“When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.”
In life, it’s common to ask ourselves questions like: Did I make the right decision? Am I on the right path? Should I continue on this path? Should I keep doing what I’m doing? But the answer to whether or not you’re doing the right thing might not be as far or illusive as you think. This quote, from the book The Light in the Heart: Inspirational Thoughts for Living Your Best Life by Roy T. Bennett, reminds us to check into how we feel within. When we do so, we may find our conscience–our instincts–telling us exactly what we need to do.
Living Life Poetically: Unanswered Prayers
Reflect on all the things you’ve prayed for that never came to pass–those prayers that seem to have gone unanswered. It’s natural to feel disappointed and unheard. The poem “Unanswered Prayers” addresses those prayers that seem to fall on deaf ears. Unanswered Prayers We don’t always get what we want.Our prayers seem unanswered.Perhaps it’s with good reason, which we cannot see,Our prayers go unrenderedNo matter how many times we are on bended knee. We don’t always get what we want.Our prayers seem undetected.But they are heard and answered indeed.At times, in ways unexpected.In ways we truly need.
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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.
“There are only two rules for being successful. One, figure out exactly what you want to do, and two, do it.”
“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.”
The “Life Maze”
There’s a big difference between the maze you see drawn on paper and a physical maze one, typically made out of hedges. Sometimes, when we’re not sure which way to go in life, it helps to imagine our life as a physical maze. This depiction reveals three important realities about life that can help put our uncertainties about which way to go into perspective.
“Don’t bury your failures, let them inspire you.”
Inspiration is often the spark that leads to meaningful action; and one great but under appreciated source of inspiration is actually failure. However, when we fail, we tend to want to forget it ever happened as quickly as possible. But as this quote by Robert Kiyosaki suggests, we shouldn’t bury our failures, which is the natural thing to do. Instead, we can hold on to failures just long enough to learn something from them or at least long enough to try again with the new perspective that the failure gave us.
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“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”
“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.”
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”
Living Life Poetically: Life in Physical Form
The poem, “Life in Physical Form”, forces us to imagine what our life would be if we were to create a physical representation of it. In a way, thinking of life in such a literal and physical sense can help guide us in thinking about the life we actually live. For instance, is it “dull” or “yellow” also asks whether you’re mostly sad or mostly full of vibrancy and joy. And the question of whether it’s small or grand can also be a question about whether you feel small and therefore are not living your life to its fullest. So, as you read this poem, consider what each description means…
“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.
“The soul is stronger than its surroundings.”
Think about your soul. It’s the part of you that is YOU at the core–your essence. It is there on good days and bad days. It is there no matter where you go. And it is there no matter how you look on the outside. This quote, by psychologist and philosopher William James, makes us consider our soul. Moreover, it reminds us of its strength in the midst of whatever surrounding or circumstance we find ourself. And the best part is that its strength can grow with time. The keys to its strength are: Knowing who you area at the core (your soul) and standing confident and firm in who…
“You can make life very simple or very complicated. Some people try to be what others want them to be. Others try to be different just to stand out. In both cases, they are changing themselves to impress others. Neither of these paths has a heart. Just be true to yourself. It’s that simple.”
Whether you’re trying to be what others want you to be or you’re consciously trying to be different to stand out, you’re concerned with what other people think. This quote, by Mike Stutman, serves as a great reminder to reflect on the reason why you are who you are. If any part of your identity has to do with what people think, then there could be a part of you that’s not authentically you. Meanwhile, there could be a part of you missing that you haven’t yet discovered. Sadly, some people go through their whole life neither discovering nor living true to who they really are because they spend so…
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“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.”
“No great thing is created suddenly.”
“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.”
“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
Being fully motivated all the time is actually not normal; and constantly being on overdrive can be mentally and physically draining, leading to burnout. Motivation naturally ebbs and flows. There will be days when it’s lacking and days when we feel highly energized–unstoppable. So occasionally feeling unmotivated is nothing to freak out about. Just embrace those periods of low motivation as time to give yourself a mental and physical break. Come back stronger the next day. It’s when we find ourselves consistently unmotivated day after day that it’s a problem. This can be a sign of depression and/or a sign that what we are doing is simply not motivating for…
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Imagine being behind the steering wheel with no say or control on where your car turns or arrives. That’s similar to what happens when we don’t make the unconscious conscious. This quote, by psychoanalyst and psychiatrist Carl Jung, reminds us that if we’re not aware of the things that direct our lives, they will continue to direct our lives without us knowing. Therefore, we fail to redirect our path for the better because we’re unaware we need to. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. So how do you make the unconscious conscious? It takes more reflection, mindfulness, and metacognitive awareness along with less denial. If necessary (and…
