In the past couple weeks, I've actively been seeking out quotes/lyrics to help me try to change how I see the world and how I see myself. I know full well that I see myself in a more negative light than other people do, and I always worry about what other people think of me. It's not necessarily something I'm proud of, but it is something I grew up doing because I felt like I had to meet expectations that I couldn't.
Anyway, back to the quotes. I've been posting quotes/lyrics as my Facebook status recently, mostly to remind myself of things that I can do and how I shouldn't be defeatist. It's not easy for me, believe me. I've spent much of my life fighting depression, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. It's something that's been taboo in our society for so long, and no one should have to feel like they have to hide it.
That brings me to today. For the past week and a half, I've been dealing with lots of issues going on. My brain has been going non-stop. I had to come back to work late tonight, and I refused to go home for fear of not leaving the house again. One of my coping mechanisms is sleep. I sleep a lot when I'm having a hard time.
So, I spent some time in Barnes & Noble tonight. This was good - I haven't spent time just browsing in a bookstore in a long time. There are always lots of things I want, but I ended up buying a magnet with this quote on it:
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr
This is really relevant at this point in my life. I feel like I've come a long way from the person I used to be in high school, in college, and even post college. Even as we grow older and become "adults" - there are so many things we can work on to become better people. No one is perfect - a friend of mine even wrote about that on his blog recently.
The power of words is amazing. Those of you who know me know that I read a lot. I'm not a very good writer at all, but I can appreciate the writing of others. Over the last couple of weeks, I've drawn strength from the quotes that I've sought out. They, along with some people reminding me of the good, have helped me determine that I need change my mindset.
Here's a listing of some of the quotes/lyrics that I've posted on my Facebook page.
"You know that I could use somebody, someone like you and all you know and how you see." - Kings of Leon
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e.e. cummings
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." - Saint Frances de Sales
"Only thing to do is jump over the moon!" - Maureen, Rent
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - John F. Kennedy
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson
"You must do the things you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail." - Confucius
"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." - Hermann Hesse
"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
2 comments:
Whenever I start doubting myself and thinking that I can't accomplish the goals in life that I've set out to accomplish, I always think of the quote from the ultimate positive-thinker--Jeff Spicoli (Fast Times at Ridgemont High).
Right after he totaled Charles Jefferson's Camaro Z-28, Spicoli says, "Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it."
You can never count out Jeff Spicoli.
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