“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
Sometimes we look at something one day and appreciate its beauty. But when we look at it another day, we might barely noticing it. Perhaps we do notice it, but we only see its flaws. Meanwhile, the thing we’re looking at is still the same. Whether it’s something physically around us like nature and people or something intangible like life changes or a difficult situation, changing our perspective on things can be very powerful. As this quote by self-improvement author and speaker Wayne Dyer suggests, changing the way we look at something can almost change that thing itself.
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”
Most of us are familiar with the saying about looking at the glass half full or half empty. This anonymous quote is similar in its underlying message. The point is that we can take any event or circumstance and either see the positive or negative. We can complain about everything that’s wrong or try to see the silver lining. If we search hard enough, we will find a silver lining.
“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 heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.”
This quote is from the children’s book, The Secret of Saying Thanks, by Douglas Wood. In reading this book and quote, we are reminded that it’s impossible to be thankful and unhappy at the same time. That’s because gratitude has a way of bending our attitude toward happiness. And this is something we can begin to recognize at a young age. If it’s difficult to have gratitude, you can practice it by simply writing something you’re thankful for each day. Perhaps you challenge yourself to write something different each day. By the end of the year, you may surprise yourself with 365 different things to be thankful for and 365…
“Don’t worry about the challenges. Get excited about the rewards of crushing them.”
This quote, by Hiral Nagda, forces us to think differently about challenges. Instead of resenting them, we can try to imagine what overcoming them would look and feel like. What if just getting to that feeling of accomplishment is what we focus on? Simple put, by thinking only about the challenges, we’re more likely to worry about and resent them. However, with a bit of imagination, we can envision ourselves crushing them–including our future sense of accomplishment. In so doing, we’re able to face our challenges with more excitement and motivation.
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that, I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
In math, adding positive numbers results in an even bigger number. However, the moment we begin to introduce negative numbers, the sum total decreases. This is a basic mathematical concept. And this quote, by Maya Angelou, reminds us that a similar principle applies to life. Who we are is the sum of everything around us. What we see, hear, eat, smell, know, remember–it all adds up to make us think, act, and do things a certain way. Continuing on with imagining life as an equation, consider how you can make all the things that influence your life more positive. Remember, you don’t necessarily have to do something big (ie. add…
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“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.”
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“Every day may not be a good day but there is good in every day.”
This quote, by Alice Morse Earle, reminds us that it’s important to first understand that every day may not be a good day. Some days bring bad news, disappointment, frustration, physical pain, or emotional distress. There is a host of life challenges out there. But while we understand every day may not be good, we should also understand that there is still good in every day. The two are not mutually exclusive. It is, in fact, possible to find good in not so good days. This realization can be somewhat liberating. We become less focussed on making life “perfect”–feeling constantly unhappy and disappointed. Instead, we’re more inclined to do our…
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
This quote, from Paradise Lost by John Milton, gives us a different perspective of the mind–as its own place. We’re forced to think of our mind as a vast, infinite land that’s sort of under construction. And we have the ability to build whatever we want on it. For instance, we can develop it into a beautiful oasis or plant thorns. But in addition to the mind being its own place that we can develop, this quote also reminds us that it’s within our power and mind to either find or create the good in bad situations. It’s also within our power and mind to appreciate the good that’s already…
“The only way to see a rainbow is to look through the rain.”
Sometimes we forget that whenever we’re looking at a rainbow, we’re also looking past rain. In fact, the only way to see a rainbow is to look past rain. While this is true literally, it’s also true figuratively. In life, there may be raindrops spread out before us–those challenges, setbacks, heartaches, and disappointments. This anonymous quote reminds us that beyond the bad, we may be able to find something good. We’re reminded to do the best we can to either look beyond or push forward to see the rainbow at the end of whatever storms we’re going through.
“To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.”
This quote, by Ken Keyes Jr., reminds us to count our blessings. Moreover, it reminds us that the more time and energy we spend being upset about the things we don’t have, the less time and energy we have left to appreciate what’s already right in front of us. Therefore, those things almost feel wasted. When they’re not noticed in the first place, we fail to tap into the joy of having them.
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“I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.”
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.
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