Over the years, there have been moments in my life where I have needed to process and reflect on difficult, confusing, and/or emotionally challenging situations. For me, speaking to and learning from experts is the first place I turn. Oftentimes their credible, outside perspectives are enough to pull me through the initial stages of anger, sadness, grief, etc. But, shortly after, I begin looking for phrases, mantras, nuggets or quotes that my brain can chew on to understand and refocus my energy and thought patterns. Here are a few that have stuck and continue to be uplifting and inspiring for me:
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Babies aren't dishwasher safe." - Daniel Tosh
"Happiness is good health and a bad memory." - Ingrid Bergman
"I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation." - George Bernard Shaw
"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing." - Jon Stewart
"A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles." - Anonymous
"Eyes that do not cry, do not see." - Swedish proverb
“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” - Robert McCloskey
“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.” - George Bernard Shaw
"I don't think I could stab somebody, 'cause I'm really bad at a Capri Sun." - Daniel Tosh
"If you're not failing now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything innovative." - Woody Allen
"You can't survive the running of the bulls if you don't attend the running of the bulls." - Anonymous
"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things." - George Carlin
"When we take care of our human capital, we will be able to take care of our financial and social capital." - Arianna Huffington
"The world isn't divided into the creatives and non-creatives. We make better decisions, have more empathy, lose the fear of judgement and reach our passion when we build our creative confidence." - David Kelley
"Calm is contagious." - Cmdr. Rorke Denver
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
- Robert Frost
"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." - Coco Chanel