“Bliss is a beautiful destination, but you can often only reach its shores after a turning point. It’s as if the universe is testing you to be sure you are strong enough to make it through the murky waters, not just the serene ones, so that you can move to a new and unknown place in yourself.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 140)
Quotes about Challenges
Brandon Stanton Quote on Connection and How We Connect Through Struggles More Than Victories
“Our struggles connect us. We relate to the challenges of other people much more than we relate to their victories. We empathize with pain much more than joy. The moment we truly see ourselves in another person is when we realize that we’ve felt the exact same pain.”
Brandon Stanton, Humans (Page 278)
Beyond the Quote (351/365)
This is the oversight with always wanting to show off. It might make people envy you, but it doesn’t allow people to easily connect with you. If anything, it creates a larger disconnect between where they are and where you portray yourself to be. As Brandon points out above, it’s our struggles that connect us, not our victories.
Read More »Brandon Stanton Quote on Connection and How We Connect Through Struggles More Than VictoriesClaire Wineland Quote on Challenges and How To Keep Moving Forward When You Feel Stuck
“I’m not stuck in this belief that challenges are given to us to hold us back. I am lifted up by the belief that challenges are here to help us move forwards—and that is the difference. That is the only difference between people who are living a passionate, proud life and people who feel sad—or people who get older and feel like they don’t know what they’re doing anymore.”
Claire Wineland (15), TEDxMalibu
Beyond the Quote (342/365)
When you feel stuck in your life it’s because you’ve reached a limit; you’ve hit a wall; you’ve arrived at a boundary; you’ve reached an edge in your understanding. And you can’t pass until you figure out a way to scale the wall; cross the boundary; and/or explore what’s beyond those limits. Figure out being the key phrase in that sentence. Being stuck is a problem to be solved—not a permanent state of being. It involves critical thinking, research and reflection, trial and error, conversation, and more. And while this all may sound obvious, it certainly isn’t common practice.
Read More »Claire Wineland Quote on Challenges and How To Keep Moving Forward When You Feel Stuck“If it were easy then everyone else would find it easy as well. Which would make it awfully difficult to do important work, work that stands out, work that people would go out of their way to find. When difficulties arise, it might very well be good news. Because those difficulties may dissuade all the people who aren’t as dedicated as you are. It pays to seek out the hard parts.”
Seth Godin, Blog
An Empowering Short Story from John Lewis’ Memoire on Saving His Aunt’s House (and How We Might Save Ours, Too)
Excerpt: In this powerful story, John Lewis recounts a time when a terrible storm threatened his aunt’s house and how he and those around him saved it.
Read More »An Empowering Short Story from John Lewis’ Memoire on Saving His Aunt’s House (and How We Might Save Ours, Too)
“People ask me, ‘What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?’ and my answer must at once be, ‘It is of no use.’ There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron… If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.”
George Mallory, Climbing Everest
24 Potent Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes on Equality, Relationships, and Living Up To One’s Potential
Excerpt: 24 potent and insightful Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes that will help you remember and carry on the legacy of “The Notorious RBG.”
Read More »24 Potent Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes on Equality, Relationships, and Living Up To One’s Potential
“RBG has never been one to shrink from a challenge. People who think she is hanging on to this world by a thread underestimate her. RBG’s main concession to hitting her late seventies was to give up waterskiing.”
Irin Carmon, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Chadwick Boseman Quote on Struggles and How they Shape You For Your Purpose
“The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”
Chadwick Boseman
Beyond the Quote (239/365)
Chadwick Boseman, the iconic “Black Panther” star, has died at age 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. He was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, battled it until it progressed to stage IV, and up until it ended up taking his life here in 2020. And like so many others, I knew nothing about his cancer or that he was even sick at all.
Read More »Chadwick Boseman Quote on Struggles and How they Shape You For Your PurposeAndy Andrews Quote on Leadership and How To Properly Influence Others To Keep Moving Forward
“It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else; a leader must encourage others to struggle and assure them that the struggles are worthwhile. Do battle with the challenges of your present, and you will unlock the prizes of your future.”
Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift
Beyond the Quote (219/365)
I repeat: It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else. Nor is it their duty to take the struggle away from, to suffer the pain for, or to handle challenges that someone else is facing. A leader needs to live their own life as much as the follower needs to live theirs. But even more importantly, it is the duty of the leader to lead the follower to a better place—and doing the work for them doesn’t get them there. If anything, it handicaps them and makes them more vulnerable to the future rather than more resilient.
Read More »Andy Andrews Quote on Leadership and How To Properly Influence Others To Keep Moving Forward32 No Bullsh*t Mark Manson Quotes from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Excerpt: These quotes from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck are practical and sugar-coating free. Read for a powerful kick-in-the-ass.
Read More »32 No Bullsh*t Mark Manson Quotes from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Brianna Wiest Quote on The Point Of Mountains
“One day, the mountain that is in front of you will be so far behind you, it will barely be visible in the distance. But the person you become in learning to get over it? That will stay with you forever. And that is the point of the mountain.”
Brianna Wiest
Beyond the Quote (142/365)
Yesterday, two friends and I set out to do a 14 mile hike through three high peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. We knew from the get-go that it was going to be strenuous and intense at times, but that’s a part of the experience. You can’t just walk on flat ground if you want to summit a mountain. If you want the reward that comes with summiting, you have to conquer all of the challenges that come with hiking. No challenge, no reward.
Read More »Brianna Wiest Quote on The Point Of Mountains
“There are going to be setbacks in life. Even a master or a genius will experience a period of inadequacy when they attempt to learn new skills or explore new domains. Confidence is what determines whether this will be a source of anguish or an enjoyable challenge. If you’re miserable every time things are not going your way, if you cannot enjoy it when things are going your way because you undermine it with doubts and insecurity, life will be hell.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 73)
Ryan Holiday Quote on Cultivating Mental Stillness To Succeed In Life
“Each of us will, in our own lives, face crisis. A business on the brink of collapse. An acrimonious divorce. A decision about the future of our career. A moment where the whole game depends on us. These situations will call upon all our mental resources. An emotional, reactive response—an unthinking, half-baked response—will not cut it. Not if we want to get it right. Not if we want to perform at our best. In these situations we must: be fully present; empty our mind of preconceptions; take our time; sit quietly and reflect; reject distraction; weight advice against the counsel of our convictions; deliberate without being paralyzed. We must cultivate mental stillness to succeed in life and to successfully navigate the many crises it throws our way.”
Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 20)
Beyond the Quote (97/365)
It’s a fine line between reacting and responding; between acting then thinking versus thinking then acting; between needing to make a quick decision and not wanting to wait (or not having the self-control to wait) to make a decision. Crisis situations are going to call upon the full extent of our mental resources if we are to handle the crisis properly and in a way that is in complete alignment with our best intentions. The challenge, of course, is that most crisis situations have a strong sense of urgency attached to them that requires a quick decision to be made.
Read More »Ryan Holiday Quote on Cultivating Mental Stillness To Succeed In Life
“To live is to deal with challenges and setbacks. No one is immune to the bullshit life flings our way; but our actions can make that bullshit better or worse. If you look back at your life, the biggest lessons you learned didn’t come from a Tumblr quote or celebrity PSA; they came from harsh reality checks when the shit hit the fan. That process isn’t going to get any more enjoyable as you grow, but if you anticipate the learning, then the moments you have in life end up being that much more enriched.” ~ Humble the Poet, Things No One Else Can Teach Us (Page 84)
“You are only as mentally tough as your life demands you to be. An easy life fashions a mind that can only handle ease. A challenging life builds a mind that can handle challenge. Like a muscle that atrophies without use, mental strength fades unless it is tested. When life doesn’t challenge you, challenge yourself.” ~ James Clear, Blog
Martin Luther King Jr. Quote on The Ultimate Measure Of A Man
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Beyond the Quote (18/365)
It’s easy to be a good person when everything in life is good. When everything in the house is working beautifully and you can sit on the couch and watch your favorite TV show without interruption? When you go out to dinner and your table is beautifully set, the service is impeccable, and the food is amazing? When you go to work and you get along with everyone, you feel like you’re producing your best work, and your boss is thrilled?
Read More »Martin Luther King Jr. Quote on The Ultimate Measure Of A ManSwami Sivananda Quote on Meeting Life’s Challenges Vigorously (Not Backing Down)
“Self-acceptance comes from meeting life’s challenges vigorously. Don’t numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.”
Swami Sivananda
Beyond the Quote (11/365)
In fact, the more you hide from your life challenges and fears, the more they will grow and the more you will shrink. It’s not a single negative, it’s a double negative. If you’ve ever felt your mind take something fearful or challenging from a level 1 intensity to a level 1000 intensity, just from letting it linger in your mind, then you know what I’m talking about. And if you’ve ever let the muscles of your body go without the challenge and difficulty of exercise, then you know what it feels like to shrink. The muscles of the mind—the mental capacity to show courage and face fear—are muscles that none-the-less need to be exercised to grow.
Read More »Swami Sivananda Quote on Meeting Life’s Challenges Vigorously (Not Backing Down)