If you scroll through Pinterest or Instagram you will see a whole host of them, they are usually cliched, overused and overall so overshared and posted that any ability they had to inspire anything in anyone has diminished.
When talking about inspirational quotes, and while we are probably all desensitized to them by now, I still believe in the ability of words to evoke change (otherwise inspirational speakers would be out of a job). So here are 7 inspirational quotations that I have not spotted amongst their overexposed brethren lately.
You know sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.
We Bought a Zoo – Benjamin Mee
To be happy we need something to solve. Happiness is therefore a form of action; its an activity, not something that is passively bestowed upon you, not something that you magically discover in a top-ten article on the Huffington Post or from any specific guru or teacher. It doesn’t magically appear when you finally make enough money to add on that extra room to the house. You don’t find it waiting for you in a place, an idea, a job or even a book for that matter.
Mark Manson
Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.
Margaret Shepard
Happiness is a constant work-in-progress, because solving problems is a constant work-in-progress–the solutions to today’s problems will lay the foundation for tomorrow’s problems, and so on. True happiness only occurs when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.
Mark Manson
Give me a firm spot on which to stand and I will move the earth. [on the lever]
Archimedes
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.
J.K. Rowling
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Desiderata – Max Ehrmann
Inspirational quotes at this point are so overdone that we often see them more as the butt of jokes than sources of motivation. Nowadays we’d rather listen to podcasts from inspirational speakers than read a quote. However, I remember that a copy of the Desiderata was posted in my Chemistry classroom in highschool and because I would read it when I was bored in class I slowly memorized the whole thing. Until eventually, when times got hard and obstacles threw me for a loop, I would find the words of Desiderata running through my head and took motivation from them. Thus, I will always believe in the power of a good inspirational quote to truly impact a person’s life.
If you also appreciate the power of a good quote but are tired of the overused ones that often circulate online, then this list of quotes should be the perfect companion to help get you through your day.