Even though I believe that we happen to live in the greatest nation on earth, these are definitely trying times. It seems that everywhere I turn I see people struggling in their lives. Some of the reasons that are causing people distress are self-imposed, due to their own reckless or thoughtless behavior that created the situation that now confronts them. In other cases, however, it may be simply a case of bad luck or unexpected illness that wreaks havoc in their lives.
The death of loved one, foreclosure of a home, loss of a job, an unexpected divorce or diagnosis of a serious health problem are events that, unfortunately, happen every day. I bet you know someone who’s struggling with some life drama right now or, worse yet; perhaps it’s you who is in the middle of the fight of your life today.
I was speaking with a dear friend of mine who’s going through one of these situations right now with her health. After a rather long conversation about the challenges that she has before her, she asked me in frustrated angst, “So what words of wisdom do you have for me?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I found myself repeating a favorite saying of mine. It’s written on a small ceramic tile that sits next to my toaster in my kitchen and I read it every single morning. It’s attributed to an unknown author and reads as follows:
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is mystery
Today is a gift.
That’s why we call it the PRESENT.
I’ve always found motivational quotes uplifting and inspirational. Today I thought, since I can’t actually make the problems go away for those of you struggling with something today, perhaps a few words of wisdom might help. I should add that my friend asked me to repeat the quote above so she could write it down. She said she was going to make copies and then leave them in key spots all around her house.
With that said, let me offer you 10 shorts bits of wisdom that I find meaningful and inspiring. I hope that at least one of these will ignite a flame and encourage the fighter within you to rise up and valiantly battle whatever it is that currently confronts you:
- Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!
- Henry Ford - You see things and say, Why? But I dream things that never were and I say, Why Not?
- George Bernard Shaw - Pain is inevitable but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain but we can avoid joy.
- Tim Hansel - That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
- Friedrich Nietzsche - The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
- Mark Twain - When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the one that has opened for us.
- Alexander Graham Bell - We are like tea bags - we don't know our own strength until we're in hot water.
- Eleanor Roosevelt - Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.
- George S. Patton - The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson - How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.
-Trina Paulus
I hope that you can find a small grain of hope in at least one of these quotes. There’s nothing that you can bring to the fight, no matter what your battle may be today, that’s more potent and energizing than a positive attitude and fighting spirit! As I see it, motivational quotes are often the activating event that seep into the hidden recesses of your mind and push your inner resources to the surface.
I wish you all great strength in the days ahead at overcoming whatever it is that you’re currently battling. Of course, in some cases, like a terminal illness, you simply must make the best of what time you have left. However, in most cases, once you truly put your mind to it and put forth an honest effort, victory is simply only a matter of time!
