Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged. Whether there's too much to do, or the situation seems challenging or even hopeless, you may want to give up. Yet there's always hope. And just the right inspirational quote can help you keep the faith and put things in perspective.
The problem with feeling overwhelmed and discouraged is that it interferes with seeing the bigger picture. It can keep you so focused on the problem in front of you that you can't think of a way out.
It helps to remind yourself that even though things may look dire, they often look different after a good night's sleep. After all, as the old proverb says, "The night is always darkest right before the dawn."
And sometimes, when you may feel that you've brought the challenging situation on yourself, it's important to remember that we're all human, and that while we may not be perfect, neither is anyone else.
The following quote captures the absurdity of expecting perfection at all times... perfectly:
"No one has it 'all together.' That's like trying to eat 'once and for all.'"
--Marilyn Grey
And indeed, if you feel acutely aware of your own shortcomings and envy everyone else for their presumably easier lives, just take a look at those magazines at the checkout counter in the supermarket.
The people in those magazines are millionaires, mega stars, and most of them are gorgeous too. Yet I'm often aghast at the kind of trauma many of them are dealing with on a regular basis. Their lives aren't easier at all, nor apparently much happier than those of most non-celebrities.
Think about it. If you had to switch lives with one other person, who would you really want to switch with? Are you sure? Do you know everything that's going on in their lives? Consider this:
"The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well."
-- Joe Ancis
Sure, their lives may look great to the outside world. But do you know what's going on behind closed doors?
Did you ever think you knew the perfect couple, the one that helped restore your belief in true love and marriage, and one day, seemingly out of the blue, they were getting a divorce?
But don't let that be cause for discouragement. Your life is your own to live. And the more you approach it from the perspective of what you want it to be like and refuse to listen to the naysayers, the better your chances that you'll get what you're going for.
Joseph Campbell put it perfectly when he said, "Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams."
And I love the touch of humor that Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz brought to the issue of worry, along with a terrific sense of perspective:
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."
And so it is. Just give it a rest already. After all, "Worry is interest paid on trouble before it becomes due," as Dean Inge said. And who wants to do that!