No one warns you that your 20s will be an awkward age. Your life is full of work, planning, studying, awkward dates and constant change. As we are emerging into the real world, it's no surprise that we can feel so stressed and depressed at times. When you start to feel anxious about all of the craziness around you (and sometimes your in head) make sure you know that you're really not alone. Here are some quotes to pick you up as you deal with motivation, love (or lack of), success, and the stress and life that happens in between it all.
On Motivation:
1. “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
– Steve Prefontaine
2. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
– Vince Lombardi
3. "[H]appiness comes out of being willing to do your work in your twenties to find out who you are, what you love."
– Candace Bushnell
4. "Don't be a victim of negative self-talk. Remember, you are listening."
–Bob Proctor
On Love:
5. “You can tell so much about a person by the way they leave you.”
– Redvers Bailey
6. "Every woman in her late 20s goes through a period where she just doesn’t believe love is out there anymore, but it is. And I think the minute you stop looking for it is when it comes for you."
– Kristen Bell
7. "When you’re in your early 20s your love life seems to explode every 20 minutes or so. By the time you’ve reached your 30s, it is every five or 10 years."
– Patrick Marber
8. "Positive, healthy, loving relationships in your 20s… I don’t know if anyone would disagree with it: I think they’re the exception, not the norm. People are either playing house really aggressively because they’re scared of what an uncertain time it is, or they’re avoiding commitment altogether."
– Lena Dunham
9. "Guard your time fiercely. Be generous with it, but be intentional about it."
– David Duchemin
On Success:
10. “Surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher.”
– Oprah Winfrey
11. “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”
– Madeleine Albright
12. "Some walks you have to take alone."
– Suzanne Collins
13. "Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow."
– Vincent van Gogh
On Stress:
14. “Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.”
– Hal Higdon
15. "I like getting older. When you’re in your twenties you’re really forging for your future. Things take shape later on."
– Crispin Glover
16. "You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control."
– Elizabeth Gilbert
On Life:
17. "I think your 20s are the hardest part of life. I mean, everyone goes on about how hard it is to be a teenager, but actually I think it’s tougher to be in your 20s because you’re expected to be a grownup and expected to earn your own living and be successful and I think you feel like a kid still."
– Nigel Cole
18. “90% of life is about remaining calm.”
– Dr. Chris Feudtner
19. "We lose ourselves in things we love. We find ourselves there, too."
– Kristin Martz
20. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
– Plato
No one said being a college student was easy, but the hardships are part of the journey. In the mix of growing up, many of us forget to cherish who we are. Just remember in the midst of this all, you are strong. Everyone figures themselves out at some point. You can do anything you put your mind to. So remember that, and repeat.
