Somewhere in between overdosing on dry shampoo as an excuse not to wash my hair again and eating a chicken finger while pulling through an intersection yesterday, I was reminded that although I am technically an adult, I really don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time.
In fact, I'm beginning to think that this realization might be the dirty little secret to life. We're all a little confused and doing our very best to appear that we have it completely figured out. I practically always feel like like I'm white-knuckling my way through whatever the universe sends in my direction.
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Whatever the case may be, there are moments when I need reassurance that a little loss of control is not reason enough to panic.
It is so easy to be consumed by a feeling of helplessness and momentarily forget how far I've come in the past few years. I've recently discovered that sometimes the greatest insight can come from people you don't even know, especially when they can relate to your current predicament in an original way. There is a lot of comfort in the guarantee that you're not the first person to suffer from a case of serious self-doubt.
These are just a few quotes from poets and authors on success, happiness, and having faith in your own abilities. Some of them are beautiful, some are insightful, and some are just plain honest.
So when you're seized with anxiety about your job/school/future/life/significant other, remember to breathe, read this list, and realize that you're actually OK. Just keep on keepin' on.
- “There are flowers everywhere, for those who bother to look." - Henri Matisse
- "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." - John Steinbeck
- “It's all bullshit. You should just be whoever you are, and if they love you for that, then that's great." - Alexa Chung
- “You were scared, but you still got here; don't forget that." - T.B. LaBerge
- “Hey listen, it's alright, feeling a little heartbroken now and then is a good thing. It's how you know you still care. It's how you know there are things for you in this world that still matter, that are still worth hurting for." - Beau Taplin
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Teddy Roosevelt
- “Have patience, heart." - Homer
- “Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting. Have faith that things will work out, maybe not how you planned, but just how it's meant to be." - Unknown
- “If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine." - Morris West
- “You all have a little bit of 'I want to save the world' in you, that's why you're here, in college. I want you to know that it's okay if you only save one person, and it's okay if that person is you." - Unknown
- “There's no magic way to find yourself. It's not out in the wilderness or in another country or city. Or in the deep depths of a book. Or waiting in solitude. It's right there, in you. And if you never find a way to appreciate yourself, you'll never see it." - Anthony Allevato
- “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." - Margaret Thatcher
- “To hell with them. Nothing hurts if you don't let it." - Ernest Hemingway
- “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck." - The Dalai Lama
- “You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other, and God damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That's how I've done it. There's no other way." - Elizabeth Taylor
- “Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have a title until much later." - Bob Goff
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." - Maya Angelou
- “We are all broken, that's how the light gets in." - Ernest Hemingway
- “Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore." - Ray Bradbury
- “And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — the main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away." - John Steinbeck
- "No matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger – something better, pushing right back." -Albert Camus
SEE ALSO: 13 Affirmations For The Struggling Woman
