3 Quotes that Changed My Life
The wisdom needed to live a good life is all around us. When someone pursues their dreams, gets lost in their personal passions, volunteers, or enjoys a whimsical moment with their family, what does that reveal about how you should approach life?
Wisdom also reveals itself through struggle. How do you navigate life’s curveballs, whether it’s a job loss, death of a loved one, or an appliance breaking down? How do you minimize suffering and unhappiness?
There are universal truths about life and how to live it. But that wisdom is meaningless if it sits on the sideline as you go about your day. But when it inspires you and becomes an integral part of your mindset that you apply to the moment, you put yourself in the best position for a happy and fulfilled life.
I’ll share three quotes that capture universal truths about how to thrive in life. They’ve guided me throughout my adult years and are featured in my book The Wellness Ethic.
Truth #1: Pursue Your Dreams
“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
—Henry David Thoreau, American naturalist and philosopher
Translation: Know your purpose in life, and then pursue that passion with enthusiasm. You may not achieve your wildest dreams—a lot is out of your control—but you will find a level of success that is satisfying.
In My Life: This truth guided me when I launched a social media platform years ago. My dream was to squash Facebook and become a multi-billionaire. That would have been rather nice. It didn’t happen. Not even close.
But I met with a “success unexpected in common hours.” I experienced what it was like to be a founder of a tech startup. I learned a ton. I was fully engaged in life for the four years I bootstrapped the startup with a cofounder. We eventually sold the company. The experience also bolstered my resume and helped me land my next job. I didn’t expect those outcomes, but I’m good with them. They were aligned to the spirit of my dream and were very fulfilling.
Truth #1: Accept that Life Is Perfectly Imperfect
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher
Translation: Life is unpredictable. Stupid things will happen. Some will be the direct result of your actions. Othertimes, the stupidity will be out of your control. But, rest assured, the good and the stupid will be a part of your life. So, keep perspective, roll with the ups and downs, embrace life as it is, and give yourself grace. You, like every human on the planet, are doing the best you can.
In My Life: This is an area I’ve worked on quite a bit. We all want to live a fairy-tale existence. The perfect job. Perfect relationships. Perfect health. Basically, a life where everything goes our way. But life is imperfect, including mine. Reminding myself about life’s imperfect nature helps me keep perspective. I bounce back sooner after experiencing adversity. I don’t beat myself up over my many shortcomings. I feel like I’m doing my best with the hand I’ve been dealt.
My life is perfectly imperfect!
Truth #3: Choose Your Response to Life
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance.”
—Viktor Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor
Translation: Whether you face significant challenges, or minor issues that pitter-patter into your life each day, you are always empowered to choose a life-affirming response to your circumstances to move your life forward.
You’re not guaranteeing an outcome when you choose your response—the result is out of your control. You’re putting yourself in a position for the best possible outcome given your situation—that’s what you can control.
In My Life: I’ve experienced four layoffs. My house was leveled by a tornado. And on and on. I’ve had my fair share of adversity, just like everyone. We’ve all been challenged in life.
When I was let go by my employer, I accepted that reality and moved forward by seeking a new job. When my house was reduced to rubble by a tornado, I rebuilt. You would have done the same.
When you refuse to become “the plaything of circumstance” by choosing your response to what’s happening around you to move your life forward, you stay true to the meaning of your life, to feel and share love.
How do these three universal truths apply to your life? Are you dealing with situations where applying one of these truths could set you on a better path? Act on it.
