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?

"Don't Believe Everything You Think"

"When things are roughest, and life seems the toughest, it is easy to lose hope, to lose confidence in ourselves, as well as to lose self esteem, self love and our sense of self worth." Unknown

I was speaking to a group of job seekers about how they felt during their job search? From the day they received their “pink slip” till now, most have spent hundreds of hours completing applications, sending resumes, networking, and going on interviews with little to show for the exercise. The impact of their job loss has been dramatic. Loss of self-worth, not feeling good enough, fear of the unknown and high anxiety leaves many feeling hopeless. My last post dealt with this same issue and I am writing about it again because next to the economy, joblessness is high on the list of most American's concerns.

It is very easy to allow negative thinking to imprison your mind. It will tell you things about yourself that are not true. The reality is the economy is not optimal, but that does not mean that opportunities don’t exist for those whose mind is opened to the possibilities of landing their dream job. However, it will take a change in your thinking to redefine what is possible and thereby create a new reality for your life.

That being said, it is crucial that you prime your thinking with positive words and affirmations daily. These words need to be driven deep into your subconscious mind. They become part of you and who you are and want to become.

YOU ARE SIGNIFICANT!

YOU ARE VALUABLE!

YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!

Say it loud and say it often. If you do not believe it, no one else will.

What is your favorite affirmation?

 

True Worth

“The longer I live the more I realize the importance of family and friends. We can replace the material things in our lives, but the priceless gift of family and friends can never be replaced. Cherish those who love you and love those who cherish you.” Tony Friday

On The Apprentice season opener there were 12 unemployed individuals who have been off work for over 3 years. One of the contestants lost his business and his marriage. During one of his on camera interviews he stated that due to his unemployment he felt less than a man because he was unable to take care of his family. He asked the question” What good am I?” That question made me extremely sad. Have you ever asked that question?

There are over 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs and are struggling to survive the seemingly never ending down turn in the market. Many have lost their homes, cars, savings, and more importantly their self worth. If you are in this situation you may ask yourself, how do I go on? Is there any hope for the future? Will I ever find work or is this my new reality?

I speak to unemployed individuals virtually every day and try to encourage them to stay focused and positive in their job search and to remind themselves of their past successes and accomplishments. I believe past success fuels future success. You say to yourself, I was successful before, I can be successful again.

There is so much opportunity in the marketplace. The opportunity to redefine what is possible and create for yourself a new reality. Don’t just sit back and let circumstances dictate the rest of your life. You have to seize control. But first it is important to choose the attitude that you are going to embrace for the day. Not just for one day, but every day. A positive attitude allows you to recognize opportunities. If you are in a negative state of mind they will pass you by.

If I had the opportunity to answer the question the contestant raised I would have said his worth is found in more than a job. It is about his life and having value to his children and those who really care about him. Our significance does not come from a job, but in whom God created us to be.

Remember you are significant and your life matters!

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee grandfather told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

~author unknown

While sitting in a coffee shop I had a conversation with a man who told me about his life. He said that he was divorced, with little money left. He proceeded to blame his ex-wife for all of his misfortunes. “She is a control freak; she made me feel less than a man” was his song. As a result, he said that he had a lot of anger and rage built up inside of him. 

He was feeding his inner evil wolf with self-pity, resentment, sorrow, regret, and anger. The evil wolf inside him is ravenous with an insatiable appetite. The battle is raging inside of him and the wolf howls for more.

I began to have a different conversation with him that went something like this: Do you believe you can make a different choice in how you respond? He said yes. I challenged him to focus on his strengths, skills, and his ability to rise above his past and create a new future. I believe I helped him make some headway on turning his attitude around, but only time will tell.

Which wolf are you feeding? I hope it is the good wolf that feeds on joy, peace, kindness and love. When you allow the good things of life to fill your inner being, it is unbelievable how strong and hopeful you will begin to feel. If the wolf inside you is full of negativity, feed the other wolf. 

The choice is yours.