I love thought-provoking quotes – seemingly simple, yet interestingly profound phrases that have the power to get our minds thinking straight. That’s what this short post is about. Below I have listed eight of my favorite thought-provoking quotes, along with my interpretation and outlook on each one. I hope you enjoy thinking about them as much as I do.
1. Dealing with Problems
“We can not solve our problems with the
same level of thinking that created them.”
?Albert Einstein
Realize that not all movement is progress. When stress and tension and chaos surround you, pause for a moment and relax. The best time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.
Select a specific challenge, deal with it, and then move calmly and confidently to the next. When you’re being pulled in multiple directions at once, take time to remember what you value most. Focus on what’s most important to you and you’ll naturally direct your greatest energy to the right source.
Life is filled with either problems or possibilities. What you see is what you choose to see. On the surface life can seem tumultuous and perplexing, yet deep inside, where it truly matters, life is what you make of it. Choose to see beyond the problems to the possibilities that await your attention.
2. Happiness and Personal Growth
“You cannot protect yourself from sadness
without protecting yourself from happiness.”
?Jonathan Safran Foer
Live every day of your life in full. Experience the highs and the lows, the positives and the negatives, and all the moods present between the various extremes. Don’t focus on simply being happy. Focus on living a well-rounded, seasoned life. Focus on achieving completeness. Yes, happiness is part of this completeness, but so is sadness, difficulty, frustration, and failure. And overcoming these latter points supports your personal growth far more than constant happiness.
The feelings of happiness and fulfillment are nice when they happen, and they are needed, but they don’t strengthen you. Instead of asking, “Is this making me happy?” ask, “Is this contributing to my completeness?” If you’re struggling and making progress, the answer is “yes.” Read 1,000 Little Things.
3. Inner Peace
“We don’t realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace.”
?Elizabeth Gilbert
Inner peace does not depend on external conditions; it’s what remains when you’ve surrendered your ego and your worries. Peace can happen within you at any place and at any time. It’s always there, patiently waiting for you to turn your attention toward it.
Peace of mind arrives the moment you come to peace with what’s on your mind. It happens when you let go of the need to be anywhere but where you are, physically and emotionally. This acceptance of the way things are creates the foundation for inner harmony. The need for something to be different in this moment is nothing more than a worry, and worries simply lead you in circles. Acceptance will bring you back to your peaceful, productive center.
Remember, the same part of you that longs for peace is the part of you that experiences peace. It is not complicated to achieve and is as close as your next thought.
4. Appreciating What You Have
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
?Epicurus
Don’t pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, simple, and yet not-so-small gifts in your life. It may seem strange to feel thankful for those events in your life which appear to be ordinary, yet it’s precisely by being thankful that you can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. You may not see the value in spending time and effort acknowledging all the little, seemingly insignificant things in your life, yet without the little things there would be no big things.
Don’t let what was once a miracle become common to you. Don’t get so accustomed to life’s goodness that you overlook it. Let your enthusiasm rise from the doldrums by being thankful for what you have. Seize every opportunity to be appreciative. Make genuine gratitude a constant companion to who you are, in all that you do. Read Learned Optimism.
5. Replacing Excuses with Action
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the BS story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”
?Unknown
Instead of making a lot of excuses, make a little progress. Instead of looking back with regret, step forward with enthusiasm. Choose to view your life based on the best of what is possible. Choose to define yourself based on the person you know you are capable of becoming. If you believe it, you can do it.
All the negativity from the past can be erased in the moment with a single positive action. Go ahead and make it happen. The best way to disconnect from a troubled past is to trust and connect with possibilities of the present moment. When you embrace the power of now, the future belongs to you.
6. Knowledge and Education
“When you know better you do better.”
?Maya Angelou
Your education is the most powerful weapon you possess. It has the power to change the world. Keep it thriving. Do not confuse your schooling with your education. The classes at school end; your education is a continuous lifelong process.
Keep your mind open to new ideas. Challenge your beliefs when you’re given a chance. The greatest advancements in your education will be based on your willingness to absorb fresh information without resistance and without losing your temper or your poise.
7. The Importance of Asking Questions
“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, she’s the one who asks the right questions.”
?Claude Lévi-Strauss
There is profound power in asking questions. In fact, the most successful people are rarely the ones who have all the answers, they’re the ones who ask the right questions. Don’t be afraid to ask. Ask when you don’t understand. Ask for what you want. Ask how to make things happen. It’s the reason children are always asking so many questions, because they know they’ll never get anywhere if they don’t ask. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Bottom line: Growth is more about asking than telling. The way forward is yours for the taking – the way forward is yours for the asking. Read Goals: How to Get Everything You Want.
8. Endings and Beginnings
“In every end, there is also a beginning.”
?Libba Bray
Everything in life has to come to an end sometime. It’s important to acknowledge and accept the end of an era – to walk away sensibly when something has reached its conclusion.
Closing the door, turning the page, moving on, etc. It doesn’t matter what you call it; what matters is that you leave the past where it belongs so you can enjoy the life that’s still available to be lived. This ending is not THE END, it’s just your life beginning again in a new way. It’s a point in your story where one chapter fades into the next. Take a look at the first page of this new chapter; it’s a beautiful one.
Your turn…
What’s your favorite thought-provoking quote or saying about life? Please share it with us by leaving a comment below.
Photo by: Faith Goble
Christy King says
“Thinking has its place, but at some point it becomes a means of avoiding our lives instead of living them” (Philip Simmons)
The object of pilgrimage is not rest and relaxation – to get away from it all. To set out on a pilgrimage is to throw down a challenge to everyday life.
(Phil Cousineau)
J.J. says
Loved the quotes and lessons you shared here.
My addition… I have always been enamored by this quote:
“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” ?John Lennon
Jeff Woolf says
Love this blog and have been following it for some time.
Charlie S. says
Being a bit of a minimalist, one of my favorite thought provoking quotes is: “There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” ?G.K. Chesterton
Vincent says
Mine is a bit of a long one:
“I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say ‘I’m bored.”
Brandon says
What is it that you most desire, is it what becomes you as you read over this, or is it unkown? If you have a undying desire and you put in the effort, one of two things will happen 1) either you achieve it 2) or you learn a valuable lesson in the process.
Thomas Joe says
I came up with this quote about a month ago while looking up at the stars. I hope you like it!
“Stars Guide,
Ambition Drives,
Love defines.”
– Thomas Joe
Bruce Linder says
My favorite quote is a prayer, “Dear Lord, Thank-you for my faith, my family and my friends. Thank-you for my home and my work. Thank-you for all we do to find joy and to help each other find joy. Amen.”
Isha says
We all have come across people who will say bad things about us, who will always try to put you down.
And so for me the answer in form of a quote to such people would be “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.” For me it’s the best quote when people start underestimating you.
Stephen Morrow says
Always enjoy your blog and insights:
Have many “favorite” quotes from many others but like to remember that life is about living..
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
– Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
LarryH says
If the difference doesn’t make a difference, what’s the difference?
Better to aim at the moon & hit the top of a telephone pole, than to aim at the top of a telephone pole and land in the mud!
Each of us is born; each of us will die. It’s what you do with the dash between birth and death that counts.
Carolyn Sullivan says
I have a few, but “Letting Go and Letting GOD GET’UM” is one of my favorites.
Another is ” Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and it’s ALL SMALL STUFF”
Michelle says
” You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.
amy says
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Julie says
A great selection of quotes and beautifully interpreted.
I agree with you regarding Inner Peace…thoughts are so powerful, so choose compassionate, loving thoughts and come to peace with what’s on your mind. Also reminds me of Rumi’s words: the moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.
Nancy says
Definitely going to bookmark this one to refer to again!
I have a few favourites…
“To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.” ~Ken Keyes, Jr.
“When you have a choice to make and you don’t make it, that in itself is a choice.” ~William James
“Consider that whatever misfortune may be your lot, someone has always had it worse than you – always” ~Unknown
Kathy says
“Don’t cry because it’s over – smile because it happened”. Dr. Seuss
Jeff Ray says
I always loved Einstein’s: “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”
David Rapp says
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Elanor Roosevelt
But I have to get this off my chest. The comments added after the quotes Angel are excellent. I love the addtional insight. I also understand the theme of “possibility thinking,” I have read a lot about it.
But moving that possibility, to a probability, is the key to moving forward. If I told you its possible for you to love your job, you might be thankful or grateful. If I told you by doing these 3 things (a,b,c) it would be probable that you would love your job, you would be more curious, more active and more motivated.
But my favorite quote comes from the great General Hannibal of Carthage:
“We will either find a way, or make a way.”
Tamerie Shriver says
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
~unknown
Charles says
I love quotes on fear, because at the end of the day whether we admit it or not, fear either drives us or paralyzes us…..
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” ~Les Brown
“Fear is faith that it won’t work out. ” ~ unknown
“Fear is never a reason for quitting; it is only an excuse.” ~Norman Vincent Peale
“Do not let your fears choose your destiny.” ~ Unknown
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~ E
Hubbard
“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” ~Mary Manin Morrissey
Robyn says
These quotes all come from your website: 75 happiness quotes. Read them over and over until it sinks in! Because it will. Choose sooner rather than later.
15. Know your worth! When you give yourself to someone who doesn’t respect you, you surrender pieces of your soul that you’ll never get back.
33. Give yourself permission to immediately walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes. There is no need to explain or make sense of it. Just trust what you feel.
37. It hurts the most when you start pretending it doesn’t.
20. Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting, it means you choose happiness over hurt.
Carolyn says
Thank you for the quotes…I love quotes!
One of my favorites:
Children are not things to be molded, but people to be unfolded.
Teddy says
WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, YOU CHANGE YOUR WORLD:)
Lance says
Thank you!
•I love your thoughts and quotes!
•I wish you had a “print” button– I often cut and paste into Word, but it would be FAB just to hit a simple function button!
•On my Mac, your posts appear surrounded by a field of black, which to me is in conflict with the content of your message
Tim Brownson says
Quote posts are ten a penny and I have written my fair share.
This is really excellent though as it highlights some lesser known, but still incredibly powerful gems.
I know this is sad and maybe my ego has taken control, but I’m going for one of my own, because it sums up self development and the fact that there is no one size fits all.
“There is no how it is, only how it is for you”
Liz says
“Less is More”
Ceci says
“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” Albert Einstein
Amandah says
One of my favorite quotes is from Mark Twain, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
It’s good to leave your corner of the world for another. Meet new people. Stretch yourself mentally and physically. Don’t worry, you can always move back to your home state/country.
renee segal says
My favorite quote is from Dumbledore:
“Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them.” And we so often do choose what is worst for us.
Bernadette says
My favorite quote is “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”?Albert Einstein
Brilliant reminder we are here to evolve our understanding, to ask new questions and to shift our paradigm day by day.
B 🙂
Karla McEvoy says
“There’s a place in you that you must keep inviolate. You must keep it pristine. Clean. So that nobody has the right to curse you or treat you badly. Nobody. No mother, no father, no wife, no husband, no-nobody. You have to have a place where you say: “Stop it. Back up. Don’t you know I’m a child of God?” – Dr. Maya Angelou.
Kelly says
“This too shall pass”
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost
“Even though we can’t have all we want, we ought to be thankful we don’t get what we deserve.”
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ”
Henry David Thoreau
Deborah says
“In the light of eternity, will it matter?” for worries and for helping to make a decision when I’m stalled by indecision.
Kelly says
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
Robert Frost
“If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!”. Kipling
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
? Albert Einstein
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.”
“I grieve for all the tomorrows we will never have.”
jayantkumar dhruv says
It does not matter the the glass is half empty or half full..Be grateful that you have a glass and there is something in it.
Kevin Carroll says
“After the game, the king and pawn go back in the same box.” ~ Italian Proverb
Kiran says
“I have existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end.” ~ Khalil Gibran
Chineze says
Two essentially.
The first one is the Serenity prayer :
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying . . .
– Reinhold Niebuhr
Also, the Desiderata :
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As much as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons, . . .
– Max Ehrmann
Steve says
“We achieve inner health only through forgiveness – the forgiveness not only of others but also of ourselves.” – Joshua Loth Liebman
Asal kh says
my favorite quotes are:
you never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice… “Bob marley”
*every second is a chance to turn your life around…*
Cree says
What an uplifting post!! I’m loving it!
Do not fret {or} have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance {and} in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
Phillipians 4:6
Evalyne says
Points 1, 2, 3, and 6 speak the loudest to me. I totally agree with your comment under those quotes. I will try to focus on them to make my life better and achieve inner peace…
Kari Kilen says
“The best time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.” Wow! That line really hit me. So true in so many ways!
Miller says
Awesome post. Those are really inspirational quotes. I love quotes that make you think.
kathy h says
I found this quote many years ago when my children were teens, and I still live by it today: “Think of something that is very precious to you and imagine being in danger of having it destroyed, and you will have some indication of why we sometimes treat you the way we do”. Love your quotes too :)!
Angel Chernoff says
@Stephen Morrow: One of my favorites too. =)
@David Rapp: I love it! Thank you for the added insight.
@Robyn: Thank you! =)
@All: Thank you for the splendid abundance of additional quotes, many of which I haven’t read before. It’s always insightful to read quotes that have been the most influential to others. I also love reading how some of you interpreted them. As always, thank you for the thought provoking comments and for keeping us inspired to write the next one.
shameem says
Thanks to all. When life’s difficult situations arise, I like to remember this:
“This too shall pass.” & if it’s something with no possible solutions I say this prayer by St. Francis of
Assisi, “Dear Lord, please grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can & the wisdom to let me know the difference.”
I cannot say I’ve achieved complete peace from this but has helped me move when I felt paralyzed.
Andrew says
“What I take for granted, millions of other people are praying for.”
Excellent article thank you.
Andrew says
“Humans will forsake their health for money then spend their money tying to fix their health. They live like their never going to die , then die having never lived.” -Dalai Lama