post written by: Marc
10 Motivational Quotes and Tips for Hard Times
Just a few motivational quotes and tips for those hard times when you need a quick dose of inspiration.
1. Accepting Life’s Challenges
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
–Randy Pausch
In every life there are great challenges, and in every challenge there are great doses of life to be lived.
Whether you judge a challenge to be a problem or an opportunity says more about you than about the challenge itself. The way you choose to see the world is the way your world will be. This is what gives life its magic; it’s a continuous, dynamic phenomenon that becomes exactly what you choose to make it.
Do something extraordinary. Accept life’s opportunities. Realize that if you never step up to a challenge that’s a bit over your head, you’ll never know how tall you truly are. Rise to each challenge and continue adding value to the ever-growing possibilities that await your brilliance.
2. Working Hard
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” –Beverly Sills
When you’re young you have this fantasy that super successful adults – writers, musicians, doctors, businessmen, etc. – have some kind of magical chest of tools allowing them to build masterpieces that are larger than life. You fanaticize about a hammer of creativity, a pliers of efficiency, a saw of wisdom, and so on and so forth.
But then you grow up and you realize, for the most part, everyone is working with the same set of imperfect, rusty, old tools – desire, commitment, honesty, kindness, love, persistence, etc. And as flawed and bent as they may be, they work wonders against the odds when you truly put them to the test. Read The Success Principles
3. Choosing Wisely
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” –J.K. Rowling
The universe – people, books, life experience, etc. – can only give you good advice, but you ultimately decide what to do with it.
Life is ticking away every second. The worst thing is spending your entire life drowning slowly and not being able to convince yourself that you are in full control, and that you can easily save yourself by simply standing up.
This is your life, made up entirely of your choices, your actions, your thoughts, your relationships, etc. Someday you will either decide to save yourself or remain unsaved forever.
4. Growing from Problems
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” –Friedrich Nietzsche
Times of great difficulty are times of great opportunity. These times may not seem ideal at first, but they usually provide keen insight into ideas of great value. When you are surrounded by problems, you are simultaneously given an opportunity to provide valuable solutions.
When times are good and everything is comfortably in order, it’s easy to become complacent and forget how skillful and resourceful you are capable of being. Troubled times are necessary evils that push you forward, because they eventually end, and the lessons and strengths you gain from them last a lifetime.
5. Laughing it Off
“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.” –Veronica Roth
If you wish to measure your success in life, don’t bother analyzing your bank account, or your job description, or your relationship status, or your weight, or any other superficial badge society loves to pin on your resume. Just count the moments you spend peacefully in laughter. That’s what success is – living happily in your own way, and laughing at the highs, the lows, and all the ridiculous moments in between.
Do what you need to do, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh whenever you can because you can. There’s honestly nothing like deep breaths after a good chuckle – nothing in the whole wide world like a sore tummy and cheeks for all the right reasons. Read Learned Optimism
6. Staying True to Yourself
“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.” –Rita Mae Brown
To make a positive difference in your life you must sometimes be different and take the road less traveled. It requires courage to go against the grain like this, especially when the people around you are confused and irritated by your choices; but such courage can bring great rewards when you stick to your guns.
Where others see only shadows of uncertainty, look for glimmers of opportunity. When you encounter rudeness and irritation, generously offer polite doses of confident patience. When you bump up against arrogance, dilute the negativity with your own sincere, self-assured humility.
Just because everyone is heading in a one direction doesn’t mean you must go that way too. On the contrary, it’s a valuable opportunity for you to step aside and figure out where you truly want to go.
7. Fighting for Your Dreams
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
When things don’t go right, it doesn’t mean you have to go wrong along with them. Goals and dreams are kind of like breathing – once you give up, there’s no hope left. Don’t do that to yourself.
It’s always too early to quit. You must continue breathing, even if it’s just a series of short, shallow breaths. Continue putting forth even the smallest efforts to sustain your dreams. Accept the fact that if you fight through the challenges, there is always a chance you might lose, but if you do not fight at all, you have already lost. Read 1,000 Little Things.
8. Deciding to Change
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain
If you’re not where you want to be right now, take the time to visualize yourself in the place you want to be and take the first step in that direction. You may not be able to change your destination in a day, but you can change your direction right now.
Keep moving along this new path and it will eventually lead you to your destination.
9. Being Present
“It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one.” –George Harrison
Do not wish your moments away. Do not ruin today by focusing on another time and place. There is only now; realize how rich you are in it. It stands to reason that if you learn to live well you will eventually pass on well too, in complete peace. The skills are the same: being present in the moment, and brave, and thankful for all the opportunities you have.
Make your time count. Right now you are creating history – your legacy. Don’t let it slip by without being aware of it. Life works in a strange way: You want something and you work and wait and work and wait, and feel like it’s taking forever to come. Then it happens and it’s over and all you want to do is relive all the great memories you made along the way.
Happiness is the journey. Open your eyes. Don’t miss it. Read The Power of Now
10. Being Thankful
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” –Walt Whitman
You are right here, right now, breathing. Enjoy it. You’ve got nothing to do today except to smile.
Happiness is valuing what you have, and enjoying the people, places, objects and events in your life for what they are. It’s not about changing and achieving all the time, it’s about being and appreciating. And you can nearly always enjoy the things happening around you if you make up your mind firmly that you will.
Photo by: Hartwig HKD
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35 Comments
February 1st, 2013 at 12:19 am
Your tri-weekly articles and emails inspire me to further greatness, help me overcome my fears and give me faith for the future. Thank you for the quotes, the tips, and the continued motivation.
February 1st, 2013 at 12:37 am
Thank you for these motivational quotes. I need to make some big changes, and take some serious action on something that I am fearing and struggling with, and this list provides the right motivation at the right time.
February 1st, 2013 at 1:06 am
Point #3 makes me think of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”.
It is up to us to make our choices and I can’t help but smile at the traveler in Frost’s poem. His hopeful optimism as he chooses the path he felt was less traveled, regardless of the fact that he knew they were both equally fair. He’s a man that doesn’t regret or wonder what if. He doesn’t worry about the opportunity costs because he’s too busy living in the moment. He’s content with his choices. Thank you, Marc.
February 1st, 2013 at 1:14 am
Oh, I needed these words of wisdom today. Been having some hard times at work. Thank you very much! I just printed this out and posted it on my wall to keep me inspired and on point.
February 1st, 2013 at 1:26 am
I have been following your blog for quite a long time now. Whenever life gets tough, one of your articles pops up, makes me smile and assures me I am strong enough and can improve everything that bugs me.
February 1st, 2013 at 1:48 am
Thank you.
February 1st, 2013 at 3:34 am
This motivational advice really inspired me.
February 1st, 2013 at 5:33 am
“You may not be able to change your destination in a day, but you can change your direction right now.”
This is a great point. It’s never the wrong time to change direction. It’s never too late to set a new course.
That doesn’t mean stop everything you’re doing and hop on the next bandwagon. It simply means making a choice then taking the actions, one by one, that will eventually lead to a whole new destination.
A wide bend along your path is a bend all the same.
Cheers!
February 1st, 2013 at 5:42 am
Great list of quotes.
Love the first one by Randy Pausch.
I was fortunate enough to have Randy as my professor and advisor while at UVA.
His class was my favorite of all time, and I still have his class notes in my bookshelf. (True!)
February 1st, 2013 at 6:15 am
FAB, Awesome, Fantastic!!
Your blog’s long-term creditability in my eyes is far greater than the words of a single post Marc
I have given a thought over your blogs and I feel your point #3 of “Living in the present ” is what I must realize today and bring to Action ..
Keep up the Good work
- Gaurav
February 1st, 2013 at 6:44 am
This is one awesome, awesome post.
Thanks for your gift.
February 1st, 2013 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the tips and quotes of encouragement, more joy and love to you.
February 1st, 2013 at 9:25 am
I like the choices of motivational quotes you’ve made here. They concern different and interesting topics : the self, life, working hard, dreams, change. I’ll add one more:
“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.”
Winston Churchill
February 1st, 2013 at 9:30 am
As difficult as it is, #10 is seeing me through each and every day now.
Cancer hit hard and fast last year and I lost my husband of 15 years the week before Christmas. Waking up and facing the world is brutal some days but if I can just find and focus on the tiny little gratitudes I still have.
I am still here.
I still have my beautiful little boy who fills in the silence.
I still have my husband’s wonderful friends.
I still have now.
I still have hope it will get a little easier.
February 1st, 2013 at 9:54 am
Thanks, I really needed to read this TODAY!
February 1st, 2013 at 10:35 am
Excellent post. But I think #8 is by Mark Twain.
February 1st, 2013 at 12:05 pm
This was AMAZING! You guys have no idea how much this helped me today! and how much I NEEDED to hear that! thank you so much!
February 1st, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Beautiful post- most needed and appreciated. Heartfelt thanks
February 1st, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Very inspiring quotes and thoughts. Awesome!
February 1st, 2013 at 3:40 pm
I find your posts and the entire site to be superbly brilliant.
I also appreciate the feedback and sharing from everyone that visits the site.
Thanks again.
February 2nd, 2013 at 11:41 am
Thanking you from the core of my heart. Thank you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, consider yourself hugged. Love.
February 2nd, 2013 at 12:31 pm
Thank you. You have no idea how much you have helped me through this hard time I’m living and inspiring me to keep going. Thanks.
February 2nd, 2013 at 3:43 pm
“If you wish to measure your success in life, don’t bother analyzing your bank account, or your job description, or your relationship status, or your weight, or any other superficial badge society loves to pin on your resume. Just count the moments you spend peacefully in laughter. That’s what success is – living happily in your own way, and laughing at the highs, the lows, and all the ridiculous moments in between.”
I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. That said, sadly it “feels” (emphasis on feels) like the majority of the population ONLY judges people based on those superficial aspects. Granted there are always a select few that look for more, but in my own experience I’ve met more people who judge based on those things. Then again this is coming from a guy who’s single and in his 30’s…
Despite that, the fact remains that more substantial aspects of a human being are the true measure of success. Maybe with time, more people will catch on.
February 3rd, 2013 at 6:40 am
Love your site and am glad that you have started to share and attribute some great sayings to the people who said them. Just wanted to let you know that Mark Twain not H. Jackson Brown, Jr. actually said:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Thanks for encouraging the masses!
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:32 pm
Thankyou Marc,
I always find it good to read motivational quotes and think about them. I try to surround myself every day by great resources, whether that be quotes, music, motivational audio or whatever else. The more I do this the deeper it gets into my head!
-Ben
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:42 pm
Y’all are just awesome! Thank you so much for this website! I love it.
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:48 pm
Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone. Just read every one of your comments - I really appreciate it. And to those who made the Mark Twain quote correction, thank you. I’ll login and update the quote credits first thing tomorrow.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:46 am
Powerfully perfect. It took me 1 hour to read and write down the entire post. I’m gonna put it on my bedroom’s wall. It really made my day and I’m looking to the future hopefully.
To sum up, gain experience from past and hope for the future. God bless you!
February 5th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
I really need this right now. Everything in my life is not going right. When I try to make it better, something always goes wrong. I try and try but I cant seem to get out of this hole. These words do help.
February 6th, 2013 at 7:02 am
Great list. I particularly like #1. I use the Last Lecture in my class and we use this quote as a writing prompt.
If anyone is interested, I have included some other activities I use with my students. Here is the link: http://www.mytowntutors.com/2012/09/25-activities-for-teachers-to-use-with-the-last-lecture/
Thanks again for sharing. I loved all 10!
Have a great day!
February 7th, 2013 at 11:47 pm
My company is in financial trouble and my husband and I may be losing our jobs soon, my daughter is having a tough surgery on tuesday and my son has been diagnosed with Autism.
I could use some words of comfort and encouragement.
I hope you have something that I can look to for strength because I’m in short supply these days.
Thanks.
February 13th, 2013 at 8:36 am
Thank you!
March 30th, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Thanks for all these inspirational words, they are really making a huge difference in my life… And thanks to each and every one of you who shared your insights with us.
April 3rd, 2013 at 9:56 am
thank you!
May 4th, 2013 at 6:29 am
I am very much motivated with these quotes and lessons and it actual made me want to share with other people. Thanks.
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