Click on your favorite social media feed LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook) and you will find someone posting a motivational quote. It’s sure to get the person doing the posting a thumbs-up or heart indicating that the viewer likes it.
Include me in the group that thinks about which quote is serving me best at the time. The Dali Lama said “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” When I am not feeling all that kindly toward someone, I like that a good quote strikes a chord that makes me pause and reflect. It can capture our attention in a new and very different way.Include me in the group that thinks about which quote is serving me best at the time. The Dali Lama said “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” When I am not feeling all that kindly toward someone, I like that this quote reminds me that I should try because being kind is pretty easy. Often quotes from folks who are famous, well known, and historically relevant, and mentors in my life inspire me. I am fond of quotes from my parents who are both gone now; their words bring them into my present and they hold a wisdom that speaks to current situations I find myself in, and they remind me that I was fortunate to have them guide and love me.
Posting your favorite inspirational quote on a social media site, using it in a presentation, or framing it and putting it on the wall of your office is just echoing the words. If you really find that the quote speaks to you, you should not just repeat it – you should act on it. It should galvanizes you and the people who read it into action. There are plenty of sites with collections of quotes. Live Life Happy and Brainy Quote are good resources. And of course there are Apps for that!
The self-help industry is an 11 billion dollar industry. In the interest of self-disclosure, I’ve bought those books and have also written one. (Power Tools for Women®: Plugging Into the Essential Skills for Work and Life (Three Rivers Press)). Maybe you have noticed as I have however, that if you get new information and do nothing with it then your life will be as if you hadn’t gotten the information at all. But if you are the person who reflects on new information and integrates new ideas and behaviors as a means of altering your life, then it’s possible that you will achieve a lasting change.
Everyone is looking for the magic wand or a pill, some simple short cut or just a little luck in finding a way that’s easy, simple, and fast. A smaller, but critical percentage of people understand, are willing, or may simply and finally realize that the worthwhile takes work. It’s not easy, might be painful, takes longer than desired, and even then – the goal may remain elusive. But I think it’s more impressive to live the words than to post them on LinkedIn.
So think about your favorite inspirational quote and ask yourself if you really live the words and act accordingly. Before you answer – ask someone who watches you.
