One day, I sat down and thought “What do I need to remind myself of?”, and I came up with this list.
1. “The goal isn’t to appeal to the masses, the goal is to awaken”- Dulce Ruby
In a generation that praises originality and creativity, we can often feel as though anything worth reading, writing, creating, or even thinking must appeal to the masses. I’d like to think that anything that is a product of our imagination should inspire more individual innovation. It’s an artistic cycle that creates harmony in this world of incongruity. Don’t appeal, inspire.
2. “Failure is a bruise not a tattoo”- Jon Sinclair
How many times do we beat ourselves up for failing? How many times do we let failure control us? I once read something that goes like this; the only person who starts at the top is the person digging a hole. And that resonates with me. We often brand ourselves with the burden and shame of failure. But really, failure is simply a bruise, something that will go away. That is not to say that failure doesn’t hurt; it will hurt and like a bruise it will be a reminder. However, the only reassuring part about what you just read is that bruises go away. Just like you, they will heal. Don’t walk around with failure tatted on your forehead. Let it be the bruise that you look down at to motivate you to do better next time. Tell yourself this every time you feel like you have failed. Feel the pain but also know that you are stronger and will come out of whatever situation stronger than you came in.
3. “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” - Robert Tew
For some reason, we are attracted to the things that hurt us the most. I’m not here to speculate as to why. But I am here to remind you that you are your first priority. The attraction we may feel to the force of pain may be strong but the love you feel for yourself should put up a fight and win. There are things we think we need but do us more harm than good; walk away. There are things that keep us from reaching our potential; walk away. There are things that are sucking the life out of us; walk away. Everything begins and ends with you. Stand your ground.
4. “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” — Robin Sharma
Every year comes and goes. There is no warning. There is no PSA. It just happens. Are you going to be that person that has the same routine everyday for 75 years? Are you going to wake up one day and genuinely ask what you’ve done with your life? Sharma is right. That is not a life. And it's most definitely not the life I want to leave behind. I think we’ve all heard the statement: the point isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will. If you haven't started, you might want to. Time is the most unforgiving force. There is nothing you can do to stop it or reverse it. The time is now, always. Eat that extra slice (or even the whole cake). Explore someplace you wouldn’t normally visit. Help that person you might ignore on the street. You are never going to regret any of these things. And at the end of the 75 years, you can say “yes, I did something that mattered.”
5. "Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”- Buddha
We bottle up our emotions and expect them to go away. Inexplicably, we torture ourselves, thinking that we are hurting someone else. Chances are the other person has zero clue they are in danger. And really, they probably are not, because we are drinking their poison. Here’s a thought: we cannot control what people say or do to us; however, we can control our reactions. I live by this on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, people are going to knowingly and unknowingly try to bring us down. However, they can’t do this on their own. If we help them, they will succeed. But if we take control of ourselves, they cannot prevail. The bigger person is always going to be the one who stops participating in the problem. And that includes holding onto anger or grudges or resentment. Let it go my friends. There are so many burdens we have to carry during our lives. Don’t let something you can control burden you.
6. “Maybe we can be each other’s soul mates. And then we can let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with.”- Charlotte
No list of quotes is complete without a Sex and The City reference. There is something so real and honest in admitting that the place we have in our hearts for our best friends is probably bigger than for any man. Our friends get us; they basically are us in a different body. Guys come and go, which is fine because friendship will always be in style.
7. “ I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity and her flaming self-respect.
And it's these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. But of course the real reason, Isabelle, is that I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything. You’re still a Catholic, but Zelda’s the only God I have left now” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
How I wish I could have had the privilege to be Zelda(Fitzgerald’s wife). Fitzgerald is my all time favorite writer. And I think this quote is a perfect example of why. His absolute command of prose is enticing and oozing with sensuality. In this, he is writing a letter to Isabelle Amorous in 1920. I know you are probably thinking what is a letter?! Believe it or not, it’s something people did before texting (you learn something everyday, am I right?!). Moving past that astonishing realization, I think this is the kind of love and obsession we should expect from our suitors. She is his beginning and end of everything. I refuse to accept that “Netflix and Chill” is the best this generation has to offer. Despite being written 85 years ago, this letter still beautifully transmits the utter infatuation he felt for her. It gives me the feels. And we should not settle for less my friends! No one defines your worth, only you have that power.
8. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand
My phone background cover for the past 4 months has been this quote: “I hope you wake up feeling strong, powerful, and capable.” I wake up and see it. Every time I check my phone, I see it. It is a constant reminder that the world is up for grabs and it’s on me to take what is mine. Wake up every morning with an unquenchable desire to be the best version of ourselves and accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. Put in place an unstoppable mindset that will not stop until you've attained what you set out for. Pave the way for every success to be a stepping stone for the next. Never apologize for having vision. For it is those who come out on top that do not see boundaries.
