“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…
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A Path to Understanding and Discovery More About Who You Are
Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.
“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.”
“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,’…
“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.
“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.
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“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.”
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
We all have things we want to accomplish–whether it’s getting out of bed in the morning or getting a prestigious award or recognition. But it’s easy to forget that we make no progress toward our goals without first taking action. It’s even easier to forget that before that action comes a decision to take it. This quote, by John F. Kennedy, reminds us that any accomplishment first takes the decision to give it a shot. To try. This is, in fact, the first step that takes our goals from just existing in our head to becoming reality. Have you made the decision to try?
“What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.”
Imagine yourself hiking up a mountain. Chances are, it will take an innumerable number of steps to make it to the top. However, one thing is guaranteed. No matter how long it takes or how painful it gets, each step gets you further up. This illustration brings to mind Alexandra Stoddard’s quote, “What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.” Imagine each step up the mountain as the actions you take each day. Every action that brings about positive change will only carry you upward. Therefore, you’ll be further tomorrow than you were yesterday because each step (i.e. action) is accumulative, adding to…
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
Having discipline is never fun. At least, not usually. But is it better to suffer the pain of having discipline and making sacrifices to get where you want to be or to suffer pain from the regret you feel because you never did enough to get there? This quote, by Jim Rohn, answers this question. The pain of discipline is not nearly as bad as the pain of regret. One weighs on us more than the other. Perhaps we don’t feel the pain of regret right away, but eventually we do. Therefore, instead of avoiding the pain of discipline, let’s think about how much worse we’ll feel when we regret.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Tim Notke, a high school basketball coach, once said during a motivational speech to his players that “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” This couldn’t be more true. Talent alone gets us nowhere without hard work. A person can be one of the most talented people in the world. However, if they don’t use their talent, it’s wasted and doesn’t get them very far. They could be exceptionally gifted intellectually or physically. Yet they only achieve a fraction of what they’re capable of. Meanwhile, someone with much less talent (that’s applied) has a greater potential to go further. This quote reminds us to use the gifts we’re…
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“If you’re stuck in a puddle, it means there’s higher ground all around you. You just have to step onto it.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Going From “Have to” to “Get to”
There are quite a few things we feel we have to do in life—various responsibilities, commitments, and goals we set for ourselves. You might say “I have to” do this or that, or at least think it consciously or subconsciously. “I have to exercise”, “I have to eat healthy”, “I have to go to work”, “I have to volunteer”, “I have to do chores”, “I have to run errands”. The list goes on. But what if we replace the words “have to” with “get to” for all these things? What if we reimagine them with all the opportunities and possibilities they possess? What if we’re grateful to even have the…
