“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful.”
It’s human nature to come up with every excuse in the book before we finally start something. And a very common excuse we get ourselves to believe is that it’s just not the right time to begin. Sounds like a logical reason. But there’s a difference between the condition being feasibly and the condition being perfect. This quote comes from Mark Victor Hansen, motivational speaker/author and co-founder of the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul. It serves as a reminder that chasing after the perfect condition–when everything is just right–inevitably results in us never getting started. “There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.” So if…
“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…
“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 only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
This quote is often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. However, it seems to have actually appeared in a 90’s Nike ad by Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore. It’s partly based on the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the notion that we will try to make our beliefs come true in order to make our perceptions match with reality. This can and often does happen–Sometimes subconsciously. The worst part is when our subconscious belief about who we are and who we want to be is negative. This results in a negative affect on who we are and who we become. This quote also goes beyond the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy.…
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“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
“God has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and it takes a lot of faith, but it’s worth the wait.”
“A tiny change today brings a dramatically different tomorrow.”
This quote, by Richard Bach, is a great reminder that change doesn’t have to be big in order for it to have an impact. Even the smallest change can bend our path and steer us in a different direction. And this can be both positive and negative. For instance, a tiny change in our health and nutritional habits, a tiny change in our outlook, or a tiny addition to our daily routine can bring about a dramatically different future. The different tomorrow we seek may just require a tiny change today along with trusting the process and a bit of patience.
“Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”
This quote is by Mark Twain. It was later adapted by the American actor and humorist Will Rogers, who similarly stated that “Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due”. What both these quotes are saying is that worrying prematurely–when nothing has even happened yet–is a waste of time and energy. “Worrying is the construct of negative predictions based on fear.” Esthella B. The bottom line is the outcome of what you’re worrying about might end up being good or okay. You don’t know yet. So worrying about it is “like paying a debt you don’t owe,” or “a debt that may never come due.”
“Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.”
This quote, by Ziad K. Abdelnour, presents a great analogy for life. Some versions (Anonymous) of the quote read “Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” In life, our camera might be out of focus–focused on things that aren’t important. We may forget fond happy memories–to capture the good times. And after things don’t work out, we may not give them another shot. But as any photographer can attest, it takes the right focus, a timely capture, and several shots to get the “perfect” picture. And when it comes to…
“You’ve got to bumble forward into the unknown.”
The unknown is something we all have to face; and there’s so much of it in life. While planning and preparation can reduce uncertainty, they don’t remove it entirely. This quote, by trailblazing architect, Frank Gehry, is about having the courage to face each day, situation, or endeavor not necessarily having all the answers or a sense of certainty. Sometimes we just have to “bumble forward into the unknown.” And unfortunately, that is not a choice but a reality. Ultimately, we all have to “bumble” forward in one way or another. Recognizing this fact of life can help reduce our anxiety and increase our mental readiness when faced with life’s…
“Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
This quote, by Dale Carnegie (Carnagey), is perfect for those moments when worry overtakes us. It reminds us that the things we worry about for tomorrow will come and go. Moreover, we are reminded that we often manage to face our worries from our yesterdays each and every day. We manage to pull through to another day. If we understand this has been the precedent, perhaps we can have less worry about our tomorrows. At the back of our minds, we can be certain that tomorrow will come; and the worries for tomorrow will soon become memories of yesterday.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Some people achieve success and suddenly lose their ability to continue with the same drive, motivation, and passion. Likewise, some people experience failure and also lose their ability to continue with the same drive, motivation, and passion. This quote, by Winston Churchill, reminds us that whether it’s success or failure, the ability to continue afterwards can be a challenge, especially after failure. But simply continuing at whatever pace and overcoming whatever the obstacle, is truly what counts. At the end of the day, success and failure are not final. However the courage to continue is the one constant we can guarantee ourselves.
