Whether it's from a parent, a fictional character, historical figure, or that one uncle you've always looked up to despite him being a little off his rocker, we all have a favorite quote or bit of advice that we've heard in our lifetime.

These things tend to be what we tell ourselves when the days seem to be getting longer and more stressful, just to get us home with our sanity intact. For me this describes two quotes. One from Teddy Rosevelt:

"The greatest reward in life is working hard at work worth doing."

This one has gotten me through countless long days of work and school when all I really want to do is half-ass whatever I'm doing, go home, take a nap, and watch Netflix. The reason that this quote has always stuck with me is simple; it's undeniably true. No matter what work you're doing there is not a more satisfying feeling than knowing that you've been productive and have done your job well at the end of the day. I

often hear my boss and other business owners in my area say that this is a fact that our generation has lost sight of, but that's not entirely true. A lot of young people today have been lead to believe that after college, maybe even after high school, that our dreams will just suddenly land in our laps and we'll be doing work that we see as being " worth doing". And often, when that doesn't happen, we become lazy and entitled and we end up throwing a fit.

Bottom line, any work that keeps food in your fridge and a roof over your head is work worth doing.

The second quote that I've used to push myself into making many decisions is actually from the TV show How I Met Your Mother, and the quote is from Ted Mosby:

"If you're not scared, then you're not taking a chance, and if you're not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing?"

This quote will forever be a favorite of that little voice in the back of my mind that loves to talk me into doing stupidly risky things that usually end up one misstep away from disaster, but it also keeps me from just sitting on the sidelines every day. If I didn't have this quote in my head I doubt I would've moved out of my house at 18 and started renting a room from a friend, but I did and it has proved to be one of the greatest choices I've ever made. Maybe you should think about it the next time you're unsure of a choice.

After all, life is nothing if you don't take risks.