I am a big fan of quotes. I’ve been collecting them in a journal for years. I have to honestly say that they’ve informed my life. The quotes that resonate with me have stayed in my thoughts and imagination for a long time.
A quote that blends in well with this discussion, is from Eleanor Roosevelt. She said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Everyone has dreams and goals, and to frame them as ‘beautiful,’ has a way of making them more precious and inspiring.
Benjamin Franklin said, “Joy is not in things, it is in us.” And, William Shakespeare said, “It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
These quotes have a few layers of meaning. To say that one can find joy in themselves, says that the joy is part of us. It gives hope to someone who doubts that they can overcome feelings of doubt and sadness.
To give power to one's dreams and goals gives a person the strength to pursue what they want in life. To suggest that our destiny rests within ourselves is to give us a new sense of our own purpose.
One of my absolutely favorite quotes is, “Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw. What that says to me is that you, as an individual, gets to decide who you are. It takes work to do that, and it doesn’t always happen all at once, but nobody else gets to define you; you get to do that on your own! Another great quote is, “Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” That one is from Dr. Seuss.
I’d also like to say a word about living in the moment. I’m able to do that now, but I haven’t always been able to. I had a tendency to ‘catastrophize’ and get into a negative spiral. Part of what pulled me out of that was I did a lot of reading, including books of quotes. Many of them resonated with me, and inspired me to start enjoying each moment. Words have a lot of meaning, and are very powerful. Living in the moment also requires silence and tranquility. If your mind is always working overtime, you never have the chance to sort out your thoughts and ‘percolate’ on them.”Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.”- The Desiderata
These are just a few quotes that resonate with me, and I hope will resonate with you. I love what Marcus Aurelius said-”When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—-to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”