Life is not a smooth ride. It has ups and downs, twists and turns. Have you ever been climbing a hill, you’re almost to the top and your foot slips. Or that feeling when you are trying to take steps forward, but you swear you must be in quicksand. We go through those moments when life tries to get the best of us. Instead of staying on the bottom and becoming discouraged, we can find ways to stay on top and let nothing keep us down. Here are fifteen quotes that have helped me to re-establish my footing on the hill, turn the sand into ice, and rise above.

1. “Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress -- which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.” -Unknown
2. “Don’t forget you’re human. It’s okay to have a meltdown. Just don’t unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed” -Unknown
3. “I’ve seen better days, but I’ve also seen worse. I don’t have everything that I want, but I do have all I need. I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up. My life may not be perfect but I am blessed.” -Unknown
4. “Life is like a camera… Focus on what’s important, Capture the good times, Develop from the negatives, and if things don’t work out, take another shot.” -Unknown
5. “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” -Rumi
6. “Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times, they can only make you stronger.” -Unknown
7. “Note to self: I am allowed to cry. I am allowed to scream. But, I am not allowed to give up. It will all get done somehow. Just breathe.” -Unknown
8. “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” -J.K. Rowling
9. “Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.” -Unknown
10. “F.E.A.R: has two meanings: 1). Forget Everything And Run or 2). Face Everything And Rise; the choice is yours!” -Zig Ziglar
11. “Stars can’t shine without darkness.” -D.H. Sidebottom
12. “Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it.” -Unknown
13. “I’m stronger because I had to be, I’m smarter because of my mistakes, happier because of the sadness I’ve known, and now wiser because I learned.” -Unknown
14. “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” -Jim Rohn
15. “Every single day in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things.” -Jim Valvano

Hopefully these quotes encouraged you and are something you can reference every now and then. Each one has served a special purpose in my life. When things may not be going the way they were planned, remember to step back, take a deep breath, and stay positive.