For better or worse, I’m something of a walking encyclopedia of sayings, paraphrased paragraphs, quips and passed-down bits of wisdom. When life has been the toughest I have sought such leave-behinds of others to help me through. When life has been wonderful I reach for someone else’s collected thought to help me express my appreciation. When life is just in between I look for another’s words that better pick me up than my own thoughts do at that moment. Here are three worth sharing with hope they give you the same sort of inspiration and introspection they give me.

Thoughts of just giving up or not trying are as common to me as stars. When that sort of funk hits me, I pull out a handy “weapon of words” that helps me fight my negative thinking.

The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized – never knowing. Jim Rohn

When asked “how are you?”, my usual response is “all days are good, some are just better than others”. When I am up, it takes me higher. When I’m down saying that to someone picks me up. It doesn’t matter to me if what I say appears a bit ‘Pollyanna’ to others.  I like being happy! 

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It’s more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit. Gretchen Rubin

In spite of my spiritual work and keeping my feet on a path of attempting to constantly improve myself as a human being, I get knocked down. I get hurt, frustrated, fearful, worried and a litany of related emotions beat on me just like other people. It’s in those times I am reminded a life well lived is one where much has been risked.

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. C.S. Lewis

I am deeply grateful to all the men and women who took the time to write down their thoughts that through miles and time come to me as cymbal crashes of inspiration, whispered encouragements and moments of peaceful understanding.

If we all did the things we are capable of doing,
we would literally astound ourselves.
Thomas A. Edison