“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.
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“When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.”
“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.”
“We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.”
“If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.”
Sometimes the things that often occupy our thoughts are our unfulfilled goals and ambitions. Moreover, they have a way of nagging at us no matter how much time has passed or how many failures we’ve experienced in their pursuit. Fortunately, there’s a great way to silence these thoughts. Simply put, it’s by accomplishing whatever it is we hope to accomplish. Nothing more. Nothing less. This quote, by Michael Jordan, reminds us to think of those nagging thoughts as our spirit telling us to keep going.
“Know that when the world knocks you down, the best revenge is to get up and continue forging ahead. ”
Continuing to move ahead after being knocked down by a setback or disappointment is not easy. However, we do this all the time, often without recognizing our own outstanding display of perseverance. So give yourself some credit for all the times you forge ahead. This quote, by Nancy Arroyo Ruffin, interprets each of those times you’re able to persevere as a form of revenge toward the setbacks, disappointments, and unfair circumstances that knocked you down. In a sense, you’re refusing to let those things win. You’re getting back up and saying “Bring it on.”
“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.
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Self-Esteem Part 3: How to Develop and Maintain a Sound Self-Esteem
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me.
“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”
“A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but its persistence.”
It’s fascinating to realize that water causes the formation of caves, canyons, and valleys. It’s a process geologist refer to as downcutting. Rivers slowly erode rocks, cutting away at them bit by bit to form canyons and valleys. Meanwhile, water slowly drips into rock layers, dissolving the rock and creating open spaces within to form caves. These natural processes take millions of years. This quote, by Jim Watkins, reminds us to be like the water. It may not be the strongest or most powerful element on earth; however, we can never underestimate what is possible with consistency and persistence.
“Failure is the only opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
Failure provides some of the best learnings and insights. But sometimes we don’t try again at that thing we failed at. This quote, by Henry Ford, reminds us to take advantage of the opportunity to try again. It reminds us to apply the knowledge that failure brings. Sadly, so many endeavors go unaccomplished when failure is perceived as an end to their pursuit instead of as a new and better beginning.
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
When we do something by accident, it simply means we do something we didn’t intend to do. We may take a wrong turn, press a wrong button, or forget to turn something on/off by accident. This quote, from former soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pelé), reminds us that the same doesn’t apply to success. Instead, success is on purpose. It happens with intention. More precisely, with “hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, [and] love of what you are doing or learning to do.” In other words, we can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for success to happen by accident. Rather, one and most likely all of the…
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“If you’re reading this… Congratulations, you’re alive. If that’s not something to smile about, then I don’t know what is.”
“There is no such thing as a ‘self-made’ man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”
Step 1: Motivation. Step 2: Climb
“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.”
This quote, by poet and writer John Sinclair, reminds us that failure may hurt for a little bit. However, whatever pain or disappointment we feel is not meant to last forever, like a tattoo. Rather, like a bruise, the pain and disappointment goes away. Also like a bruise that heals, with cells that regenerate, failure has a way of healing us. When we handle failure the right way, it should regenerate us into a new and better version of ourselves.
“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.”
What typically happens when you make a trip from point A to point B is you make the plan or intention to travel. If it’s a place you’ve never been before, you follow some kind of direction–a road map. And if you continue on that direction, you will eventually arrive at your destination. Isn’t it nice to know that the same principle applies to life? This quote, by Earl Nightingale, illustrates our goals and dreams as destinations we’re trying to reach. It all begins with having the plan or desire to get there. Often that goal or dream directs us to the unknown. So we need to rely on a…
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
This quote, by Ameilia Earhart, reminds us that when we’re faced with something scary, the hardest part of it is usually deciding to face it. To act. So often, we avoid facing this decision altogether. Unfortunately, the longer we don’t decide to act, the further that action drifts away from happening. We must be reminded that the actual act (outside of a decision) may not be easy. It will take tenacity. However, once we do make up our mind, it has an effect. It can give us a dose of strength and courage amid fear and uncertainty, which we won’t discover until our decision to act is made.
