Life can be hard, messy, complicated, and thrown into disarray without warning.
Sometimes, all we need and want in life is for things to be more straightforward.
Here are 10 quotes that can help make life not just simpler, but also better.
1. “Remember that if you don’t prioritise your life someone else will.” — Greg McKeown
It goes without saying that time is our most valuable asset.
That means it should be protected at all costs, because if you don’t, someone else will fill it with their own priorities.
Putting yourself first isn’t selfish, in many cases, it’s essential.
2. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
Every action you take matters more than you believe.
And change happens when you eventually choose to take action.
Your choices always matter, and never underestimate the impact they can have.
What you do is important, and you do make a difference.
Don’t believe anything otherwise.
3. “If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” — Marvin Gaye
Genuine peace doesn’t come from travelling far, high, and wide, and it definitely doesn’t come from other people.
Real peace, the kind of peace that puts you at ease, has always come from within you, and always will.
4. “My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do.” — Francine Jay
Busyness isn’t the same as productivity. Doing less creates space for what really matters — and often leads to better results.
There’s busyness, and there’s productivity, and they’re both totally different.
Busyness is doing something for the sake of doing something.
Productivity is about getting things done that are worth doing.
The funny thing is that by doing less, but by doing more of the things that matter, you’ll, without a doubt, be more productive.
5. “If everything is important, then nothing is.” — Patrick Lencioni
Not everything can be essential and a priority.
If everything is deemed necessary, then the essential things lose their significance.
You have to choose where you want to direct your energy, and let the rest go.
6. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
As painful as it might seem, we have so little control over what happens in the outside world.
We can’t control other people, the weather, or anything that happens on the other side of the globe.
But we can always control one thing: ourselves.
We can control how we behave, how we carry ourselves, and what we choose to focus on.
Life is better when you start trying to control the things you can actually control.
7. “I decided I can’t pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it.” — Serena Williams
What’s been has gone, and you can’t change the past.
Looking back to reflect and learn what can be done better for the future is obviously essential.
But never forget that progress happens when you choose to face and march forward.
8. “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” — Mark Twain
Lies are a heavy thing to carry around, and needless to say, they require constant upkeep.
If you lie, you have to constantly think back to what you said previously to keep the lies you’re telling in alignment.
If you’re straight up, honest and tell the truth, there’s no upkeep or backtracking needed.
9. “Tomorrow is now.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Anything that can be done now should be done now.
When you put things off for tomorrow, you’re just presuming you’ll be granted more time.
This reeks of arrogance, and it’s a hazardous and entitled game to play.
Time waits for nobody, and it definitely won’t wait for you.
10. “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” — Unknown
Failure isn’t final.
If you’re not getting things wrong, you’re either not pushing yourself hard enough.
The fundamental mistake is never trying in the first place.