“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.
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“The holiest of holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart; the anniversaries of the heart.”
“Failure, it appears, is not the regret that haunts most people; it is the choice not to risk failure at all.”
Increasing Faith with Patience, and Increasing Patience with Faith
“Go as far as you can see and you will see further.”
A phenomenal thing happens as you move toward a horizon. It moves. –And what seemed like a finite view suddenly becomes infinite. As you go as far as you can see, you see even further, as stated in this quote by Zig Ziglar. But more importantly, this quote tells us that progress (going as far as we can see) leads to more progress (seeing further). Progress rarely leads to stagnation or regression. Instead, it more often becomes the catalyst for even more progress. The key is to hold on to the lessons and growth we’ve had along the way and apply them as we continue to move forward.
“Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect. Gently accept your humanness.”
This quote, by Deborah Day, is all about not being hard on yourself and giving yourself permission to not be perfect–because no one is. While “no one is perfect” is a cliche statement, it’s so easy to forget when it comes ourselves and those around us. Which is why this quote serves as a great reminder to “lighten up”. It reminds us that part of being human is imperfection, which we all share. So let’s accept and embrace it, and give ourselves grace when we do fall short or make mistakes. This is one of the first steps to not only improving our self esteem but also our relationships.
“You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
This quote by the author of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, is about the fact that life isn’t always fair. Therefore, you don’t always win–you don’t always get what you want. There’s nothing new or groundbreaking about this. From an early age, we begin to learn that we don’t always get what we want and we don’t always win. What makes this quote special is that, in so few words, it paints this harsh reality while giving hope at the same time; and that hope comes from one word in particular: sometimes. In life, it’s more likely that we will rarely win, especially in a sea of competition or…
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
This quote, from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, reminds us to breath easy when there are more questions than answers. Some seasons in life are full of questions; and that’s natural. For example, what are we going to do with our life or exactly how are we going to accomplish our goals? What ever our questions, it’s reassuring to know that some seasons in life are just uncertain–full of questions. Meanwhile, other seasons are full of answers. During those that give us answers, we’re more self-assured, know exactly what we want to do, and feel like we’re one-hundred percent on the right track. If you’re in…
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“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”
“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.”
“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
“Many candles can be kindled from one candle without diminishing it.”
Unfortunately, this quote’s author is unknown. The quote is what’s called a Midrash, which is commentary on Hebrew scriptures. These commentary, or “textual interpretation,” were written by Judaic authorities as far back as the 2nd century AD. Knowing the history of this quote gives it a deeper meaning. However, it also brings up nagging questions. For instance, which text is it a commentary on? What’s the name of the person who wrote it? Putting these questions aside, let’s get back to the deeper meaning. We live in a world that tells us, in order to shine brighter we must diminish the light of others in comparison. So we see countless…
“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.”
This quote, by the American historian George Burton Adams, is reminiscent of another quote probably half a century later by George Shinn. Besides sharing the same first name, both men had a similar train of thought. According to Shinn, “There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” However, Adams had elaborated on this statement during his lifetime. In his quote, we can appreciate the reason why there’s no such thing as a self-made man or woman. Basically, we are who we are through a combination of nature and nurture. When we’re our true authentic selves, we show our…
