Do you have a friend in need of some encouragement this week? Here are a few quotes to help lift them up.
1. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” –Helen Keller
No one wants to be told they are wrong. Sometimes, though, the best way to learn how to do something the right way is by trying and failing. That isn’t always the most comforting thing to hear when you have just made a mistake or fallen short of your own expectations, but it’s the truth. Your friend might not know they need to hear this kind of truth, but they do. When someone is upset, they often need to hear these kinds of things from people they trust (e.g., you).
2. “Be patient with yourself. Self growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” –Stephen Covey
Photo by Portal Abras
It is very easy to set goals when you are inspired to change and then get discouraged when change does not happen as quickly as you hope and expect that it will. If a friend is struggling to see results, they just might need to hear that taking time to grow and improve effectively is more important than speeding through it incorrectly. Remind those around you that self improvement is a first step to much greater things yet to come. There will be times of disappointment and discouragement, but in the end, it is always worth it.
3. “It’s not what we do once in awhile that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” –Tony Robbins
Many people struggle with the belief that they are not doing enough to make a difference in the world. In many cases, we feel like we aren’t doing enough to promote change because we really aren’t doing enough to promote change. Consistency is the key to breaking and forming habits as well as ensuring we are doing valuable things with our time. What you want to be known for is the thing you should be doing as often as you possibly can, not just something you do ‘when you feel like it.’
4. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
If our greatest obstacles in life are ourselves, than the best way to break down those obstacles is to fill our minds with positive thoughts about persevering even when we don’t think we have it in us to go on. Someone you know might need to hear that yes, they can do what they believe or have been told they cannot do. They are more capable than they believe, and so are you!
5. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” –Henry David Thoreau
You cannot wait around for success to come find you. If you go looking for it, you will also never find it. The only way to become successful is to fill your days with activities that will somehow indirectly lead you to success. Focus on the smaller steps that will get you there, not the end result. It will never happen the way you imagine it will.
6. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
Courtesy of Day Donaldson
Have you ever known someone who constantly dreams about the moment when they can finally stand up and begin changing the world for the better? There are no rules that say we have to wait until one chapter in our life closes before starting another. Waiting is unnecessarily discouraging and stressful if the only thing stopping us is the belief that ‘it’s not the right time.’ Anytime is the right time. Do it now!
7. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” –C. S. Lewis
The only real limitations when it comes to setting goals are the limitations we use as excuses for turning down opportunities to make our lives better. People can transform their lives all on their own by setting new goals, regardless of their age, past experiences or any limitations that might appear to stand in their way. If you are not happy with the way things are going right now, you have the power to create and hit a reset button for yourself. Throw away whatever is holding you back, because a much brighter future is waiting for you.
8. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” –Winston Churchill
Everyone goes through tough times, and if you’ve been there, you know that sometimes the most simple yet encouraging thing you can remind someone who is struggling is that all they have to do is keep going. It is never going to be unbearable forever. If they have made it this far, they can make it even farther. Reassure your friend that they are not going through these things alone. Keep pushing them to move forward, even on their worst days. It may be exactly what they need to hear.
9. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
We all have those moments when we just don’t feel like we are measuring up to certain standards we unknowingly subscribe to. If your friend is having a bit of a quarter life crisis – it happens – remind him or her that they are probably imagining a lot of the pressure they are feeling to ‘become who they are supposed to be.’ In reality, they do not need to be anyone other than who they choose to be. The course of their life and their decisions have always been, and will always continue to be, up to only them.
10. “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” –Oprah Winfrey
Always do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. No one is going to be watching you. You are not going to be rewarded or praised for doing the right thing. All you need in terms of reassurance is knowing that you did a good thing. That is what will make you feel full.
Things are going to turn out fine. You can do this.
