It’s that time of year where everyone seems a little stressed out and totally ready for a break.

For me personally, I’m looking five exams, two papers, and a presentation in the eyes and, truth be told, that kind of makes me want to cry. I’m assuming everyone has some sort of stressful week coming up in the next month or so, and because of this I have decided today would be a great time to give everyone some inspirational quotes to get them through the day.

Now, before I do this, I have to give a shout out to my dad. I love cheesy, motivational quotes, but I’m not going to pretend that this is original material that I’m coming up with. My dad is the calmest and most positive person you will meet, every situation, no matter how awful, has a silver lining.

He believes with every fiber in his being that every day is a gift from God and therefore we have to treat it as such, and he has a way of just radiating positivity. I strive to be like him because wow, life would be so much better if everyone had a little bit more Mike Purcell in them, but I honestly don’t know how he doesn’t get exhausted sometimes.

So, before I turn this article into a complete praise of my dad, which I could do if that wasn’t the most obnoxious thing ever, let’s get down to some inspirational quotes.

“Great days don’t just happen, you have to make them happen.”

Taking a passive approach to life is going to get you nowhere. You can’t just expect that good things will come your way if you wait long enough. My dad would say this to me every day before I left for school, and it was always the reminder I needed that as long as I had a positive attitude I would be able to make the day great.

“If you don’t run the day, the day will run you.”

I feel this is very prevalent with midterms coming up. It can be easy to get sucked into the stress of studying and late nights and papers, but if you take charge and manage your time, you’re going to be just fine. Don’t let all the chaos of your day get to you, just take charge. Control the things you can, but don’t worry about the things you can’t.

“You are braver than you believe, smarter than you seem, and stronger than you think.”

So, admittedly, this quote comes from Winnie the Pooh. But, it always puts a smile on my face and sometimes I just need to hear it. Thought it might help out someone else too so I decided to share.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Yes, this is a prayer, but you don’t have to be religious to see how valuable it is. This is one of my dad’s favorites and it has always stuck with me. You can’t help it if you’re organic chemistry midterm is impossible (and sorry, it probably will be) but you can help yourself by studying, getting some sleep, and going into the test with the attitude that you’re about to kill that midterm.

At any point throughout the next few months when you’re feeling stressed, find a stress reliever that works for you. It might be music, a run, ice cream, or some cheesy quotes. To end this article with an original quote of mine, instead of my dad’s, “positive thoughts, positive outcomes.”