“If you’re doing something outside of dominant culture, there’s not an easy place for you. You will have to do it yourself.”
Whether we want to believe it or not, things like our age, gender, race, and socioeconomic background play a factor in where we go to school, when, if we attend college, what we major in, the career we pursue, when we start a family. The list goes on. Simply put, a lot of what happens in our life is already laid out for us per our dominant culture. But once in a while, we step outside of our trajectory. As this quote by Ava DuVernay reminds us, paving a different path isn’t always going to be easy. It might feel uncomfortable, and there may be moments we feel like we’re…
“By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.”
This quote, by Edwin Elliot, is a reminder to appreciate what makes you unique. It’s a reminder to not try to hide those things. At the end of the day, who you are has never been in the world before. So “by being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” On the other hand, ignoring what makes you stand out and imitating others only replicates something that’s already out there, which is a total waste of the person you were created to be.
PositLive Music: “You Gotta Be”
“You Gotta Be” Written by: Des’ree (born Desiree Weeks) and Ashley Ingram Released: March 28, 1994, Re-released February 27, 1995, 1999 Mix–March 22, 1999 According to singer-songwriter, Des’ree, this song came about after reflecting on how she would stop herself every day to think about how she has to be. (Source). The music video is in black and white, and it plays with those colors–in a way, highlighting the juxtaposition in how we’re sometimes forced to feel and act. “You have to be cool and calm in [one] situation, and then you have to be bold and strong in another situation,” Des’ree noted. The parent album is about “having the…
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“Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress, which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.”
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”
“A tiny change today brings a dramatically different tomorrow.”
“Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not.”
Awakening is transformative and intense. It leads to self-discovery and deeper understanding. Furthermore, it requires intention, reflection, meditation, and prayer. Often, the primary focus is to change who we are. However, this quote, by Deepak Chopra, reminds us that discarding who we are not is just as important. Because when we become less of what we are not, we become more of who we really are. We get rid of all the noise, distractions, pretenses, and imitations that obscure our path.
“Understand: you are one of a kind. Your character traits are a kind of chemical mix that will never be repeated in history. There are ideas unique to you, a specific rhythm and perspective that are your strengths, not your weaknesses. You must not be afraid of your uniqueness.”
This quote, by the author Robert Greene, reminds us that we’re all unique, including our thoughts, ideas, and character traits. Moreover, our uniqueness doesn’t just apply to the current time but spans throughout history. Often we try to hide the things that make us stand out because society trains us to conform–to fit in. But “You must not be afraid of your uniqueness.” As stated in this quote, that is your strength. Taking things a step further, our uniqueness is a superpower we all possess. And we all have a choice to either use this superpower or cover it up.
“You have to be odd to be number one.”
This quote is by Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. The quote goes beyond the fact that one is an odd number. It uses this simple fact to illustrate that being different, unique–or perhaps odd–is sometimes what it takes to be number one. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not worried people might find you odd. That worry alone has a way of limiting your possibilities and potential. Without it, you’ll realize a much greater freedom to take risks and perform at your best.
“Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.”
This quote, by Deborah Day, is all about not being hard on yourself and giving yourself permission to not be perfect–because no one is. While “no one is perfect” is a cliche statement, it’s so easy to forget when it comes ourselves and those around us. Which is why this quote serves as a great reminder to “lighten up”. It reminds us that part of being human is imperfection, which we all share. So let’s accept and embrace it, and give ourselves grace when we do fall short or make mistakes. This is one of the first steps to not only improving our self esteem but also our relationships.
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“Money is ultimately not enough compensation for investing your time and energy. There has to be a sense of purpose, meaning and fulfillment. “
Living Life Poetically: “They Tried so Hard”
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along’.”
“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.”
It’s interesting that this quote comes from Malcolm S. Forbes, son of the founder of Forbes business magazine. It’s a quote about value; but not in the business sense. Rather, the value we hold about ourselves. In business, it’s not good when something is overvalued or undervalued. An overvaluation results in a more difficult sale. The buyer is weary about making the purchase. Meanwhile, an undervaluation leads to a loss in potential profit. The valuation needs to be at just the right price-point. In this quote, Forbes says that “too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” Using business as a metaphor, by overvaluing what…
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
We live in a world that constantly tells us we’re not good enough or we need to change in some way or another. So then we end up with aspects of ourselves–our personality, appearance, behaviors, etc.–that don’t come from us. They come from how we think we should be. This quote, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is about this constant drive to be something different from what we already are. Just being able to say that every single thing about ourself is completely unaffected by this drive is truly an accomplishment. And it’s something we can all strive toward. Believe it or not, this quote by Emerson from the 1800s is…
Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.
There are a lot of people out there who like to make a lot of noise tooting their own horn. They go out of the way to appear smarter, better, superior… This quote, by Frank Ocean, is a reminder to humble ourselves. Because at the end of the day, it is our good work that speaks louder than the loudest display of self-aggrandization. So if you tend to work hard in silence, keep in mind that it’s by no means a reflection of lesser value in what you’re doing. Don’t ever allow the cacophony of boasters around you to cause you to doubt your worth or undervalue your efforts.
