“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
It’s hard to imagine that every adversity, failure, and heartache can result in something beneficial to the same or greater degree. However, they each have that potential. This quote, by Napoleon Hill, reminds us that every negative carries a seed. This seed can grow into something positive depending whether we choose to plant and nurture it. So every time we fall to rock bottom can be the perfect time to plant seeds while we’re there. They’ll eventually form roots by which we’ll grow.
“In the end, everything will be okay. If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.”
When reading a book, we eventually come to its definitive end. We turn the final page of a story or series and there’s nothing more to be said. Typically, things end on a good note. There’s a sense of closure. Similarly this quote, by Fernando Sabino, reminds us that if everything’s not ok, we’ve not yet arrived at the end of our story. However, unlike a story book the pages of our story are indefinite. So when everything feels broken and we feel like we’ve reached our last page, we can remember that tomorrow’s always a new page.
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”
This quote is not to be taken literally. It’s from the classic children’s story, Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie. In the story, Peter Pan’s ability to fly is significantly influenced by his belief that he can without any second thought or hesitation. While the story is made-up, the core principle is real. Nothing kills our ability to do something more than doubt. The moment we doubt whether we can is the moment our likelihood of doing it significantly decreases. Unfortunately, believing in yourself can be easier said than done. So, if self-doubt does creep in despite your effort to fight it, there’re a couple things you can do. First, it…
PositLive Music: “Keep Your Head Up”
“Keep Your Head Up” Written by: Andy Grammer Released: February 24, 2011 Andrew Grammer wrote this song at the beginning of his professional music career. It was written after a long day in the streets, trying to sell his album with little success. It was meant to be a pep talk to himself to not give up–to keep his head up. Ironically, the song he wrote in this low point in his career would end up launching his career. The song was a personal note to himself. However, the message applies to all of us. In those moments when we’re downtrodden, feeling hopeless, or struggling to make ends meet, let…
“If Opportunity doesn’t Knock, Build a Door.”
Sometimes opportunities present themselves right at your feet, and all you have to do is take a small step forward. Better yet, the opportunities come knocking at your door, and you only have to invite them in. This is ideal. However, it’s not always the case. This quote, by Milton Berle, is for the many times opportunities do not come knocking. Building a door means finding an alternate route or creating that opportunity. It may mean a leap of faith. Who knows where that new door you build might lead.
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Living Life Poetically: The Unexplained
“Everything you do, every thought you have, every word you say creates a memory that you will hold in your body. It’s imprinted on you and affects you in subtle ways – ways you are not always aware of. With that in mind, be very conscious and selective.”
“I never lose. Either I win or learn.”
“You can either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours.”
The word discipline doesn’t usually make you think of something enjoyable. Having discipline isn’t usually fun. Instead, it can actually be painful, especially when it requires some kind of sacrifice. However, painful discipline is necessary to achieve certain objectives. And the more difficult the objective, the greater the discipline required. This quote (author unknown) reminds us that no matter how painful discipline is, it’s nothing compared to the feeling of regret from not having it. Yes, discipline is not fun. But a little bit of it can go a long way.
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”
More often than not, the dreams we have don’t happen over night. They take time. Sometimes they take A LOT of time, or they take time we don’t have much of. So then, we give up on the dream and abandon all the small steps we can be taking toward it. The dream becomes an illusive fantasy that finds a permanent home in our hearts and minds but never in reality. This quote, by Earl Nightingale, reminds us to not allow the amount of time it’ll take to accomplish a dream discouraged us from working toward it. “The time will pass anyway,” so why not use it taking small baby…
“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal.”
It’s common for us to have goals–aspirations for our lives. But the plans we execute to achieve these goals don’t always work out. Unfortunately, things not working out can be more common, or just as common, as when they do. But what is even more unfortunate is the temptation, when things do not work out, to not only give up on the plan but to also give up on the goal all together. This quote, by an unknown author, reminds us to keep our eyes on the prize. When you’re driving and you approach one dead end, you don’t just give up on reaching your destination and head back home.…
“It’s only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.”
There are so many stories of people going through “dark hours” only to discover a strength they never knew was there. These stories fill history books, novels, the Bible, and our own lives. Unfortunately, the fact that we would need to go through hard times (or dark hours) to know our true strength, as this quote by Doe Zantamata suggest, doesn’t sound very exciting. It’s a step most of us would rather skip; and understandably so. It would be nice to know our true strength without any unpleasantness or discomfort. But how can we realize it if we’re never faced with situations that require strength to begin with? “It’s only…
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.”
This quote, by Thich Nhat Hanh, is quite appropriate in times of difficulty. Sometimes the present is not so great. There’re so many ways it could be better if we could make it so. However, circumstances that seem beyond our control make changing things even more challenging. In those moments, we must do the best we can. Meanwhile, we must keep our hope alive. “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
