After having a talk with my friend who’s turning 27 and feeling like she hasn’t accomplished enough and nothing’s going right, I felt like compiling my favorite uplifting quotes for all those who feel that way. Along with those, I provided some commentary brought to you by a psychology graduate! So if you need some nothing’s going right in my life quotes, buckle up and get ready to feel better.
“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
When I was younger, I hated inspirational quotes and saw myself as a pessimist. The older I get, the more I realize that optimism means being able to see the good in everything, no matter how shitty it may seem. So why not go down that path, but choose to always be sad and awaiting disappointment instead?
“If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don’t Have To Be Pushed. The Vision Pulls You.” – Steve Jobs
If you’re finding it hard to get up in the morning and go do your job, then it’s not your passion. And that’s okay – I won’t be one of those hustlers who force people to take risks and give it 110%!! But if you indeed do have another passion, make sure you honor it, be it as a side job or a hobby. That alone should make getting up in the morning a lot easier, with or without uplifting quotes.
“We May Encounter Many Defeats But We Must Not Be Defeated.” – Maya Angelou
If you gave up the very first time you faced defeat, where would you be now?
“We Generate Fears While We Sit. We Overcome Them By Action.” – Dr. Henry Link
I used to suffer from horrible anxiety until recently. I didn’t magically get better – rather, I realized (on both an intellectual and emotional level) that it’s up to me to do my part. The rest will either follow or not, but even if it doesn’t, I’ll still have the chance to make it better through my actions.
“Security Is Mostly A Superstition. Life Is Either A Daring Adventure Or Nothing.” – Life Quote By Helen Keller
I’m, not saying “leave the job that pays the bills on an off chance you may succeed in something else”. What I am saying, however, is – dare, and should the real opportunity to get a better job, better home, better relationship appear, jump on it. Life is short.
“You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream.” – C.S. Lewis
Did you know that Morgan Freeman was 50 years old when he got his breakthrough role? Fifty! So when I hear someone who is 20+ saying their life is set and they should have done more or better, I can’t help but ask – “so why don’t you?”
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” ― Helen Keller
It’s easier to keep crying over spilled milk than get up and buy a new carton. But you don’t need uplifting quotes to tell you it doesn’t lead anywhere, do you?
“If you believe it’ll work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you don’t believe it’ll work out, you’ll see obstacles.” – Wayne Dyer
While practicing to become a REBT therapist, this idea changed my life in so many ways. Earlier, when I would get into a fight with my (then) boyfriend, I would cry and get angry and I wouldn’t understand why it had to be happening. After I changed my mindset, I decided to use every fight to progress. Are we fighting over some girl on Instagram? Let’s talk about social media rules in general. Is he saying stuff like “If I have kids one day”? Let’s discuss who wants what and whether this relationship is going anywhere.
“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer
Make a plan for every day, fill it with things you love and value and you’re certain to go to bed happy!
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Kurt Cobain
I have a secret: I really dislike people who cry over their circumstances and then wait for them to magically change. We live in an age when so many things are possible (I get to work in 10 seconds and can pause and resume it whenever because – remote), so we really can’t whine if we’re not ready to push.
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale
One thing that’s helped me understand what I want in life is the “chair exercise”. Imagine yourself sitting in a rocking chair at 80 and looking back on your life. The way it’s going now, will you be happy to look back? If not, what will you regret? Once you pinpoint it, you can start working on it to make sure that regret isn’t there in 50-60 years.
“Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.” – Unknown
A couple of years ago, I was making 200 dollars a month, stuck in an abusive relationship, and having a horrible one with my parents who just wouldn’t give me any freedom (and I wouldn’t fight for it, either). Now I’m happily engaged, living with this beautiful person, working from home for a far better, legit company, and planning home renovations. It just wows me to think about it sometimes (oh, and my relationship with my parents has never been better!)
“When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” – John F Kennedy
This was one of my favorite uplifting quotes I heard in college! If you’ve lost your job, you can tremble in fear or see it as a chance to find a better one or start your own. I had my phone stolen the other day – I was bummed, but saw it as a chance to get a new and better one. Don’t let the danger weigh you down!
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
I love this one, because it reminds me that no matter what I do, I can do it in a brilliant way and enjoy it very much. Today, the only things I did were clean the house and do 20 minutes of exercise – but I made sure to have fun and do those as well as possible. It was enough to make a regular day a great one.
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.” – Tim Ferriss
The only thing I hate as much as the hustle culture is wasting time. And don’t get me wrong – watching a movie or binging YouTube clips when I feel like it isn’t a waste of time – it’s good for my mental health. What I truly hate is doing something but being 0% productive. So for all the hustlers who spit out 10 meaningless LinkedIn statuses a day and call it “hustling” – eat my burgers! An hour of actual productivity beats 8 hours of sitting around any day of the week.
“Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.” – Helen Keller
Helen Keller always hits a bullseye with her motivational quotes. No wonder there are so many of hers in here! Gratitude can help you achieve more things than you can possibly imagine. In another piece of mine I mentioned that affirmations were a huge help when it came to me getting a raise – and being happy with my cozy little life was certainly a big part of it, too.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
If you’re not doing as much as you could, ask yourself – why? If you are, stay persistent and know that one day it’ll pay off, one way or the other. However…
“If you can’t do anything about it then let it go. Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change.” – Tony Gaskins
Sometimes, your best will simply not be enough and you’ll have to find another way around it. If you can’t get that dream job of yours, start your own. It sounds scary, yes – but how many famous people do you think got there by playing it safe? That being sad, let’s finish up with this question:
“What is life without a little risk?” – J.K. Rowling
And that’s spoken by a lady who didn’t have much luck in her life, and persisted despite having her book rejected dozens of times before it was published. Had she given up, we never would have had Harry Potter. And if that story isn’t the best way to end these uplifting quotes, I don’t know what is.
I hope you enjoyed these uplifting quotes – let me know if you did!
