POPSUGAR UK

39 Powerful Quotes That Will Change the Way You Live and Think

08/04/2018 - 11:00 PM

Words have power — and these inspiring quotes are guaranteed to challenge the way you think and perhaps even change the way you live.

Don't Hold a Grudge

Quote:

"Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace."

Lesson to learn:

Being angry at someone hurts only you. Let go of your anger, not for the other person, but for yourself. Remember, forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. Forgiving means accepting that it happened.

How to Truly Listen

Quote:

"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply."

Lesson to learn:

Ask yourself if you're truly listening to others or if you're being distracted by your own chatter. Sometimes, listening means staying silent to give others a chance to talk, soaking it in, then perhaps responding if your response is needed.

Stop Comparing Yourself With Others

Quote:

"The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

Lesson to learn:

You may think everyone is better than you are, but you are only seeing the image they portray to others. Everyone has their own fears and weaknesses — after all, we're all human. Stop comparing yourself to others, because you'll always come up short.

You Never Forget a Feeling

Quote:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Lesson to learn:

We may not remember the details, but we'll always remember the impact a person had on us.

Nobody's Perfect

Quote:

"Think of the most attractive person you know. Even that person, at some point, has had raging diarrhea."

Lesson to learn:

Nobody's perfect — even Jennifer Lawrence [1] has had raging diarrhea. Probably.

Don't Get Too Comfortable

Quote:

"A ship is safe in harbour, but that's not what ships are for."

Lesson to learn:

We can be safe and comfortable at home, but the point of life is to experience adventure and live it to the fullest.

Pick Yourself Up

Quote:

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

Lesson to learn:

The only way out of a bad situation is to continue in order to get yourself out of it.

It Only Counts When It Hurts

Quote:

"I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts. That's what makes you a champion."

Lesson to learn:

The victories only truly count when they take the most effort. Push yourself by celebrating the ones that made you work for it.

Great Things Always Begin From the Inside

Quote:

"If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from the inside."

Lesson to learn:

Real change can only come from within.

Anything Is Possible

Quote:

"The fool didn't know it was possible, so he did it."

Lesson to learn:

Don't be bound by limits you impose on yourself. Anything is possible.

Be Yourself

Quote:

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

Lesson to learn:

Be yourself and the people who will accept you for who you are are the ones worth keeping around. Those who won't accept you for who you are aren't worth your time and energy.

The Secret to Success

Quote:

"You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there are two things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple, right?"

Lesson to learn:

Someone else may be better than you in some ways, perhaps because they are naturally gifted, but perseverance and hard work can always win out over talent.

Fail in Your 20s

Quote:

"The only failure in your 20s is inaction. The rest is trial and error."

Lesson to learn:

Your 20s is a time for experimentation. By not trying, you are failing. Enjoy taking risks while you're young!

Time Is Precious

Quote:

"Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to used during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank, its name is time. Every morning, it credits you 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off at a lost, whatever of this you failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against 'tomorrow.' You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and health. The clock is running. Make the most of today."

Lesson to learn:

Make the most of the time you have, because you can never get it back.

There's No Such Thing as "Busy"

Quote:

"No one is busy in this world. It's all about priorities."

Lesson to learn:

The next time you say you're busy, know that it's an excuse. If you truly prioritise something, you will make time for it. Be it relationships, friendships, or something else — you always have time for anything if you make time.

b

Don't Let It Get to You

Quote:

"No one can hurt you without your permission."

Lesson to learn:

People can only hurt you if you let them.

Appreciate Your Parents

Quote:

"Never complain about what your parents couldn't give you. It was probably all they had."

Lesson to learn:

A parent's love for their child has no boundaries. Appreciate what they did for you, because they probably gave you all they could.

Another Side to the Story

Quote:

"You never know the truth. You know 'a' truth."

Lesson to learn:

There isn't necessarily one truth — the truth can mean so many different things from different perspectives. There's always another side to a story.

Be Yourself

Quote:

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."

Lesson to learn:

Be content with who you are, because you are a unique person that no one else can emulate. Embrace your differences and uniqueness, and don't try to be someone you're not.

Mind Over Matter

Quote:

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't — either way you're right."

Lesson to learn:

You set the tone for your own achievements. If you think you can do it, you will be able to achieve it. If you have a self-defeating attitude, you will likely not be able to attain your goal.

Don't Judge

Quote:

"We judge ourselves by our intentions. And others by their actions."

Lesson to learn:

Remember that you may not be seeing the full picture before you judge others. Their intentions may not match their actions.

It's Not Wasted Time

Quote:

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

Lesson to learn:

Don't beat yourself up over activities that are generally not what society considers to be worthwhile. If you're enjoying yourself and if it's making you happy, the time is well spent.

Find the Ones Who Are Worth It

Quote:

"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the ones that are worth hurting for."

Lesson to learn:

We're all human, so we're all going to make mistakes.

Don't Forget the Little Moments

Quote:

"The truth is that airports have seen more sincere kisses than the wedding halls, and the walls of hospitals have heard more prayers than the walls of a church."

Lesson to learn:

Don't forget that love and faith happens in small moments, too. Treasure those moments.

Things Take Time

Quote:

"No matter how great the talent or efforts, some thing just take time. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant."

Lesson to learn:

Have patience. Sometimes, you can't rush things.

Tell the Truth

Quote:

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Lesson to learn:

Lies and exaggerations can catch up with you, so a good policy to live by is to tell the truth. Then you'll never have to worry about slipping up.

You're Awesome!

Quote:

"Be the person your dog thinks you are."

Lesson to learn:

Your dog thinks the world of you. He thinks of you as someone who deserves love, affection, and loyalty. And he sees you for who you are and loves you unconditionally. See yourself through your dog's eyes. Try to be what he thinks you are to the rest of the world — imagine what the difference you can make to the world.

Your Thoughts Become Reality

Quote:

"I know for sure what we dwell on is who we become."

Lesson to learn:

Be careful of what you often think about. If it's something negative, you can become a negative person. On the other hand, if it's something positive, you'll become more positive. Try to think on the bright side of things when you can.

Anger Is a Waste of Time

Quote:

"For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness."

Lesson to learn:

The time and energy you spend on being angry you can spend on something that will better you, like happiness. Let go of your anger and grudges.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Quote:

"He who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask remains a fool forever."

Lesson to learn:

If you don't ask questions, you're not going to find out what the answer is. Don't be afraid of asking them, because people will appreciate your curiosity.

The True Test of One's Character

Quote:

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

Lesson to learn:

The true test of one's character is the treatment of inferiors, because it's easy to treat one's equals and superiors well.

Life Goes On

Quote:

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

Lesson to learn:

Regardless of whether something good or bad happens to you, you can take comfort in the fact that life goes on.

The Memories Live On

Quote:

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

Lesson to learn:

Mourn the death of a life, but know that the person will always live on in your heart. You have lost only him or her in the physical sense, but your loved ones will always be with you.

The Truth Hurts, but It's Better Than the Alternative

Quote:

"But better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie."

Lesson to learn:

You may be hurt by the truth, but it's better than living with a lie. Use this approach with your loved ones: it's generally better to tell them the truth than to lie to them to make them feel better. Being a good friend sometimes means telling your friends what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

There's No Point to Worrying

Quote:

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."

Lesson to learn:

Worrying is not going to help you resolve anything — it only depletes your internal resources.

Befriend Your Enemies

Quote:

"Do I not destroy my enemies by making them my friends?"

Lesson to learn:

By battling your enemy, you are hurting yourself and your enemy. By making him your friend, he will no longer be your enemy. Peace wins over war every time.

Love What You Do

Quote:

"And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

Lesson to learn:

The secret to accomplishing great things at work is to love what you do. Keep taking the steps that will get you closer to a career you love.

Live in the Now

Quote:

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift; that's why it's called a present."

Lesson to learn:

Live in the present and don't let the past and future trip you up.

Make Your Own Luck

Quote:

"Luck is the residue of design."

Lesson to learn:

Many things don't happen by chance. You can work to make your own luck with smart planning and effort.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/smart-living/Life-Changing-Inspirational-Quotes-41611221