I am obsessed with reading quotes. A good quote can make my day. It can lift my spirits and change my perspective. Conversely, a good quote can also make me question my life and myself. I even have an app on my phone for daily inspirational quotes I can look up whenever I’m feeling down.

I’m not picky in who says the quote either. I love everything from Gandhi’s “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” to the non-attributed Chinese Proverb “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”

I am a big believer in the proverb “the pen is mightier than the sword.” At home, I have books that are chalked full of quotes. The pen makes a great positive difference in my life. Quotes have honestly helped me through some of the roughest times in my life. When I could barely get out of bed, I relied on Regina Brett’s, “No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.” It gave me the motivation to start the day.

In sports, inspirational speeches and quotes can fire me up and get me ready to play. Vince Lombardi’s quote, “Perfection is not attainable, but if you chase it you can catch excellence” makes me want to work harder and be better every day. Or Wayne Gretzky’s famous: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Some quotes are even universal and unifying. Nearly every American can recognize the quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” as belonging to President John F. Kennedy. Forrest Gump’s famous phrase, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get,” is just as recognizable. From U.S. presidents to people portrayed in movies, quotes weave their way into people’s lives.

Literature provides some of the most memorable and insightful quotes. Some books have moved me to tears with what the author wrote. There is a reason Shakespeare, Dickens and Hemingway are still regularly discussed decades and centuries after their demise. Their work with a pen breathed life into words and brought thought into minds. How many people have pondered over, “To be or not to be. That is the question.”

Quotes persist all around us and influence our everyday lives. From the motivational posters that take up the walls of offices proclaiming, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new,” from Albert Einstein, to quotes on coffee mugs that say, “I don’t like morning people. Or morning. Or people.” They are quietly engrained in our lives, always ready to pick us up or give us a laugh.