There are numerous times in our lives in which it may seem as if everything is crashing down on us. Our goals, hopes, dreams and desires aren’t getting fulfilled and what we are working so hard on just isn’t happening. There are two options in this instance. Option one is to give up all you have accomplished and take the easy way out of the situation. Option two is to take some time for yourself and reboot. It’s okay to get down about your struggles for they are what inevitably make us stronger. Get yourself back up and try, try again.

As I write this, I am currently going through an exceedingly difficult period myself. I have graduated HCC, figured out what four year university I want to attend and know exactly what I want to do in my life. It sounds great, but there is just one problem. I am an education major, 22 years old and can’t seem to pass the math portion of the Praxis exam which is a requirement to get accepted into a four year university. I have now taken it four times with no success and failing this time was a lot harder to swallow.

While I have my own uncertainties and reservations as to why this test is so challenging for me, I refuse to give up. I have worked eight years on my educational studies and I won’t let anything hold me back from achieving what I have spent so many hours and years studying for.

Something I have recently found myself doing is looking up forms of inspiration whether it be through forums of individuals going through similar struggles, documentaries and also quotes. Mainly the quotes are what have enlightened me abundantly this time around.

While there are a vast amount of quotes floating around out there on the internet and in books, I narrowed it down to my eleven favorite quotes I currently have used to keep me motivated.

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible”!” –Audrey Hepurn

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does and keep going.” –Sam Levenson

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” –Og Mandin

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” –Winston Churchill

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” –Robert H. Schuller

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” –Unknown

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” –Proverb

“It’s okay to be a glowstick; sometimes we need to break before we shine.” –Unknown

“When one door is closed, don’t you know that many more are open?” –Bob Marley

“All I’m gonna do is just go on and do what I feel.” –Jimi Hendrix

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve always imagined.” –Henry David Thoreau