Getting to a Better You – Here’s 7 Quotes to Inspire the Journey

We all want to be better. But we have a wide variety of things that we think will make us better. And our list will not be the same as our friend’s or our co-worker’s or even our significant other. Why? Because we all have different flaws and failings. You may need to try to control your anger more; your friend may need to watch his/her criticism of others; your co-worker may need to work on being less sarcastic. But it is not for you to determine how others can become better people. Your only concern is you.

Finding a Quote or Two That Will Inspire

One of the small but often effective tips for improving yourself, is to find a couple of quotes that really inspire you to work on a personal flaw. So here is a list of 7 from which you might find one or two. If you do, you job is to type them up in huge letters, print them out, and put them somewhere where you will see them every day. They will serve as a constant reminder of what you are working on.

The Mind, Like a Parachute, Functions Only When Open

(Author unknown)

Some of us are pretty rigid in our thinking. We have developed habits of doing and thinking that leave no room for honoring the differences of people, for considering a new or controversial idea. We see anything new or different as somehow “bad.” If you know that you need to work on being more accepting of others who do not share your beliefs and values, then this is the perfect quote to put on your fridge.

It’s not whether you are better than anyone else – it’s about whether you are a better person today than you were yesterday

(Wayne Dyer)

Wayne Dyer was a university professor of psychology, a prominent international lecturer, and author of many books. He often told the story in his later years, after what he calls his epiphany, of a section from his very first book, Your Erroneous Zones. The book dealt with becoming more self-confident, more assertive, etc. He gave an example of returning an item to a store. His advice was to immediately ask for a manager because the lowly clerk couldn’t do anything without a manger’s o.k. anyway. (This was before the days of customer service desks). His actual words were, “Don’t go to a clerk, because a clerk is a jerk.” In later years, he was horribly embarrassed by that statement and had it removed from later editions of his book. But his point was that now he was a much better person than he had been then.

Don’t compare yourself other people to massage your ego. Compare yourself to who you used to be.

“Only dead fish go with the flow.”

(Anonymous)

We care about what others think of us – it’ only natural. And so, we do conform to the “rules” that have been established in all of the environments in which we find ourselves. When conformity is valued over most everything else, however, it is a big flaw. No big ideas, no great inventions have come from people who felt the need to conform. It is a difficult journey, that swimming upstream when all other are swimming downstream, but you may not achieve your personal goals unless you do sometimes.

“There are no shortcuts.”

(Beverly Sills)

We may look for the easy way out too often. We try to find a faster way to finish a project we are assigned at work; we tell little white lies (“I’m not feeling well") when we want to avoid difficult situations or confrontations. Ultimately, our shortcuts catch up with us. We have to re-do the project; we can’t avoid that difficult situation forever. Going through the hard stuff the first time through means it’s over forever.

“In the world according to the positivist, the inspiring thing about scrambled eggs is that any way you turn them they're sunny side up. In the world according to the existentialist, the hopeless thing about scrambled eggs is that any way you turn them they're scrambled.”

(Tom Robbins)

It’s easy to get into the habit of being negative and pessimistic, and that is exactly what that is – a bad habit. Every day, we can work to become more positive and optimistic by consciously focusing on the good that we have. When we complain about our jobs, or our high water bill, we need to remember how many people would love to have our jobs and how many people in this world would love to have running water.

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

(Anonymous)

We can find ourselves shunning the things that are difficult, not wanting to take on a challenge because we might fail. But we need to realize that every challenge we take on is an educational experience. As we keep taking on challenges, we become that person who, when others say, “I can’t,” we can show them that “yes” they can.

“The enemy of creativity is self-doubt.”

(Anonymous)

Being a better you means developing a good self-image and confidence in who you are and what you are all about. When you have these traits, you can step “outside of the box” and think about the “What if’s.” And you can have little successes with your little inspirations. And one day, a great new idea will come to you that will enrich the lives of those around you.

Hopefully, one or two of these spoke to you. If not, get online and search for inspirational quotes. Find a couple that inspire you to be better, and get them up somewhere.