"Take it with a grain of salt"

"Life is what you make of it"

No matter who you are or where you live, you've been exposed to quotes-- be it from your friends or your family. I remember constantly hearing life advice from my mother that I, like every other petulant child, brushed off. But as I grew up, I realized how relevant these adages were to my everyday life and how many times I heard someone's voice in my head repeating it over and over again whenever an appropriate situation arose. In this day and age, we're surrounded by quotes, it's no longer merely some words of wisdom you hear passed down, it can be on posters, tattoos, as wall art, on phone backgrounds and just about anywhere else you can think of. People use them as captions for their photos, or as decor for their rooms. Either way, quotes are beyond relevant to everyday life and I think people can benefit from keeping them in mind. Here are nine quotes that I live by and I think you should too.

1. "Don't throw stones if you live in glass houses."

I have been hearing this since I was born. Basically, it means don't be a hypocrite. In other words, practice what you preach or don't belittle others for making mistakes that you make too. Throwing stones in glass houses means that if you are a hypocrite that throws stones you are opening an opportunity for others to shatter your equally fragile home.

2. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” - Albert Einstein

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. No matter how hard life may seem at the moment, there's always a chance it will get better and it's typically during that time that you find another opportunity. When one door closes another one opens so keep your eyes open for that second door. Don't let your bad moments be your defining moments because you are so much more than that.

3. "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." - Mark Twain

Stay honest and true to yourself and others. It's pretty hard keeping tracks of lies and who you tell them to, keeping yourself truthful is the best solution since you never have to wrack your brain for what you told someone you said or did. Honesty is always the best policy, even if the truth hurts.

4. “Don’t worry what others are doing. Do you!” – Russell Simmons

You should always do you. Don't spend time comparing yourself to others or seeing how you match up. Place expectations for yourself, don't let society do it for you. In a world of thems, there is no better time to be you, because no one else is.

5. “You cannot control everything that happens to you; you can only control the way you respond to what happens. In your response is your power.”

Life is crazy. It's crazy wonderful and often times crazy unexpected. You can't really control it too much but you can control your response to what is happening around you. You can actually change a lot with your attitude and response, so remember the power you have.

6. “Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” – Thomas J. Watson

Friends are wonderful. Surround yourselves with all kinds of friends, not just the ones you can enjoy your comfort zone in but also those who challenge you to better yourself. Friends can be an important source of comfort and support, so let them be that for you.

7. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."- Dr. Seuss

This goes back to being true to you. Always be true to yourself and say what you feel (within reason). The people who you don't matter to me will obviously mind, but those who you truly matter to, won't mind. Teach yourself to recognize those who are actually there for you and want to see you thrive and those who are only around to leach off your happiness.

8. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" -Mahatma Gandhi

Life is short, so seize the day. Spend each day learning and bettering yourself. Each new day is a new chance to be a better version of yourself, so take those chances and don't let them pass you by.

9. “If you really want to do something you’ll find a way, if you don’t you’ll find an excuse.”-Jim Rohn

Excuses are everywhere. We use excuses to get out of things we don't want to do, but when there is something that in our hearts we truly want to do, we try and find a way. If you set your mind to something you can achieve it. You'll know if there is something you don't want to do, because you'll come up with every excuse in the book to not do it. Find the thing you want to do and make sure you find a way to do it.