5 Quotes That Have Changed My Life and Could Improve Yours in The Next 21 Days

As I look back on a pretty eventful life, there are some extremely impactful quotes that have shaped my thinking and I’ll even say that in some cases, saved me.

I was heading down a self-destructive path at one point, but deciding to work on myself was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I really wish that back then, I had found all of these insights together in one place like they are here for you.

But as the saying goes…

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”

Sometimes, all it takes is one very special sentence or paragraph to completely change the way you feel, how you see the world or even the way you live your life.

I don’t know about you, but that really excites me!

That’s why when I find a quote or idea that resonates with me, I like to save it somewhere as a reminder.

So that when life inevitably gets busy and there are distractions competing for my attention, I can direct my focus back to what makes me feel my best.

Okay, here are some of my favourites and my interpretation of what they have meant to me personally:

1. “Breakdowns are always followed by breakthroughs”

If you’re going through what feels like a breakdown right now, or if you ever get to that point in the future, remember this…

You won’t be stuck there forever! There is always a breakthrough on the way so hang in there and be patient with yourself.

I wish I’d known this when I was at my rock bottom. Why do I say breakthrough?

Because breakdowns or difficult times leave a mark on us and they change us. They force us to grow.

They are almost always a sign that things in our life need to change, need to be worked on or need to be let go of.

The word ‘breakthrough’ itself means that you’re breaking through some sort of resistance or barrier, that’s kept you stuck and prevented you from moving forward.

Remind yourself of this daily by saying:

“This won’t last, my breakthrough is coming”.

Make a visual reminder on your mobile or stick it up somewhere that you’ll see it every day.

Also start reflecting by asking:

• “What isn’t working in my life right now?”

• “What is this showing, teaching or revealing to me?”

Often, just by getting clear and telling your mind to find some answers for you… The path or the breakthrough will appear.

And please remember… There is always hope!

2. “Everything is exactly as it should be right now”

I know this can be a tough one to accept or even get your head around.

But, consider this…

Do you ever look back and go: “I’m so glad that I’m not in that situation anymore”?

Whether it’s a job you hated, a relationship that wasn’t right for you or a time in your life when you were really unhappy.

The pain you were experiencing in that situation was necessary, because it allowed you to end up in a better situation.

Like a painful break-up that had to happen in order for you to meet someone who's perfect for you and makes you feel alive again.

Personally, I’m glad that I ended up going through the struggles that I did. They shaped me into the person I am today.

I had to nearly lose everything to realise that I needed to stop drinking and change the way I was living. Was it hard? Yes! Was it necessary? Yes as well…

So letting go and accepting that even when life isn’t going exactly as you want it to, it will all make sense one day.

Either something better is coming or there is some personal growth that you still need to experience.

For me, that has always been a very calming way of looking at life’s ups and downs.

Can you think of an example of this happening in your own life right now or in the past?

3. “The more we connect with those outside the room, the less we connect with the people in the room with us”

Our mobile phones are a brilliant tool for connecting with others, but also a destructive tool if used improperly.

You and I seem to have become extremely addicted to and distracted by our phones. In my experience our relationships and connection with our loved ones can start to suffer.

I’ve made this mistake a lot in the past, but it’s something I’m extremely passionate about not doing now.

I refuse to let it become a bad habit, because I know firsthand how destructive this type of mindless distraction can be.

The more we use our mobile devices to connect with others ‘out there’ on social media, through Whats app etc, the less connected we are to the people who are actually sitting in the room with us. The people who love us like our spouse, partner or kids who deserve most of our quality time and focused attention.

In relationships we might say to each other: “You’re always on your phone”, which may cause arguments.

But what we’re really saying is: “When you’re on your phone it makes me feel like you don’t appreciate me or want to spend time with me, I just want your attention”...

We can actually be sitting in a room next to someone and yet feel alone or disconnected.

Don’t let someone you love feel this way, put the phone down more often and be present with them.

You could choose specific ‘non-distraction’ days or times every week. Put them in place and hold yourself accountable.

If you forget. Set a reminder to go off at a certain time as your signal to shift your attention to your loved ones.

Happy, connected relationships are created by intentionally doing little things like giving people your full attention even if it’s just for a few minutes.

4. “Reality is always kinder than the story we are believing about it”

Overthinking has the ability to make us feel anxious and drains us mentally, emotionally and physically.

Whenever I find myself caught up in overthinking or in a cycle of looping thoughts, I like to give myself this reminder.

“It’s probably not as bad as I’m imagining it to be”.

You and I tend to create stories or beliefs in our own minds that aren’t necessarily true or even helpful.

When it comes to your thoughts there are only two choices:

1. Believe them.

2. Question them.

Let me give you an example:

When I decided that I wanted to start this blog, my initial thoughts were that nobody would want to read it and that my writing isn’t good enough.

It paralysed me and prevented me from launching it for a long time, because I believed my thoughts…

Then I decided to question them like this:

• “Is it true?”

Well no, my Mom and my wife will read it… Ha ha, but seriously it’s probably not true and I’ll never know unless I actually put my work out there to be found by the people who need it.

• “Can I think of any reasons why it might not be true?”

Yes I can…

I’ve received feedback on my writing before, from people who I never even realised had seen my content I was putting out on social media, saying it had helped them.

But I got so caught up in my own fears and negative beliefs about what I was capable of, that I completely forgot about the positive feedback I had received.

Also, I'd be extremely happy if my articles helped just a few people. I don't need everyone to love it.

It just goes to show that we talk and think ourselves out of things all the time. We never actually stop to consider whether or not our beliefs are actually true or whether they’re harming us or helping us.

Write down a thought you usually have when you’re in ‘overthinking mode’, apply these two questions to it and see what answers come up for you.

5. “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm”

When it comes to self-improvement I feel like this is one of the most important lessons You and I will ever learn!

I’ve noticed that most people have a pretty toxic relationship with failure. We are terrified of failing and of not feeling like we’re good enough.

I put my hand up, I certainly have many many times in the past… Always waiting for things to be “perfect” before starting.

Sound familiar?

Aiming at a target or goal and missing or falling short does not define you! It doesn’t make you an inferior human being or brand you as ‘not good enough’.

The people we tend to admire and respect the most are the people who have stumbled, fallen and grazed their knees. Yet kept getting up and trying again.

Failing builds character, it shows you what you still need to work on, it helps you change course if necessary and it forces you to grow.

It’s actually pretty useful… But only if you see it that way.

It also means you’re going after goals that are meaningful and worthwhile, that takes courage.

If you beat yourself up or put yourself down for failing. Then you’re going to be scared to try anything.

This will lead to not living fully and cause regrets as you grow older.

Be willing to try without succeeding every time. Base your self-worth on your willingness to try rather than on achieving the outcome.

Be persistent, be consistent and even if you ultimately fall short of your original goal, you’ll still be further along than when you started.

For example - If you aim for 20 workouts in a month and you only manage 12, you’ve still done 12 and that’s progress.

Don’t let the need for perfection cause you to sit back and do nothing.

Final thoughts

Phew, some big ones in this post I know…

Something I do that has changed my life (and I know it’ll make a huge difference in yours), is reading one or more of these quotes in the morning, to point my thoughts and focus in the right direction for the day.

So that the busyness and stressful situations in life don’t get on top of me.

Feeling better is an intentional thing. Meaning, you need to put specific daily practices in place to make it happen.

If you’re being proactive about the way you feel every day, you’ll be protecting yourself against outside influences like people or situations that stress you out.

Up for a little challenge?

Try reading these quotes / ideas every morning for the next 21 days and see what happens. They have helped me let go of a lot of worry, stress and anxiety in my life.

Hopefully at least one of them resonated with you, made you think or made you feel a bit better today.

What is a quote or piece of advice that’s had the biggest impact on you in your life so far?

Please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 🙂

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