I am a firm believer in manifestation. I think whatever energy you put out into the world you will eventually get the same back. In my own hard times, I try to reflect and change what I am manifesting. If I think I’m going to have a bad day, I’ll have one. But there is always time in the day to change my perspective. To help with this, I like to pick a few quotes to live by every now and then. Having sayings and mantras can help regularly remind you what energy you want to exude everyday. Here are some of my current quotes that I try to live by:
1. “Beauty begins the moment you decided to be yourself” – Coco Chanel
I put this quote first because of two reasons: one, I share a name with Coco Chanel and two, I think self-love is extremely important. I am a huge supporter of beauty stemming from how a person acts versus how they look. Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone should love how they look and be confident in that too, but I also think that the reason you love yourself shouldn’t be solely based on your appearance. You really will start to shine the moment you start allowing yourself to exist unapologetically. I am still working on this one everyday.
(Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash)
2. “Failure is the way forward” – Mark Manson
I really like this quote from Manson’s popular self-help book because it reminds me that while I should stay striving for success, I shouldn’t always be afraid of failure. I believe that success is actually embracing failure. You will never get what you want if you don’t take a risk to get there. Failure is not the enemy, giving up is; the more you fail, the closer you get to success, if you give up then you’ll never arrive. In college, it is especially helpful to remember this. Not every loss is the end of the world, it could just be leading you to a different win.
3. “Forever is composed of nows” – Emily Dickinson
This one is very hard to live by everyday, as hard as I try to. As a person who deals with constant anxiety and worries about the worst case scenarios, I tend to lose myself in my thoughts a lot. I get into my head and can’t find my way out. This quote from Dickinson always reminds me that life is too short to be stuck in my head. I strive to be present in almost every moment so that it can play its role in my life. If I’m with my family, I try to focus solely on them and same with my friends, boyfriend, and schoolwork. I don’t want forever to pass me by and realize that I don’t remember having any “nows.”
(Photo by Valentina Conde on Unsplash)
4. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” – Aristotle
A quote from Aristotle can sound very preachy and pretentious, but I think there is definitely some value within it. To fully be yourself, you have to know yourself. You have to be aware of your likes and dislikes, your hopes and desires, your boundaries and coping mechanisms, etc. If you are not certain on who you are yet, that is okay! But just make sure to not find yourself shape shifting to fit what everyone else wants you to be. The stronger you are in your values and motives, the less you will feel the need to have to prove yourself to others.
(Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash)
5. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started” – Mark Twain
As a writer, I find it so hard to start creating because of the infamous writer’s block. I used to be jealous of people who could write everyday and wonder why I couldn’t. But then I realized there is no invisible force of “writer’s block” holding me back, it’s me holding me back. Or, more specifically, my fear of being bad at it. People who accomplish things regularly don’t have superpowers, they just don’t give up! To me, this quote pushes me to remember that as long as I am doing something, I am progressing. Every step I take, no matter how small, is a step toward my goal of getting better. Oftentimes I find that starting is the hardest and most daunting part but after that my motivation increases tenfold. Sometimes all you have to do is just start.
These quotes can be interpreted and implemented differently into everyone’s life, so feel free to take your own spin on them. Sayings can’t fix everything and there will be days we won’t want to hear them, but in the end, it is up to you to listen to them. Find the things you want to remind yourself everyday, whether they be on posters, pictures, sticky notes, and put them where you can see them. A little inspiration a day can help keep the procrastination at bay!