There are those days where things just don’t seem to fall into place from the moment you step out of bed. You woke up late, stubbed your toe, the coffee machine breaks, you can’t find your favorite shirt, every other car on the road feels the need to cut you off for some reason (and then give you “the bird”), your computer greets you with tons of emails (some less than pleasant in tone), and when lunchtime rolls around – only then do you realize that you forgot your wallet at home. “Ugh. It’s going to be one of those days,” you think.
Then are those days where everything is just fine on the surface, you can’t complain – you have a roof over your head and food in the fridge. You’re working toward something, dreaming, and believing in whatever aspirations are important to you. And yet somehow you still feel like you’re going in one big circle in life, while others seemingly run laps around you, moving faster, sweating less (those bastards!). 🙂
I’ve come to learn that there are all kinds of days. Some good, some not so good, some life altering, but many in the middle. What has always helped guide my perspective, despite the type of day that I’m having, is collecting quotes. For half my life now I’ve always kept a collection containing advice that I’ve heard or read and written down; but in more recent times, an image with just the right words that I came across that resonated with me and started collecting them online. (Thank god for Pinterest.)
I wrote a post like this last summer and thought today is a good day to share more of my favorite quotes with you, perhaps turning “Inspired” into a new series for the blog. What I always (ALWAYS) appreciate no matter what mood I’m in: is good life advice, words of encouragement, and wisdom from others that uplift and motivate you to live better and be better.
Considering these words even exist to share, is a gentle reminder that we’re all in the same battle if you think about it – perhaps at different rankings, fighting on different fronts for different causes, but ultimately for the same end-goal. I think that goal is to have lived life to the fullest in whatever capacity that means to the individual.
So if any, or all, of these bring a smile to your face, or give you an ounce of encouragement and motivation to see the beauty in whatever is going on in your world – no matter how you started or ended the day – then I’ve used my blog and done good.
Here’s to inspiration…
All That Glitters 
I LOVE this. I needed this today. The CS Lewis quote is wonderful. I have a Pinterest wall with nothing but quotes and images that inspire me too. I love looking at it every so often for a ‘pick me up’.
I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for putting it out there. :o)
I’m so happy to hear this, V! Thank you! It sounds like we have similar Pinterest boards for the exact same reason. Though I’m constantly adding to it, it always helps to pay a visit every so often for me too – it gives me perspective. I so appreciate your comment – I’m glad this was helpful. It’s what I hoped for when writing it.
I love this collection, especially the first quote. I often start the day and think ‘ I wonder what today will bring’. There is a line in a movie where Meryl Streep laments on her life and she says ” I used to feel that every day was frought with possibility”. I really love that sentiment. I like looking forward to events, vacations or whatever is coming up in my life but then I realize that this wonder of joy can come everyday since we never know what lies ahead each and every day. Too often we can get bogged down by the fear of what the unknown day may bring so the challenge is to shift our thinking into the positive and be more open to the possibilities of the day…good or bad it’s an opportunity to learn more about ourselves so, ultimately, it’s ALL good.
Hi Marilyn! I love your perspective on how you approach the day – the saying goes that how you start the day determines everything. I can’t say that I wake and wonder what the day will bring. I often think of “to-do” lists and what I want to get accomplished (and even worse, sometimes during a more stressful time in life – what drama will I have to deal with just to get through it). I’m going to try your approach and be more mindful of this as soon as I open my eyes in the morning. Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing! xx
Great post, I’ve been having a string of those negative days must focus on the positives
Lauren
livinginaboxx
We all encounter that string every so often – hang in there and do things that make you happy! xx
I love all these inspiring quotes!
http://www.highheelsandtutus.com
Hi Jodi! Sorry for my belated reply! Thanks so much for stopping by. I look forward to checking out your blog. I love the name 🙂
What a lovely collage of quotes. I love this. I think we all need just a sprinkling of inspiration every day.
Hi Laura, Yes! There is SO much going on in the world that having just a daily sprinkle can help put things in perspective and keep pushing you forward. Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend! xxx