Just a few motivational quotes and tips for those hard times when you need a quick dose of inspiration.

　　1. Accepting Life’s Challenges

　　“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

　　–Randy Pausch

　　In every life there are great challenges, and in every challenge there are great doses of life to be lived.

　　Whether you judge a challenge to be a problem or an opportunity says more about you than about the challenge itself. The way you choose to see the world is the way your world will be. This is what gives life its magic; it’s a continuous, dynamic phenomenon that becomes exactly what you choose to make it.

　　Do something extraordinary. Accept life’s opportunities. Realize that if you never step up to a challenge that’s a bit over your head, you’ll never know how tall you truly are. Rise to each challenge and continue adding value to the ever-growing possibilities that await your brilliance.

　　2. Working Hard

　　“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” –Beverly Sills

　　When you’re young you have this fantasy that super successful adults – writers, musicians, doctors, businessmen, etc. – have some kind of magical chest of tools allowing them to build masterpieces that are larger than life. You fanaticize about a hammer of creativity, a pliers of efficiency, a saw of wisdom, and so on and so forth.

　　But then you grow up and you realize, for the most part, everyone is working with the same set of imperfect, rusty, old tools – desire, commitment, honesty, kindness, love, persistence, etc. And as flawed and bent as they may be, they work wonders against the odds when you truly put them to the test. Read The Success Principles.

　　3. Choosing Wisely

　　“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” –J.K. Rowling

　　The universe – people, books, life experience, etc. – can only give you good advice, but you ultimately decide what to do with it.

　　Life is ticking away every second. The worst thing is spending your entire life drowning slowly and not being able to convince yourself that you are in full control, and that you can easily save yourself by simply standing up.

　　This is your life, made up entirely of your choices, your actions, your thoughts, your relationships, etc. Someday you will either decide to save yourself or remain unsaved forever.

　　4. Growing from Problems

　　“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” –Friedrich Nietzsche

　　Times of great difficulty are times of great opportunity. These times may not seem ideal at first, but they usually provide keen insight into ideas of great value. When you are surrounded by problems, you are simultaneously given an opportunity to provide valuable solutions.

　　When times are good and everything is comfortably in order, it’s easy to become complacent and forget how skillful and resourceful you are capable of being. Troubled times are necessary evils that push you forward, because they eventually end, and the lessons and strengths you gain from them last a lifetime.

　　5. Laughing it Off

　　“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.” –Veronica Roth

　　If you wish to measure your success in life, don’t bother analyzing your bank account, or your job description, or your relationship status, or your weight, or any other superficial badge society loves to pin on your resume. Just count the moments you spend peacefully in laughter. That’s what success is – living happily in your own way, and laughing at the highs, the lows, and all the ridiculous moments in between.

　　Do what you need to do, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh whenever you can because you can. There’s honestly nothing like deep breaths after a good chuckle – nothing in the whole wide world like a sore tummy and cheeks for all the right reasons. Read Learned Optimism.

　　6. Staying True to Yourself

　　“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.” –Rita Mae Brown

　　To make a positive difference in your life you must sometimes be different and take the road less traveled. It requires courage to go against the grain like this, especially when the people around you are confused and irritated by your choices; but such courage can bring great rewards when you stick to your guns.

　　Where others see only shadows of uncertainty, look for glimmers of opportunity. When you encounter rudeness and irritation, generously offer polite doses of confident patience. When you bump up against arrogance, dilute the negativity with your own sincere, self-assured humility.