Inspirational Quotes

Inspirational quotes can be energizing, encouraging, and motivating.  I love quotes that give me the feeling that there is nothing I cannot do if I put my mind to it. Although there are literally thousands of quotes on a variety of topics, below are just a few of my favorites.  Enjoy!

“Nothing is impossible to those who do not have to do it.”
- Unknown

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
- Hellen Keller

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.”
- Josh Billings

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
- Will Rogers

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we took so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us”
- Helen Keller

“We don’t see things the way they are. We see things the way WE are.”
- Talmund

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
- Thomas A Edison

“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting”
- Elizabeth Bibesco

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”
- B. Olatunji

“When you get to the end of the rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
- Franklin D Roosevelt

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.”
- Zig Ziglar

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
- Winston Churchill

“Champions are not made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
- Muhammad Ali

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
- Dale Carnegie

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”
- Christopher Reeve

“Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up their sleeves. Some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”
- Sam Ewing

“There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.”
- Steven J Ross

“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.”
- Thomas A Edison

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”
- Peter Drucker

“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!”
- Donald Gardner

“Success is what you attract by the person you become.”
- Jim Rohn

“You have to ‘Be’ before you can ‘Do’ and ‘Do’ before you can ‘Have’.
- Zig Ziglar

“Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune.”
- Jim Rohn

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

“The future has several names. For the weak, it is the impossible. For the fainthearted, it is the unknown. For the thoughtful and valiant, it is the ideal.”
- Victor Hugo

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Waldo Emerson

“Use what talents you possess, the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”
- Henry van Dyke

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”
- Bertrand Russell

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point.”
- Harold B Melchart

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”
- Benjamin Mays

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”
- Earl Shoaf

"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."
- Sarah Breathnack

“Make one positive change in your life and it will change it forever.”
- Author Unknown

What is your favorite inspirational or motivational quote?

Empty the Garbage Can

"People respond when you tell them there is a great future in front of you, you can leave your past behind."
Joel Osteen

Are you concerned for what the future holds?  With the current political landscape, are you uncertain about your  life and what the lives of your family will look like in 2011?  War, high fuel and food prices, crime, a poor education system, lack of quality jobs, and all of the issues that divide us as a nation, do you feel like you cannot get your bearings.  Our elected leaders state that they have our best interest at heart, but seem to be focused on things that support their individual ideology.  As you look forward are you tempted to look over your shoulder only to see that life is gaining on you?  Every day seems like a fight to survive.

With all of the negativity that is being transmitted over the air waves, it is amazing that we don’t lock ourselves in our homes.  There are so many commercials about how to overcome tax debt, how to consolidate your debt, how to file bankruptcy, not to mention all the pharmaceutical companies advertising medications with a litany of side effects?   The news, both network and cable, continues to feed us a steady diet of confusing information and spin, that leaves us not knowing if we are coming or going.

In order to move forward into 2011, most of us need to empty the garbage can of all of the negative and harmful thoughts that will keep us from moving into 2011 with hope and positivity.  Any negativity, that may have affected your life including relationships need to be put in the garbage can.  I know it is easier said than done, but in order for you to accomplish the things you want to accomplish you need to put it behind you.  How can you focus on moving forward if you cannot rid yourself of the past?  Take the learning from your mistakes and use it as fuel for having a happy and prosperous new year.

How?

Set goals for yourself.  Forget about making New Year’s resolutions.  Many people, who make resolutions, never keep them. Get clear about the goals you want to achieve.  No more than two or three goals that you believe will have the greatest impact in your life.

Resolve conflicts with people who you feel may have done you wrong.  It may take having to say you are sorry or forgiving them for what they may have done to you.  Not doing so can lead only to bitterness and slowing down your growth.

Re-brand yourself.  Ask yourself the questions:  Who am I?  Who do I want to become?  How do I want the World to perceive me?  Once these questions are answered, put a plan into place that will help you become the person you want to become in 2011.

Commit to focus on only those things you can control.  You cannot control the economy or how others think.  However, you can control how you respond to life’s challenges.

2011 can represent a year of opportunity or it can reprise the failure and excuses of 2010.

Are you prepared to empty your garbage can?

Miracles Still Happen

“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family!” is how the conversation started. While on the phone with a business partner we were talking about the holidays. We spoke about being grateful even though many are having a tough time. I shared with her the importance of hanging on to hope, and that great things can happen as a result.

As soon as I said that to her, she stated that a miracle had happened to her the day before. With finances tight, she stated that she was wondering what she would give her husband for Christmas. During the day she found out that she had won a large flat screen television. The television would now go under the tree for him. The same day she won a $50 gift card that would be given to her daughter. She said, “When you least expect it, a Miracle happens!”

The holiday season represents so many things to people depending on how and what has occurred in their past and what is going on in their present. For some, the season represents lack. For some it reminds them of a loved one no longer here. For some it leads to depression, fatigue and stress. A haze hangs over them like fog. They feel cold inside. Seeing all of the people around them, laughing, shopping and enjoying life with family and friends can leave them feeling jealous, unloved, stressed out and hopeless.

If that is you, I want to introduce you to a friend that can bring you peace and joy unspeakable, His name is Jesus the Christ. There is only one who can fill the void in your soul. He can satisfy every longing and every need. His birth is a gift from the Father above. Need a miracle? Call on Him and He will provide the miracle of Joy and Peace that transcends all understanding.

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and its commercialization, step back out of the noise long enough to get in touch with the one who is the reason for this season, Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

During this season, have you experienced a miracle or unexpected blessing? Share it with me.

The Pursuit of Happiness

“The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.”  Author Unknown

How many of you are enjoying life?

Are you happy?

I can imagine that before you answer these questions many of you are thinking about your life and weighing the good and bad things going on in your life.  If you have money and a job, maybe you are enjoying life.  If you have lost your job, maybe life is not good.  The holidays often stress people out which can lead to depression.  While speaking to a group of individuals this past week I asked them the same question.  Out of 70-80 people only 10 raised their hands.  Wow! Only 10 said they were enjoying life.

This economy has taken its toll on many lives.  The loss of jobs, homes, retirement nest eggs, and its impact on families leaves so many afraid, fearful and angry.  The threat of increased taxation, fuel and food prices only further the feelings of uncertainty.  How can one enjoy life and be happy with all of the cares of this life swirling around them?

Keeping life in perspective is the key to happiness and joy.  I find that when I want to grumble and complain, simply thinking about the positive things that are going on in my life resets my thinking.  My faith in God is the number one key for me living an abundant life.  My happiness and joy is not predicated on my circumstances, but my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

If you are one of the ones worrying and anxious, I have one question for you, how is it working for you?  Place your trust in the only One who is able to bring lasting joy and happiness.

What does really being thankful mean?

What has this tough economy taught you?  Has it revealed your lack or your wealth?

Every day we are given blessings that we either appreciate or take for granted.  So many of us forget the simple things in life that we can and should be grateful for.  Why is it that we focus on the negative circumstances?  Life is not working out the way we planned.  We do not have the home we want, the car we want, or the job we want.  The blessings we receive are jewels, which can make up a rich and impactful life if they are safeguarded.

Recently, my wife shared a few of the things she is thankful for:

• Cool morning breezes
• Patriots who stand for my country
• The song she played, just for me, opening her heart-window so I could peek inside and see hope
• Ancient Promises with no expiration date
• Having to tell Drummer Boy three times that it's too late for the loud music that spills out of him--it just keeps spilling :)
• Catching up with Mom & Daddy, sharing coffee a country apart
• 50 years of the most beautiful marriage I've ever seen & for Mom & Daddy who did it with You in the middle
• Mom's stories of "their" wild horses, jumping fences and galloping across the hills of home

They are very simple experiences that warm her heart and spirit and take her to a place that the negative circumstances cannot touch.  Expressing gratitude and thankfulness takes your mind to a place of possibility.

I know it can be very difficult at times to express thanksgiving for the things we have in our lives.  Most focus on the one bad thing in their life and forget the 10 good things for which they should be thankful.

My wife shared with me what someone said to her.  The person expressed her thankfulness for all the bad things that did not happen that could have happened to her that day.  Now that’s perspective.  At my last speaking engagement several of the attendees talked about worrying about bad things that could happen.  The question should be what if they don’t happen?

Think about all of the things you have to be thankful for and write them down.  Read them often and continue to add to them.  Expressing thankfulness will transform your thinking about life and those whom you care about.