Mercies', 'Almost Everything: Notes On Hope', and many more. She is also known for being a political activist and a profound public speaker. She attracts the crowd through her impeccable black sense of humor, and she is an outspoken woman who never fails to cover her views on controversial matters.

Anne Lamott predominantly a non-fiction writer and has published numerous works that have helped her attract fans from all over the globe. Here is a collection of some Anne Lamott quotes which will cheer you up and inspire you to do wonders in life.

For more quotes, take a look at Alice Walker quotes  or good heart quotes!
 

Anne Lamott Quotes From 'Bird By Bird' Book

Female novelist writing on the laptop

Here is an ultimate collection of Anne Lamott's book quotes that are all gathered from her book, 'Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life', which gives us an insight into a part of her life.

1. "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people."

- Anne Lamott.

2. "They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die."

- Anne Lamott.

3. "If you want to make God laugh, tell her your plans."

- Anne Lamott.

4. "Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere."

- Anne Lamott.

5. "One thing I know for sure about raising children is that every single day a kid needs discipline... But also every single day a kid needs a break."

- Anne Lamott.

6. "Lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining."

- Anne Lamott.

7. "You don't always have to chop with the sword of truth. You can point with it too."

- Anne Lamott.

8. "Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul."

- Anne Lamott.

9. "Having a baby is like suddenly getting the world's worst roommate."

- Anne Lamott.

10. "Your unconscious can't work when you are breathing down its neck."

- Anne Lamott.

11. "My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I'm grateful for it the way I'm grateful for the ocean."

- Anne Lamott.

Motivational Anne Lamott Quotes

These quotes are a perfect way to start your day, they will surely help you get through the difficult workday.

12. "We are who we love, we are one, and we are autonomous."

- Anne Lamott, 'Almost Everything: Notes On Hope'.

13. "Rest and laughter are the most spiritual and subversive acts of all."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

14. "Joy is the best makeup."

- Anne Lamott, 'Grace (Eventually): Thoughts On Faith'.

15. "You can either practice being right or practice being kind."

- Anne Lamott, 'Adolescence'.

16. "My heart was broken, and my head was just barely inhabitable."

- Anne Lamott, 'Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts On Faith'.

17. "A good marriage is where both people feel like they're getting the better end of the deal."

- Anne Lamott.

18. "I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us."

-Anne Lamott, 'Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts On Faith'.

19. "The reason I never give up hope is that everything is so basically hopeless."

- Anne Lamott, 'Small Victories-Spotting Improbable Moments Of Grace'.

20. "Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way, I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear."

- Anne Lamott, 'Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts On Faith'.

21. "If you have a body, you are entitled to the full range of feelings. It comes with the package."

- Anne Lamott, 'Grace (Eventually): Thoughts On Faith'.

Anne Lamott Motherhood And Children Quotes

Anne Lamott attracts people by sharing her personal experiences through her books. Here is a list of Anne Lamott quotes about motherhood.

22. "I did not raise my son, Sam, to celebrate Mother's Day. I didn't want him to feel some obligation to buy me pricey lunches or flowers, some annual display of gratitude that you have to grit your teeth and endure."

- Anne Lamott.

23. "Oh, but my stomach, she is like a waterbed covered in flannel. When I lie on my side in bed, my stomach lies politely beside me, like a puppy."

- Anne Lamott, 'Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son's First Year'.

24. "I'm probably just as good a mother as the next repressed, obsessive-compulsive paranoiac."

- Anne Lamott, 'Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son's First Year'.

25. "I think we're all pretty crazy on this bus. I'm not sure I know anyone who's got all the dots on his or her dice."

- Anne Lamott, 'Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son's First Year'.

26. "I was the angriest daughter on earth, and also, one of the most devoted."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

27. "I don't remember who said this, but there really are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child."

- Anne Lamott, 'Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son's First Year'.

28. "I was raised by my parents to believe that you had a moral obligation to try and help save the world."

- Anne Lamott, 'Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts On Faith'.

29. "Mother's Day celebrates a huge lie about the value of women: that mothers are superior beings, that they have done more with their lives and chosen a more difficult path."

- Anne Lamott.

30. "We must not inflict life on children who will be resented; we must not inflict unwanted children on society."

- Anne Lamott, 'Grace (Eventually): Thoughts On Faith'.

31. "And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again."

- Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son's First Year'.

Inspirational Anne Lamott Quotes

Quotes by Anne Lamott are a true source of inspiration, here is a list of such inspirational quotes by her.

 

32. "This is one thing they forget to mention in most child-rearing books, that at times you will just lose your mind. Period."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

33. "My mind is a neighborhood I try not to go into alone."

- Anne Lamott.

34. "These are the words I want on my gravestone: that I was a helper and that I danced."

- Anne Lamott, 'Grace (Eventually): Thoughts On Faith'.

35. "I've known for years that resentments don't hurt the person we resent, but they do hurt us."

- Anne Lamott.

36. "Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances."

- Anne Lamott.

37. "...the three things I cannot change are the past, the truth, and you."

- Anne Lamott, 'Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers'.

38. "It's good to do uncomfortable things. It's weight training for life."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

39. "Forgiveness means it finally becomes unimportant that you hit back."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

40. "I write because writing is the gift God has given me to help people in the world."

- Anne Lamott.

41. "Butterflies and birds are like one perfect teaspoon of creation."

- Anne Lamott, 'Stitches: A Handbook On Meaning, Hope And Repair'.

42. "I just try to love and serve everyone, and bring everyone water, and lend an ear; that's what Jesus said to do."

- Anne Lamott.

43. "It was not facing what life dealt that made you crazy, but rather trying to set life straight where it was unstraightenable."

- Anne Lamott, 'Blue Shoe'.

The Best Motivational Sayings By Anne Lamott

These motivational sayings will help to inspire yourself, will make you believe in yourself and will uplift your soul.

44. "The reason life works at all is that not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

45. "Summer nearly does me in every year. It's too hot, and the light is unforgiving, and the days go on way too long."

- Anne Lamott, 'Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith'.

46. "I don't want something special. I want something beautifully plain."

- Anne Lamott.

47. "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."

- Anne Lamott.

48. "For me, Jesus is my cleft in the rock. He is my safest friend, my safe, totally loving accepting big brother."

- Anne Lamott.

49. "But it was the singing that pulled me in and split me wide open."

- Anne Lamott, 'Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts On Faith'.

50. "Sometimes grace is a ribbon of mountain air that gets in through the cracks."

- Anne Lamott, 'Grace (Eventually): Thoughts On Faith'.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Anne Lamott Quotes then why not take a look at altruism quotes or inspiring American quotes!

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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