Becoming the very best version of yourself takes hard work, commitment, and BELIEF!
Hard work – because improving and progressing always requires immense effort.
Commitment – because that heard work has to be carried out day after day, even when you’re not feeling inspired or motivated.
And belief – because without an innate belief in where you want to go , and how you want to get there, you are not going to put in the effort.
We all need to dig deep and find that motivation and self belief, so we have put together some of our favourite quotes to inspire you when the going really gets tough.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED…
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan, the famous American business man and former professional basket player is well known for inspiring generations of young sportspeople, and this quote in particular mirrors the words uttered by inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, who is attributed with the “Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety nine percent perspiration.”
When asked by a journalist about how he felt about having failed so many times in his career, he famously quipped back: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
He also said:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.”
TO BELIEVE – THE MOST POWERFUL OF VERBS
Theodore Roosevelt said: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
To be you, in the very best way you want to be you, then belief is crucial. That belief will give you confidence, fuel your motivation, light up your imagination and drive you to action. Having belief in yourself gives you the space and strength to focus on your dreams, rather than hiding behind your fears. As the famous motivational speaker Les Brown said: “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”
FADE OUT THE NEGATIVE VOICES
Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
We worry too much about the opinions of others. In a way we are programmed to do so by traditional social values. We are taught to behave in a way that conform with society’s moral expectations.
Behaving with respect and dignity to others is important. But behaving to conform to others’ expectations to the detriment of your own sense of happiness and self worth is not acceptable.
John Lennon once told a story from his childhood that has resonated with many millions since:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
As you furrow your own path through life and navigate its bumps and potholes, always remember the words of the poet Maya Angelou:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
