Celebrate the release of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor! by checking out my top ten favorite Mr. Rogers inspirational quotes!

If you grew up any time during the last 5 decades, chances are you watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood at least a few times over the years. His show first aired in 1968 and continued all the way until 2001. Even now, you can catch reruns on PBS.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

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During his 35+ year run, Mr. Rogers taught millions of children (and adults!) about what it means to be a good neighbor. He held our hands through some of the darkest times in history, telling us to “look for the helpers.” He told us that we were important to him, and to the world. He implored us to listen with both our ears and our hearts, to make good choices, to be honest, and to be proud of who we are.

In my opinion, Fred Rogers did more to promote self-esteem, self-worth, and self-respect in children than all the parenting and child development books out there combined.

Now, we have a chance to learn a bit more about the life of Fred Rogers (although that isn’t the primary goal of the documentary) as well as WHY he was such a huge success (which IS the movie’s primary goal). Check out the trailer, then read on for a few of my all-time favorite quotes from Mr. Rogers.

Inspirational Quotes by Fred Rogers

1. Look for the helpers!

Perhaps the most famous Mr. Rogers quote of all times, this one is often brought out after a great tragedy. It helps our children (and us) remember that even though horrible things happen in the world, there are always good people ready to lend a helping hand.

2. Be proud for saying yes!

It’s okay to be proud of yourself for helping others! It’s also okay to say “yes” to those in need.

3. Listen with your ears and your heart

Mr. Rogers taught us that it’s not enough to just listen with our ears, but that we should also listen with our hearts. In the same breath, he taught us that it’s okay to ask questions.

4. Love and trust makes all the difference.

This Mr. Rogers quote holds especially true now, when communicating via email and text have become the norm. It’s easy to misunderstand someone’s words on a screen. Love and trust for each other helps guide us.

For example, I know that I can sometimes sound curt and cold because I have an aversion to “text speak,” so my conversations sound overly formal. My friends and family know that I don’t have a mean bone in my body and never misinterpret my tone for something that it isn’t!

5. To love someone is to accept them.

Love is an action, not a state of being. It’s something that we choose to do over and over, each day. Mr. Rogers teaches us that a big part of loving someone is accepting them for who they are.

6. We all have an inner child that needs to come out sometimes!

Sometimes I think that if we didn’t all work so hard to quell our inner child, the world would be a brighter place!

7. You are important!

If you only remember one of these Mr. Rogers quotes, please let it be this one. You are important. I think that we forget that sometimes. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life, I know that I forget my own importance to those in my life.

Please, remind yourself today, tomorrow, and every day that you are valued and loved.

8. Make the best choices possible!

We all have so many dreams that we’ll likely never get to make come true. I have a list of hundreds of things I want to see and do in my lifetime, but I know that I won’t get to do all of them (unless I somehow become a billionaire, lol).

Rather than lamenting the things we didn’t do, make choices based on what makes you the happiness and celebrate the accomplishments of your life.

9. The end is also the beginning.

This is kind of like that saying “one door closes and another one opens.” Every single ending is a beginning, too.

10. Won’t you be my neighbor?

I’ll close these Mr. Rogers quotes with a line from the theme song. I would love to live in a neighborhood with you! Remember, you’re special just the way you are!