Part 3 - Some Great Quotes that will Transform your Life

I have always gained inspiration from quotes and sayings, which is why I have decided to gather some of my favorite ones into this post. Each comes with an elaboration from me.

Today I am sharing quotes related to "INSPIRATION".

1. When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

If you've been trying to make your passion a reality, do not quit. If something doesn't work, all you have to do is change your approach. Look at people who are already doing what you want to do, and learn from them. Set your goals high and achieve them.

2. It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.

Everything that has been invented has at one time or another thought as impossible. Don’t let other people hold you down when it comes to going after your dreams. Trust your heart and follow your highest excitement.

3. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

I know you may doubt yourself when it comes to following to your heart, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. The sooner you embrace an attitude of curiosity, the sooner you will start trusting yourself. So what if you make mistakes? Who cares?

4. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

The people that can do the things they think they cannot do are the ones who succeed. Following your passion and living your purpose is not always easy.

5. Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.

You can spend your whole life thinking and theorizing, but it is only through action that you gain clarity. I’ve noticed that theory can only take me so far. When I actually start taking action, things are much different than in theory.

6. Using no way as a way, using no limitation as limitation.

Sometimes you have to be the pioneer. The only limitations you have are the ones you impose on yourself.

7. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

If you want a better, happier life, all you have to do is get started. It doesn't matter if you believe yourself to be a slow learner, because if you never start, you never get anywhere. It’s better to start than to live a life of regret.

8. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

You can try to learn as much as you want, but if you do not take action, you won’t get any results. You cannot know everything before you start, so don’t even try. Just begin and expect mistakes. Learn from them and keep going.

9. Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

It can take a while to find your passion, but when you do find it, it’s your duty to give it your all. It’s not enough to find your passion; it takes hard work to make it a reality.

10. Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

Dwelling on past mistakes does you no good. You can change everything today if you want to, or you can keep living the life you’ve always lived. It’s up to you, but remember this: every moment is an opportunity to change your life.

Part 2 - Some Great Quotes that will Transform your Life

Today's article is about "MOTIVATION".

1. Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.

Dreams are important, but they do not come to fruition if you do not take action. Don’t procrastinate. Start living the life you want to live today. There is always a step you can take. There is always something you can do.

2. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

If you never start, you will never get anywhere. If you want to find your passion, it starts with trying. You will fail, you will make mistakes, but that’s a part of the journey. If you’re like most people, you don’t know how to even begin living a passionate life. That’s normal, and there’s a way out. You may want to check out my premium course on that, Passionate Living, where I share my story of how I went from miserable to doing what I love.

3. Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.

I have found that going after my goals rigidly only makes me unhappy. I now make goals, but I am flexible about them. I am open to new possibilities. Having a goal is essential, but use it as a guideline and not as something you have to reach.

4. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Everything that you see around you will pass. Whatever success you may achieve will pass. Whatever failure you may run into will also pass. Doesn’t that make you wonder if life is more than chasing success and avoiding failure?

5. People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it daily.

Following your passion is not effortless. I know many who think it should be, which is another obstacle holding them back from taking action. This is not a walk in the park. It’s a path of rapid growth. It contains both joy and fear. But you can change your life.

6. Never, never, never, never give up.

Whatever you do, keep going. When I started playing poker professionally at the age of 18, I knew I was going to succeed. I was prepared to do anything. I knew that others were making money playing poker, so I thought if they can, so can I.

7. Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.

You determine your happiness. There are several studies out there that show that even if you win the lottery, your state of happiness will return to its previous level in about a year. What happens outside of you is of little importance, as long as you have the basic necessities.

8. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Motivation ebbs and flows. When I started blogging, the first few months were easy, but then I started bumping into periods of low energy. Habit and a focus on helping people is what kept me going. I constantly reminded myself that this was what I wanted to do.

9. Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.

You are responsible for how you feel. You can blame external things if you want to, but it will never change how things are. It is only when you accept your own responsibility that you can take action.

10. There’s always a way - if you’re committed.

If you are passionate enough and if you care enough, you will overcome any obstacles. Excuses will be a thing of the past, but if you’re not determined, you will let the smallest excuse to hold you back.

Part 1 - Some Great Quotes that Will Transform Your Life

I am addicted to sayings and quotes. They are inspiring, motivating and they have the power to provoke new thought. They have the power to break down old beliefs and inject wisdom into your life.

Today I am sharing some quotes related to "COURAGE".

1. Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.

There are no guarantees in life. Even the false security of having a house, a family and money in the bank will pass.

2. The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.

We all fear failure. It’s a learned habit. It is said that the only fears we are born with are the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises, the rest is learned. There’s nothing wrong with failure. In fact, if you never fail, you will never grow.

3. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

We grow up with the idea that we have to look to others for answers. Instead of seeking approval, look inside of yourself and feel what is right. We are all unique, therefore we are all on our own path. No one can tell you exactly what to do, because their destination is different from yours.

4. They can’t hurt you unless you let them.

When I read this, I think about our imagination and our fears. Almost all of us are suffering without a cause. The fear of fear is worse than fear itself. You’ve probably heard it many times, but that’s because it’s true. 

5. The key to change, is to let go of fear.

The more you can let go of fear, the faster you will grow. I’m not talking about eliminating fear or being fearless. When I think about letting go of fear, I think about acknowledging it and letting it be there. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.

6. If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.

I couldn't agree more with this. The more comfortable I get with being uncomfortable, the faster I grow. When you’re moving forward and making progress, you will feel uncomfortable, and that’s okay.

7. If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.

I've gotten many e-mails from people asking me for advice. The common thread that runs through them all is that they want to make sure they’re doing it right. My answer is always the same: you have to try, fail and try again. There are no guarantees. There is only the path.

8. Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.

What is familiar is comfortable. Even though the familiar might be worse than the unfamiliar, we still tend to hold on to it, because going into the unknown is uncomfortable. Having the courage to go into the unfamiliar can be tough, but not impossible. It requires a shift in perspective. Become curious. Become an explorer of life. This is an adventure.

9. Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

This is another good take on courage. What we have to remember is that definitions and perspectives are constantly in flux. There are no absolutes. Courage for me isn't the same as courage for you, which is why, in the end, you have to trust yourself.

10. There is far more opportunity than there is ability.

Most people are afraid to take action. Sure, they have ideas, but they don’t do anything about it. It’s scary going down that path, which is why so few do. In the end, you have to determine what kind of life you want to live: one of mediocrity, or one of greatness?

The bottom line is that you can overcome your fears and live the life of your dreams.

10 Things about Life

Over the years I have become convinced that the vast majority of people are well intentioned about being eco-friendly, natural consumers, both for the sake of their families and the environment.

The obstacles keeping them from making eco-friendly consumer choices are usually lack of time to do the research, not knowing where to find the research to begin with, and the lack of convenient access to the products.

In response to this awareness I thought it might be helpful to tell you how I manage to live this lifestyle in my everyday life. Here are my tips about how I buy clothes, food, personal care products and furnishings; manage cleaning and pest control; and take care of my pets.

1. Natural Clothing

Fibers made from animals and insects include wool, silk, mohair, cashmere, camel hair and angora. Animal fibers usually have attributes not found in manmade or plant fibers. For example, a sheep’s wool fleece is designed to wick perspiration from the animal, thereby helping to regulate its body temperature, and wool provides the same benefit as human clothing or bedding.

2. Natural Food

Read labels. Look for food words you recognize, and always opt for the product that that has the fewest unrecognizable words. This rule of thumb may seem simplistic, but it works, since food manufacturers do not translate commonly known food names into a chemical name on packages. The spice turmeric is called turmeric and is a welcome natural yellow dye substitute to find on a label instead of an FD&C dye.

3. Natural Personal Care

Just because a personal care product is sold in a natural foods store doesn’t mean that it is a product made of natural materials. (This scenario doesn’t apply to cleaning products as those found in natural food stores are usually genuinely green products.) The rule of thumb for finding natural personal care products is the same as for food: Read the labels for ingredients you recognize as being real, and buy those. Aubrey Organics and Weleda are two brands that are genuinely natural.

4. Natural Cleaning

Health food stores are also very good sources of green cleaning products. Get to know some of the brands found there (Seventh Generation, Ecover) and then search them out in bigger supermarkets, or ask your supermarkets to begin to carry the brands. Mix and match green cleaning products with simple do-it-yourself formulas using kitchen cupboard ingredients.

5. Natural Pest Control and Repellents

Most people don’t realize that if a pesticide is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency, it means that it has been approved by the EPA to be effective. The registration does not mean that the product has been approved to be safe. Many pesticides are highly neurotoxic, and all are designed to kill. Choose natural and preventative alternatives instead.

6. Natural Bedding

You can readily buy sheets, mattresses, comforters, and blankets made of natural materials. Organic wool and cotton mattresses are highly recommended to avoid sleeping on mattresses made of synthetic ingredients including formaldehyde, biocides, stain protectants, fire retardants, and materials containing neurotoxins. In general, my experience is that it is hard to find a wide range of organic natural fiber bedding locally, so instead I tend to buy these products online or through catalogs. A good resource for finding current natural bedding companies is Natural Home and Organic Style magazines.

7. Natural Furnishings

All the same suggestions apply to natural furnishings as they did to bedding in regards to cushions and fiber-based furnishings. Additionally, look to natural carpets and carpet backing, wood furniture that has been finished with natural sealants, and avoid pressed wood furniture because it contains formaldehyde. My experience is that online and catalog shopping provides the widest selection.

8. Natural Renovating and Building Supplies

Every time you renovate, paint, or build, choose the least toxic, most natural, inert materials. One online store that is an excellent resorce is The Environmental Home Center. Another is NEEDS.

9. Natural Pet Care

My rules of thumb for pet care is to never use synthetic pesticides of any kind, give them food that doesn’t contain animal byproducts, and to use natural shampoos.

10. Natural Consumer Choices - General

Always choose the most natural, inert ingredients, and read labels. I’ve found that even products for teens, such as cosmetics, usually have at least one more natural version.

25 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.  Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

2.  Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3.  Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

4.  Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

5.  Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

6.  Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

7.  Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

8.  Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggled, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

9.  Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.

11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.

12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – at the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.

14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.

19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.

21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.

25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.