Inspirational quote of the day by Mother Teresa: 'The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others.' - Powerful wisdom on achieving success, self-discipline, integrity and why you should practise what you preach

Success is often associated with ambition, achievement and recognition, but Mother Teresa’s quote points towards another form of success; the ability to live according to the values we claim to believe in. It is easy to tell someone to remain patient, work hard, forgive others or stay hopeful during difficult circumstances. The greater challenge is following that same advice when we face setbacks ourselves. Her words, “The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others,” encourage people to examine whether their actions match their words.

Advice can sound convincing when offered from the outside, but its real value becomes visible when the person giving it is also prepared to follow it. The quote therefore connects success with self-awareness, consistency and the willingness to turn wisdom into everyday behaviour.

Meaning of Mother Teresa’s Quote About Success

“The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others.”


At the heart of Mother Teresa’s message is the importance of practising what we preach. People often have clarity when helping someone else deal with a problem. We may know that a friend should not give up after one failure, that someone should remain patient during a difficult period or that another person should have confidence in their abilities. Yet applying those same principles to ourselves can be much harder.

The quote suggests that personal growth begins when we stop treating good advice as something meant only for other people. If we believe discipline creates progress, we should practise discipline. If we tell others to remain hopeful, we should try to maintain hope when circumstances become difficult. Acting on our own advice creates a connection between our beliefs and our behaviour, making personal values more than just words.

Why Practising Your Own Advice Matters

Giving advice can sometimes make problems appear simpler because we are looking at another person's situation from a distance. When we experience the same difficulties ourselves, emotions, fear and uncertainty can make those lessons harder to follow. That is why acting on our own advice requires more than knowledge; it requires discipline and honesty.

Following the principles we recommend to others can also build greater self-trust. When our actions consistently reflect our beliefs, we become more confident in our decisions because we know that our values are not merely theoretical. This does not mean people must always have perfect answers or never make mistakes. Instead, it means being willing to recognise our own shortcomings and make an effort to live by the lessons we believe are valuable.

Mother Teresa's Early Life

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now the capital of North Macedonia. She came from an ethnic Albanian family. Her father died when she was a child, after which her mother played an important role in shaping her religious outlook and encouraging compassion towards people in need.

At around 12 years old, Agnes began feeling a strong calling towards religious life. At 18, she left her home and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish Catholic order with missions in India. After receiving training in Ireland, she travelled to India and began her religious life there.

She took her initial vows in 1931 and adopted the name Teresa, inspired by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. In the years that followed, she would spend much of her life in Kolkata, where her experiences among the city's poor eventually transformed the direction of her work.

From Teacher to Missionary Among the Poor

Mother Teresa spent years teaching at St. Mary’s High School in Kolkata, where she taught subjects including history, geography and catechism. She eventually became the school's principal and learned Bengali and Hindi.

However, the poverty and suffering she encountered outside the school deeply affected her. During the Bengal famine of 1943, she witnessed the devastating consequences of hunger and poverty. Her concern for people living in extreme hardship continued to grow.

In 1946, while travelling by train in India, she experienced what she later described as a “call within a call” — an inner conviction that she should leave the convent school and work directly among the poorest people. After receiving permission from her superiors, she began a new phase of her life in Kolkata's slums.

She eventually adopted the white sari with a blue border that became closely associated with her and the Missionaries of Charity.

Founding the Missionaries of Charity

In 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to establish the Missionaries of Charity. The organisation was created to serve people who were poor, sick, homeless or otherwise neglected, with an emphasis on compassion and care.

Her work expanded beyond its initial activities in Kolkata. The Missionaries of Charity established facilities including schools, hospices, homes for orphaned children and centres serving people with serious illnesses and disabilities. In 1965, the organisation received permission to expand internationally.

The movement eventually developed a presence in countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and other parts of the world. Its work also included relief efforts following disasters, epidemics, famine and other crises.

Nobel Peace Prize and Global Recognition

Mother Teresa's humanitarian work brought her international recognition. Among the honours she received were the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, the Nehru Prize and the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work among people experiencing poverty and distress. By then, the Missionaries of Charity had grown considerably, with religious sisters and lay workers supporting its activities across India and other countries.

Her public profile continued to grow, and she became one of the most recognisable religious and humanitarian figures of the 20th century.

Criticism and the Later Years of Her Life

Mother Teresa's public legacy has also been accompanied by criticism. Her conservative positions on issues including abortion, contraception and divorce drew opposition from some quarters. Questions were also raised by critics about conditions and medical practices at some Missionaries of Charity facilities, while others questioned aspects of her religious approach.

She experienced significant health problems later in life, including a heart attack in 1989. Although she attempted to step down as head of the Missionaries of Charity, she was returned to the position after a vote by members of the order.

Her declining health eventually led to her retirement in 1997. She died in Kolkata on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87.

Following her death, the Catholic Church moved relatively quickly with the process of recognising her as a saint. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 2003 after the Vatican recognised a reported miracle attributed to her intercession.

Life Lessons From Mother Teresa’s Famous Quote

Mother Teresa's quote offers several lessons about personal growth and success.

Turn advice into action: Knowing what should be done is only the beginning. Real progress comes from applying that knowledge.

Practise what you preach: Advice carries greater meaning when your own behaviour reflects the principles you recommend to others.

Be honest with yourself: It is easy to identify mistakes in someone else's life. Personal growth requires the same honesty when examining our own choices.

Let values guide behaviour: Principles become meaningful when they influence everyday decisions rather than remaining ideas we discuss.

Accept that change takes effort: Understanding a lesson does not automatically make it easy to follow. Consistent action is what turns an intention into a habit.