With graduation in the horizon, it's easy to get bogged down in the seemingly unending slew of unanswered questions - where will I work? Where will I live? Will I kill my mom if I live at home? Can I actually make these student loan payments? How long can one survive on bread and cheese alone? How fast is too fast? Is this covered under my new health care plan?
In order to help facilitate some more procrastination on those thoughts, I've made a list of my favorite quotes that I hope give you that 'pick me up' they gave me. Remember, the ending of one chapter is only the beginning of another...and with the first clichéd quote in, let's get to the good ones!
1. "A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." -Eleanor Roosevelt
I got this quote originally from one of those 'quote a day' calendars but now it lives on my computer at work. When things get tough it's easy to get really negative and down on yourself, believe me I do it all the time. But it is in these sink or swim moments we learn the most about ourselves - so thanks Eleanor for saying it better than I ever could've!
2. "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best." -St. Jerome
My granny said this to me every day without fail when I was growing up and while it made 7 year old Shana groan, it inspires 21 one year old Shana to keep practicing that impossible yoga move because it's true - there's always room for self improvement, all you need is to practice.
3. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -C. S. Lewis
Sometimes when the day to day is too exhausting, it seems that dreaming or goal setting is a thing reserved purely for your youth. Well, thank goodness C.S. Lewis is here not only to bring us Narnia, but also explain to us just how wrong that is.
4. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." -Mark Twain
Procrastination nation - that's me and every other second semester senior I know. But Mr. Twain is right - the only way to be successful at anything is to get started actually doing it.
5. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky
A classic redone by the also famous Michael Scott, Wayne helps to remind us that we should always go for it, no matter how slim the chances are.
6. "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
It's easy to get caught up constantly in what's happening next. This quote reminds us to slow down and focus on what's happening in the now because he's right - dong your best today is most definitely the best preparation for tomorrow.
7. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller
I love this quote for a million reasons, but why it matters to me so much at this point in my life is because it highlights that everything that's important isn't materialistic. Yes things like a job and a place to live are important, but Helen Keller reminds us that things such as friendship and love are just as important and deserve just as much of our attention and respect.
8. "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" -Audrey Hepburn
Classic Hepburn needs no further explanation - no matter how impossible something is, you can always find a way!
9. "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star." -W. Clement Stone
Probably one of the most beautiful quotes on this list when you picture it, it reminds us to always aim high and be happy with whatever comes of it. It is only when we don't try that we do not succeed.
10. "Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." -Lyndon B. Johnson
LBJ keeps on focused on what's in front of us, which I definitely know I need reminding of sometimes. It's easy to sit around and overthink and overanalyze things, which have already happened. The problem with that is we cannot change those things, but instead always look ahead, remembering as LBJ says, it's ours to win or to lose.
11. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill - one of the most iconic leaders in all of history - definitely got it right with this quote. Sometimes, no matter if you succeed or if you fail, it's important to remember that we have to keep moving forward and that can be hard. Churchill reminds us that pushing ahead is enough in of itself to be proud of.
12. "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." -Aristotle Onassis
Not quite as cryptic as some of his other quotes, this one from Aristotle I love because it reminds us that only we can be positive. It's not the job of our friends or family or significant others to make us happy. We must instead chose to see that happiness, even in the darkest of times.
13. "Do something you really like, and hopefully it pays the rent. As far as I'm concerned, that's success." -Tom Petty
Amen! Today in America, it's easy to believe that big cars and big houses are the only way to be successful or at least seen as successful. Our friend Tom Petty reminds us that's simply not the case. In the end, doing something you love is worth more than 1,000 mansions in the Hamptons any day.
14. "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." -Robert Louis Stevenson
I know I am certainly guilty of this - being a part of a change in something and losing sight of exactly what has improved and instead only focusing on what is still not there. What I love about this quote is that it helps you to remember that the small changes you plant, whether that be in other people, in an organization, or even in yourself, are more important than the results you can see right away.
15. "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." -Neale Donald Walsch
Here's the thing - the future is scary. There I said it. But Neale Donald Walsch reminds us that it is in these moments of being uncomfortable where life truly beings. Instead of running from it, we should really embrace the unknown and learn from it. Because life really does begin at the end of your comfort zone.
