I am a BIG fan of quotes. The reason I like reading and enjoy finding good quotes so much is that I tend to be more present to my life when I’m (big shocker) not thinking about my life all the time. Even though I’ve come very far from where I used to be when it comes to being present and living in the moment, I’m not a master.

Yet

There are still times when I catch myself in a daze, thinking about or analyzing who-knows-what. But when I’m reading, I’m present, holding on to every word and every idea like it could change my life.

Besides keeping me present, good books and quotes give me a new perspective on things. I love when just one sentence really makes me think. Maybe I’ll make a collage of all my favorite quotes and put it above my bed so I can wake up to inspiration every morning…

I’ve come across hundreds of quotes over the years and I don’t think I’ll ever have a favorite. But here are a few that always give me a swift kick in the pants if I’m feeling off track or down:

Whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you are right. – Henry Ford

This quote reminds me that there will always be people, institutions, or other obstacles to achieving my goals. I have to make sure I am not one of those obstacles. I refuse to stand in my own way.

Now you know better so do better. – Maya Angelou

This one is fairly similar to “the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over again and expecting a different result.” If what you’re doing isn’t working (read: moving you closer or making it easier to navigate toward your goal) stop doing it or tweak your approach and see if that works. Learn from your experiences and keep it movin’.

Real artists ship. – Steve Jobs

This quote was like a hammer to the head, in a good way. I’d been interested in engaging more through my website but hadn’t really committed to actually doing it because it was scary. At any rate, I started reading this awesome book that I recommend called Linchpin by Seth Godin. In the book, Godin quotes Steve Jobs. At first I had no idea what the quote even meant but once I found out I was so turned on by the concept. Godin did such a great job of explaining so I’ll let him do it again here:

“The only purpose of starting is to finish, and while the projects we do are never really finished, they must ship. Shipping means hitting the publish button on your blog, showing a presentation of the sales team, answering the phone, selling the muffins, sending out your references. Shipping is the collision between your work and the outside world… Shipping something out the door, doing it regularly, without hassle, emergency, or fear—this is a rare skill…”

The idea of shipping was the hammer to the head to me. But shipping is scary—it’s risky. What if no one likes what you’re shipping? What if no one cares? Or worse—what if people love it and then you have to maintain that momentum? The key for me here is making it a habit, shipping regularly. I find that it’s not productive to wait for fear to subside before doing something. What’s productive is being scared and doing it anyway.

Have you ever read something that inspired you? This definitely won’t be my last quote-sharing blog, so feel free to share your faves below or leave a comment if one of the quotes above spoke to you.

Thanks for reading!