Arm Yourself with Inspiring Quotes for 2018

One of my favorite times of year is the end, when I get a chance to reflect on the previous year and plan for the future ahead. One of my practices is to review my favorite quotes that I have compiled during the last six months, reflecting on what inspires me about each quote and how I might be able to change my behavior to live more aligned with its wisdom. I hope one or some of the following 21 quotes inspire you to think about things from a different perspective.

On Acceptance

Friedrich Nietzsche would describe his formula for human greatness as amor fati — a love of fate. “That one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backwards, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it … but love it.”

“A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.” – Emperor Marcus Aurelius

I am not exactly sure why it has taken me 40 years to grasp this idea, but ultimately we all have “plans” about how the future should unfold, whether conscious or unconsciously. For example, you show up at the airport expecting to get on a 6 a.m. flight, and it does not leave until 9 a.m. for one reason or another. The principle that Nietzsche highlights above is a critical path to happiness that I discuss a lot on this blog, which is to not only accept things as they are, but embrace them, which can help you take corrective action.

The second quote, by Roman emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, adds a visual to this principle of amor fati: Whatever situations cross your path can serve as logs for your fire. On so many levels, my home and work lives are amazing, and yet I often reject the regular ups and downs of life. Why did I have to get sick? Why won’t my kids go to bed on time or read each night? Why did we not win this bid for a new client? The “why” usually comes with a negative emotion that frankly does no good. The advice of Nietzsche and Aurelius is applicable in so many situations when facing adversity, both large and small. Let it be logs for your fire!

On Distractions

“People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills. There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. … So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.” – Marcus Aurelius

Although he wrote this more than 2,000 years ago, Aurelius’s words are more relevant than ever in our fast-paced society. Smartphones in particular can be a blessing or a curse, but I think if people are constantly connected to mobile devices and the incessant notifications that accompany them, they risk losing a part of who they are. I am convinced that tons of data will eventually emerge to reflect how social media, smartphone use and unproductive Internet use can be addictive and toxic to your mental health. To be clear, I am on my devices constantly, but I know it is a problem. I am challenging myself that over this holiday season, I will disconnect in appropriate settings like playing with my kids. I might even just take a day off and not touch my device once unless it’s an emergency. Scary, right? Who’s with me? Aurelius was on to something –peace and happiness can achieved from within and don’t require constant distractions.

On Success

"Embrace what you don't know, especially in the beginning, because what you don't know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things differently from everybody else." – Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely is the billionaire founder of shapewear company Spanx. She knew almost nothing about building a clothing company prior to founding her own. What she had going for her was a vision that a key aspect of the market was not satisfying. She took that passion and vision, combined with a resilient and humble attitude, and built an amazing company. She was not afraid of what she did not know and, if anything, leaned into it. This a great lesson for all of us trying out new things.

"You will never win if you never begin." – Helen Rowland

This quote has been said a hundred different ways over the years. The premise rings true because so often we hesitate. Why is for a much deeper discussion, but I believe it mostly centers around our fears, which often paralyze us. The key is to find ways to “hack” your system so that when that opportunity comes along, you can push through your fears. One strategy I use is just saying to myself, “Start with yes.” Then you can allow your mind to focus on all the ways to move forward. The other two things I like to say to myself are, “Winning is good, failure is even better,” and, “Plenty of opportunities to bail in the future way before something becomes a disaster.”

The first quote reminds me that in failure, there is so much to gain. It’s tied to the expression, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” said by the coach from Friday Night Lights. You simply can’t lose if you give it your all, both in preparation for and out on the “field” of life. In terms of the second quote, I need to remind myself that more often than not, pursuing something new is not permanent. It’s not an excuse to just bail at the first sign of adversity, but if things are not going well, there is time to take stock of how you really feel about the commitment.

“The right actions undertaken for the right reasons generally lead to good outcomes over time.” – John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods

I am a huge fan of this quote because, both in life and business, we often want instant gratification. The reality is it can take days, weeks, months, or even years to achieve the outcomes you desire. I come back to this quote and work hard to focus on taking the right actions for the right reasons, letting the chips fall where they may. I have a deep-seated belief that if I do this in whatever endeavor I take, eventually the outcomes will show up — especially if I take a long-game approach.

“You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want in life.” – Zig Ziglar

This is another one of these ideas that seems counterintuitive at first: Generally the more you give, the more you get. It’s not always human nature to focus on helping others to get what they want unless we are somehow obligated to do so or it benefits ourselves. But almost every form of religion or philosophy talks about the personal benefits of helping others. You might have heard this advice a hundred times but it is worth repeating!

On Reflection and Growth

“The source of everything respectable in man, either as an intellectual or as a moral being, is that his errors are corrigible.” – John Stuart Mill

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

I love the first quote because it gives me tremendous hope in humanity and optimism for myself. I know I have held beliefs or perspectives in my adult life that later seem counterproductive. What this quote tells me is that, if you are committed to self-reflection, open mindedness, and studying the “data,” it’s only a matter of time before the facts seep into your mind. Adopting this value of self-reflection gives me tremendous optimism for my future and living out my mission of being the best version of myself while helping others do the same. I know I can always go back to these three pillars to help guide me to the truth.

On Moderation and Perspective

“There is always an optimal value, beyond which anything is toxic, no matter what.” – Gregory Bateson, anthropologist

As a triathlete, moderation does not come easy for me. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten sick or injured because I have overtrained, or I have watched fellow racers hunched over the side of the road because they drank or ate too much or too little during a race. This advice might be of particular interest to hard chargers like myself: We need to constantly evaluate whether we have crossed the line of diminishing returns or perhaps, even worse, negative returns.

We can apply this in so many areas of our lives, from work to athletics to eating to sleep (or lack thereof). Finding balance is different for everyone. The signs that I look for is if other key areas of focus in my life start to suffer. For example, if I am working too hard and not sleeping enough for an extended period of time, it is bound to have a negative impact on my personal life and health. The key is to try to keep the balance in “the force” as you pursue your goals and life work.

“It’s not about the win or the loss; if we’re here to experience, then we are free.” – W. Timothy Gallwey

It’s no secret that I am a competitor. A big reason why I love competition is that it can bring out both the best and worst in me. Competition exposes how much your ego is getting in the way of fulfilling your true potential. In many ways, this quote is a paradox: If you don’t care about winning, why even bother competing?

I try to look at competition and sports through three lenses. First, there is the objective reality that most sports are a form of exercise and should be seen as a good thing. Second, sports can be a metaphor for life. In the words of Gallwey, “The key to better tennis — or better anything — lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the natural capabilities of Self 2.” Thus, the more you can practice mastering yourself in a safe and controlled environment, the more you can apply it to other parts of your life. Third, sports are a fun opportunity to release stress, get in the zone, and connect with others. To conclude, competition is about the experience of these three things – staying in good health, preparing for other challenging roles in life, and having fun! If you can keep this in perspective, winning and losing is secondary.

On Struggle and Progress

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

I am not one to really talk about struggle, as my life has been incredibly blessed. However, the great abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass can definitely speak to this principle, given what he had to endure in his life as both a slave and a free man. I find that leaning into struggle not only becomes easier over time, but becomes something I look forward to. Generally speaking, avoiding struggle is not a path toward success and happiness. Talk to great professionals in any arena and they will tell you how much they struggled to get to where they are. Struggle is inevitable on the path to prosperity. I say embrace it.

“Pain + Reflection = Progress” – Ray Dalio

Dalio is the founder of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world. His quote combines a few themes I have already talked about, including pain, struggle and reflection. What Dalio is saying is that pain by itself will probably lead to more pain. Reflecting on this pain and what got you there will lead to behavior change, which will then lead to progress.

On Belonging

“You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all.” ― Maya Angelou

“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” ― Brené Brown

Brené Brown is quickly becoming one of the great writers of our time. She is part of this positive psychology movement, which includes key concepts like growth mindset, grit, courage, and resilience. Brown has a great understanding of courage, and she dissects it while talking about concepts such as shame and vulnerability. Her latest book, Braving the Wilderness, is another excellent one. It focuses on the paradox of bringing your true self to relationships, which, on one level, is like being alone in the wilderness, but on another level, causes a strong sense of belonging.

Said another way, if you keep showing up pretending to be someone else, someone you believe everyone else expects you to be, you ironically feel more alone despite doing everything you can to belong. What Angelou and Brown are saying is that you have to be willing to show up as you are. It might feel lonely at first, but in the long run, this actually creates the most belonging, which we all yearn for as humans.

On Happiness

“It is a truism that how you think — about yourself, your world, and other people — is more important to your happiness than the objective circumstances of your life.” —Sonja Lyubomirsky

The concept of happiness is one I have touched on in previous blog posts. Every time I view the circumstances of my life as either creating happiness or taking it away, I think about this quote, as well as Victor Frankl’s seminal work, Man’s Search for Meaning. Especially when our basic needs are met, it is our thoughts that determine our actions and emotions. This is a circular process, and if you find that your emotions are in a negative place, creating the right thoughts will lead to the right actions and eventually the “gravitational force” of happiness will suck you in. You have more control over your thoughts than you think.

On Habits

“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success if found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell

Those who know me know that I love my mornings and the routine that comes with preparing for the day. I have talked about the concept of the “miracle morning” on this blog previously. I even have a project in my task management tool, Nozbe, called Daily Routines. This is because I believe firmly that if you want to change your life for the better, you have to change your habits. A big way to do this is by focusing on your morning routine, because your energy and attention are typically at a high point at the start of the day.

On FOMO

“Too many people are thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, when they ought to just water the grass they are standing on.” – Amar Dave

One of the most powerful negative forces in the universe is FOMO, the fear of missing out. I have talked about this on my blog, as well as the idea of working to create the inverse of this, JOMO, the joy of missing out. The fact is that way too often we want to have our cake and eat it, too. In college, I used to experience this when it came to going to a party when all I really wanted to do was sleep. In business, I want to pursue multiple investments that compete for resources, and I often experience FOMO as a result. In short, this simple advice of watering the grass where you stand is great. It is empowering because, in the end, you are the way you are, so it’s important to make the best of it.

On Goals

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee

I am a big fan of setting goals, but I often don’t sweat whether I hit the exact goal or not. More often than not, I find creating a specific goal provides clarity and motivation along the journey, regardless of the specific outcome. Additionally, we oftentimes pick an arbitrary date or number to make goals more measurable. Ultimately, if you are playing the long game, there is still plenty of time to hit your original goal on your own time. The key question to ask yourself is whether you are heading in the right direction and making progress toward your goal.

On Greatness

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

This reminds me of another great quote by Jim Rohn, “You are the summary of the five people you spend the most time with.” The idea is simple: Surround yourself with people who believe in you, support your dreams, and give you honest feedback where appropriate. Jettison the rest, if possible.

On perspective

“I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” – Mark Twain

I look back on so many of my key milestones that I am proud of and the “disasters” I encountered along the way. Of course I ran into obstacles during times of progress, but the simple fact is that most of the roadblocks, which at the time felt like catastrophes, were merely minor blips along the journey to accomplishing something great. Actually, I often look back on the obstacles with fondness.

I hope these quotes help you elevate your game in all facets of life during the coming year. Words can be incredibly powerful and oftentimes serve as a spark for the positive change you’re looking for.