Inspirational quotes and memes are everywhere, and let’s face it, in Victoria we need them more than ever.
An internet search on any topic will produce hundreds of options for you. Some are by history’s greatest influencers and game-changers. Others seem to come from nowhere and are suddenly everywhere.
Either way, I love them. I like reading all of them but sometimes I come across one that really resonates with me. These ones I keep close by. I have a couple for my gym. I wear one printed on a bracelet on my wrist all the time. Others I have written into a notebook that I can refer to when I need to.
Here are my top five quotes that inspire me and lift my mood no matter what.
“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”
This is the one I have printed on a bracelet and I read it at least once a day. Any time self-doubt creeps in, I read it. It’s from a poem by Erin Hanson.
I am not naturally a brave person. I can think of countless times in my life when I wished I had spoken up, or moved forward, and I didn’t. It’s meant that I have missed out on opportunities. Some small, some bigger; but all of them lost now simply because I was too scared. Looking back, if had I fallen, nothing bad would have really happened. I would have learned from my mistake and moved on. Well now, I’m done missing out. I’m willing to fall if I have to, but also very willing to learn to fly.
“Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.”
This one is in my gym, and pretty much speaks for itself.
I started working out to lose weight because I hated my body. For years I would use exercise to make amends for eating something "wrong". I viewed exercise as payment for things such as eating a piece rich piece of cake or drinking all that lovely bubbly. And because of this point of view, my workouts were punishing. If they weren’t punishing, it didn’t count.
However somewhere along the way, I started to enjoy exercise, even crave it. I realised how much stronger and healthier my body and mind were becoming because of it. I started to appreciate that being able to move freely, without any real limits, was a gift; and that by doing exercise, I was doing my part to ensure I held on to this gift.
So on the days I don’t feel overly motivated, I remind myself that any movement is beneficial, and that it’s not about punishment, it’s about self-care.
“Don’t complain about the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.”
Another one in the gym, but actually, it can be applied to plenty of aspects in my life. It reminds to me to get my butt into gear.
Yes it’s true. There have been times when I have felt upset with an outcome when in truth, I didn’t give my all. I can relate this back to school and Uni assignments, work projects and applications, as well as weight loss and fitness results.
This quote may not seem inspirational, but it does help me change my mindset when it needs adjusting. It motivates me – it gets me working hard for the things I know I really want.
“It’s OK to fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.”
Both sentences in this quote make a world of difference to me.
I have lost my spark on many occasions, and that’s just this year. My father passed away, I was turned down for a job I was convinced I was destined for, and then of course, this week I was told I would be going back into lockdown. All these things caused me distress, and I’ve not been at my best, so it’s reassuring to read this quote and remind myself it’s ok to be this way.
As for the second part, well I just imagine myself as Jennifer Lawrence as The Girl on Fire in Hunger Games and then I KNOW I can conquer anything…
But seriously, when I read this it reminds we that the lows force me to regroup and rebuild, so I can come back stronger.
"The days are long; the years are short."
Due to lockdown, this phrase has gone from being an occasional reminder to a mantra!
Anyone can relate to it, but I think it becomes poignant when you’re a parent. This pearl of wisdom was passed to me from another, more experienced mother, when I was struggling with mum life.
My boys have tested my patience in more ways than I can count; and they’re only 4 and 6 years old. There have been countless times I’d wish for nightfall so I could finally tuck them in bed and have some peace.
Lockdown has made the days REALLY long.
However, sometimes I catch myself going through old photos, and I realise how much time has passed, how much the boys have changed already, and that I will never get that time back. They will never be small again.
Now there have been many steps along the way that I have been happy to leave behind… toilet training, introduction of solid foods, sleepless nights, to name a few. But now they are so big they don’t curl up on my chest and fall asleep. They no longer think my sneezes are funny, and my kisses are becoming less effective at fixing their bad days.
This phrase reminds me to have patience, especially on the hard days, because all of this (even lockdown) is only temporary.
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