Looking for a dose of inspiration or something to think about? When I’m in this mood, I usually log onto Pinterest and search, “inspirational quotes.” While a lot of them are super cliche and don’t offer much substance, some of them have really stuck with me. Now of course, Pinterest isn’t the only place where inspiration strikes. Occasionally something memorable will pop up in a book, video, or in the world around me; in fact, a lot of noteworthy phrases that stick with me come from my family, friends and teachers.
For me, motivational quotes serve as mottos, spurring me into action when I’m not as motivated. Hence, I compiled my favorite quotes in this post, and described what each one means to me. I hope this serves as inspiration for those seeking it 🙂
Source: Quotefancy
I’ve written down this quote on a post-it note and stuck it on my desk as a daily reminder to focus on the task at hand. Often, it’s incredibly easy to focus on our regrets and the bad days, or to look down on ourselves and over analyze our past mistakes and shortcomings – perhaps we do this when looking back at an exam we took, for example. When doing this, we are only stepping into a dangerous cycle as we’re compounding this regret and preventing ourselves from accomplishing something now. The past is past; there will be times that we’ll fall short, and it just… happens. There isn’t necessarily a clear explanation for it. Likewise, in becoming too absorbed in the future – our dreams, hopes and aspirations – we prevent ourselves from focusing on reaching those places.
If the overall goal is to achieve personal fulfillment, the only way that could be accomplished is to wholeheartedly do what brings us that fulfillment.
Source: Quotespedia
On a similar note, there’s a quote from former British prime minister Winston Churchill. I feel this is super helpful for coping with failure (again, maybe this was a bad test score). Nothing lasts forever; in the moment, it feels like it does, though. I like to apply this example to colleges. Many people have a desire to be admitted into a top-tier university; it feels as if this is the “defining moment.” And if this acceptance doesn’t happen, it feels as if the future has been shredded into pieces. But this is not the case, as for one, college admissions are out of our control. Further, five years from now, what college we attend won’t be of much significance. Rather, it’s what we did at the college that matters. Did we make the best of the opportunities around us? Did we grow as a person and pursue what we’re passionate about? These questions carry more weight, proving that the most important thing is to try our best and… continue.
On the other hand, success doesn’t last forever, either. Let’s say that we were admitted into that top-tier university. This would be considered a great success, a goal fulfilled; sometimes, this can make us complacent, or cause us to rest on our laurels. Yet, the same questions still apply.
Same quote as the homepage of this blog 🙂 This quote really resonates with me, and personally it’s a reminder that our happiness (and our attitude) is determined by ourselves. We cannot control what we don’t and don’t have – our circumstances – but we could choose to be happy with what we have. After all, isn’t that a central goal to life?
The last one in the form of a hand-lettering piece!
One of my favorite hobbies is creating hand-lettering pieces, and this is a digital one I did recently. The quote was included in Katherine Johnson’s biography, and she noted how it was powerful advice her father gave her. I think it’s especially relevant today, as we tend to compare ourselves to others, especially through social media. Take LinkedIn, for example, where everyone’s accomplishments are out in the open; isn’t it far too easy to look at other people’s profiles, and fall into the trap of comparing ourselves and feeling as if we’re not good enough? In this state, it’s important to take a step back, and ask: What are we comparing ourselves to?
If the goal is to become the most accomplished in a certain area, then that will never happen, because it’s impossible to measure such a thing. Everyone has different traits, goals, personalities, talents, values, and circumstances that it is impossible (and rather irrelevant) to compare ourselves to others. Rather, the goal should be fulfillment and improvement, because if we are content, then there is no need to desire what others have.
(Also, I think originally, this quote was in the context of Johnson facing sexism and racism as she pursued her goals, so I may have taken it out of context… either way, I think it’s pretty inspiring).
And that’s a wrap on motivational quotes! I’ll probably do a Part 2 on this, as there are many inspirational quotes to share (and hand-letter). Feel free to share your favorite quotes in the comments below 🙂
