“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
This quote, by Joseph Campbell, talks about being willing to let go of the life you planned. This is not to say you give up easily when things don’t go according to plan or you don’t plan things out at all. There’s nothing wrong with persevering or planning your future to a T. Being able to do that is a good thing that typically sets you up for success. However, understand that sometimes things don’t work out because they aren’t meant to. They were only meant to teach you a life lesson. But the more you fixate on them, the less likely you are to see or accept any alternative,…
“Becoming is better than being.”
A common question during a job interview or performance review is “Where do you see yourself in five years?” But we seldom get asked how we’ll get there. The focus is more on being there. This quote, from the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, is about enjoying the process. Getting there could be a great experience in and of itself, depending how we perceive that process. On the one hand, we can perceive it as an unfortunate inconvenience or hindrance to where we want to be. But on the other hand, we can perceive the process not as an obstacle but a catalyst–as the means…
“We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Before Marie Curie, we didn’t know anything about radioactivity or radioactive isotopes. As a result, her pioneering research introduced critical concepts to the world of science. She is quoted saying “We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” This quote has two parts. First, you must believe you are gifted for something. It may not be making a scientific discovery that will change the world, but we all have something to offer. So find out what that thing (or those things) are for you. Second, you have to believe the thing must be attained. So instead of saying ‘maybe I’ll do it,’…
H.O.P.E. = Hold On. Pain Ends.
Hold on. Pain Ends. This acronym for the word hope is also such a great definition of what it means to have hope. Having hope means having faith that whatever difficulties or challenges you’re going through now will eventually end. But holding on is not easy at times. We naturally get impatient and feel like we cant hang in there much longer. However, just the mere understanding that the pain will end–or at least diminish–makes it easier to hold on. So next time you feel completely hopeless, remember to hold on. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
Society tends to give someone who spends most of their day busy more respect than someone spending most of it relaxing. We tend to perceive busyness as a good thing, while productivity takes a backseat. This quote by The Four Hour Work-Week author, Timothy Ferriss, reminds us to refocus our attention on productivity. Life is short. So we should try to use the time we are busy to be as productive as possible. That way we can have more time to smell the roses.
“Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.”
Sometimes what lies before us seems more frightening than what we’ve already overcome. However, it may not necessarily be more challenging than what we’ve already gone through. The only difference between the battles we’ve won and the battles before us is the unknown. This quote, by N.R. Walker, is about making how far you’ve come serve as inspiration for what lies ahead. You may not know the outcome, but if the past is any indication, you will get through–just as you’ve gotten through all the things that led you to this point.
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“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
“To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.”
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of. Not the circumstances.”
It’s interesting to note that boiling water can both soften a potato and harden an egg. If we think of the boiling water as challenges in life, then those challenges can either make us weaker (soften us) or make us stronger (harden us). This anonymous quote reminds us that the same boiling water–same circumstances–can have different effects. In other words, the circumstances are not what automatically determine our outcome. It all depends what we’re made of. It depends on the composition of our mind, body, and soul.
“One day or day one. You decide.”
Each day, you can either say “one day” or you can say today is “day one”–the start of a new adventure. This anonymous quote reminds us that the choice is ours to make today a day we begin what we’ve been putting off or to make it a day we continue to push it off further. Each day, we have the power to choose when one day becomes now.
“We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.”
Without adjusting the sails on a sailboat, the boat would go wherever the wind takes it. So to get where it needs to go, the sails likely need to be adjusted from time to time–not the wind. Similarly, in life, there are some things we just cannot change. Like the wind. However, we try so hard to change them. But we can either let those things direct our life, or we can put up and adjust our sails. This anonymous quote reminds us to recognize the things we cannot change. Instead of exhausting our energy trying to direct those winds, we can focus on the things we do have control…
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“Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.”
“It’s not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the most power.”
“If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off… no matter what they say.”
“If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive.”
A bird’s nest is made of so many twigs, dry grass, and moss that have been procured from near and far and then carefully and properly placed. The pieces are small and light. However, they result in a fairly sturdy and livable structure. Imagine all the back and forth trips and all the little pieces that come together to build that nest–something so necessary and impactful. Naturally and instinctively, the bird knows it needs to add little things, bit by bit, to build something massive. And we should remember that too, in our own lives. This quote, by Kenneth Goldsmith, reminds us that it’s okay to work on something little…
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“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.”
“Whatever you do, never run back to what broke you.”
“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.”
