Amidst all the chaos of work, finals, and just the busyness of school in general, often times we get too caught up in the routine of things that we forget to step back to critically think, to evaluate our own perspectives, to analyze who we are and what we believe.

Here are some quotes that I amassed over the years that always provoke me to think. (Some are more serious than others.)

1. "Maybe it's sad that these are now memories. And maybe its not sad." - Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being A Wallflower

This quote especially resonated with me at my high school graduation. I may be in a minority group, but I really enjoyed high school and miss it at times (a lot). At graduation, on the cusp of entering college, I looked back on my four years and I couldn't believe that time had passed by so fast. Yet, everything eventually has to come to an end; I was sad that high school had ended, but at the same time, grateful for the happy memories I had made there and for the ability to move on to different things and new experiences.

2. "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

You can't accomplish something if you don't even believe in your own capabilities to accomplish it. Your mindset and outlook on obstacles are very important. Are they barriers, or opportunities?

3. "We're inevitably going to judge. The most we can do is try our best to not be insensitive." - Old high school classmate

As my Social Science Core professor said, we have an obligation to judge. Judgement is required to consider ourselves as thinking people. By judging others, we are able to determine for ourselves what we believe to be right or wrong. But as we have the right to judge, we do not have the right to attack others and police them in accordance to our beliefs. There are better ways of going about things. People are going to be offended no matter what you say, you simply cannot please everyone. But what we can do is to minimize the unintentional pain and hurt we might be causing.

4. "Be kind. For everyone you know is fighting a hard battle you know nothing about." - Ian Maclaren

A few years ago, I had judged someone, viewing them in my head a certain way, making snide comments about them. But after, I discovered more about them, and realized their struggles, who they were as a person, and why they acted the way they did. When I saw this quote, I was so strongly rebuked that from then on I vowed that I would never, "judge a book by its cover again." And to this day, I still do struggle with making assumptions and casting quick judgement upon people. But time after time, I am rebuked again by what I see and from this quote. Everyone has their own battles, some that are not necessarily visible to outsiders. You never know. Kindness might be exactly what people are looking for.

5. "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" - 1 Corinthians 15:33

When I read this, it automatically stuck out to me. It was if God was speaking directly to me, and I could hear his voice. As people, we are not invisible and immune to the things of this world, the situations we are in, the people we are around. We may know who we are, but in an instant the pressures or convincing words of others can cause us to compromise ourselves without even realizing it. Whenever I read this, I always remind myself to stay rooted in the Word, to be on guard.

6. "'Doesn't everyone think of America as this bright, beacon of a house on the hill?' ... 'Even houses cast their shadows'" - Old AP Government teacher, old high school classmate

My old AP government teacher posed this question to us while our old high school classmate answered. Don't get me wrong, I love our country and I am proud to be an American, but I think that as important it is to have patriotism, it is just as important to recognize that America isn't perfect. We can't deny Abu Ghraib, colonization, the dropping of the nuclear bombs, the list goes on. If we deny such events, we become ignorant and do not allow ourselves to learn from such events, to be able to correct our mistakes in the future.

7. "Posting a Snapchat story for 1 specific person to see is the modern day equivalent of Gatsby hosting elaborate parties in hopes that Daisy attends." - Common White Girl (lel)

I'm pretty sure we have all been guilty of this at one time or another. It's kind of silly of us, isn't it?

8. "Nobody is too busy, it's just a matter of priorities." - Unknown

At first, when I read this, I didn't quite understand it. But then, after a few moments, I realized how true it is. Sure, we have our many obligations, which turn into priorities, but for everything else, we make time for the things we really want to do, for the people we really want to see. Also consider the people in your life. Are they really making an effort to see me, or are we just friends because of convenience? For the friends who really value you, (and for those that you truly value as well), the answer will be clear.

9. "The biggest communication problem is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply." - Stephen Covey

This is a big lesson that I have learned so much of last year, and continue to learn. Oftentimes we are too quick to jump the gun, to strike back, to retort. Do we let our emotions blind us when we have disagreements with one another and only focus on being "right" given our position? Or do we actively try to listen to what others have to say and really try to make an effort to understand them? Sometimes silence is better than saying anything at all.