“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
I am working on my vision board now. After spending an entire life without any vision or purpose, I realized “The meaning of life is to find YOUR meaning”. And to find meaning in my life, I need to have a vision.
It’s a bit late for me to find a vision at this age but as the saying goes, it’s better late than never. I started slowly working on what I wanted to do with my life and find the true purpose of my life, which is not just a career goal (that’s also a part, but not the only one).
My therapist advised me to create a physical vision board because it will work as a visual reminder. I set on creating a vision board that inspires me. Along with pictures and photos, including a few words from the wise is a good idea to motivate you. Quotes are powerful manifestations of words. They inspire us in many ways.
Working on my vision board I found the following quotes very powerful. If you are working on your vision board, you need to find something that works for YOU. However, if you aren’t sure where to start from, what to include, or if you are feeling absolutely clueless or helpless, these following quotes are great when it comes to motivation and inspiration.
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” — Paulo Coelho
I have experienced this in real life. When I started on my mental health journey over a year ago, I kept on stumbling upon books, articles, journals, quotes, or people who would guide me in the right direction.
The book Alchemist is a soul-searching journey and so is our finding a purpose in life. Writer Kashish Garcha explains the beauty of this famous quote poignantly in this article.
You may or may not believe in this though and that’s fine. However, there is so much strength in believing something from the core of your heart. It’s like believing in god which is so intangible and especially when we don’t even know if in reality there is indeed any god or not.
But the power of prayer and healing is a fact. And it’s also a fact that we don’t have answers to everything.
Now I am not religious and this article is not to argue about your beliefs or disbelief. It’s more about having an open mind. Dr. Mehmet Yildiz writes in this article: “However, I see value in being open minded for possibilities to prove the ideas as right or wrong.”
“We suffer more often in our imaginations than in reality: – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
I cannot agree more. The source of all our stress and anxiety is in our thoughts and imagination. You can control things to a certain extent, but most of the things that are not in our control can give us more stress by worrying about the worst. But what if our worries are just that – worries and they never come true?
In a recent meditation video I watched in the Fitbit app, Dr. Deepak Chopra explains what are the emotions causing stress and how we can replace them with abundance consciousness by feelings of gratitude.
He tells us that we can choose the emotions that we want to experience: “When we start choosing our emotions, choosing our perceptions, and choosing our thoughts, we change our experience of reality moving from separation to unity.”
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
There cannot be a better quote for a person like me who always regrets the past. I am in my middle years now and I keep on pondering what I should have done in my twenties so that my life now would have been completely different. But can we predict our futures? And is there any point in crying over spilled milk?
If you are anything like me and think that your life is all wasted, think twice. As long as you are alive, you still have a chance. No matter what your condition is right now, you have the power to plant a tree.
I find inspiration in my favorite chef and author Julia Child. In her 40s, she was living the life of an expat where she didn’t speak the language (just like me) and learning a new skill – cooking, which she has never tried before. The rest is history.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama.
Thinking of myself as too insignificant has always been a part of me – perhaps because of low self-esteem or lack of self-worth. I am working on my self-worth and realized, I too can make a significant difference – only if I tried.
This speech on YouTube by the Pakistani activist Muniba Mazari is very inspiring. She became disabled in her twenties because of a car accident. However, she has not only overcome her adversity, she is showing the world how to label adversity as an opportunity and disability as differently-abled.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost
These lines are from my very favorite poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. As a child, I remember I would always come up with ideas that were not common, As my school work, I would always write essays or stories that were different. I knew I was different. I accepted that and I feel comfortable being different.
The road that is taken by everyone can be an easy one, but if that is not my calling, I would rather struggle and make my own way, even if the journey is a difficult and lonely one.
I do not wish to fit in and that’s okay. That’s why my bio in Medium is “Why fit in when you were born to stand out” by Dr. Seuss. This is one aspect of my life that I take pride in and I do not wish to change.
Conclusion
If you are on a journey to find your meaning in life, I hope any of these quotes help you find your meaning. But even if it doesn’t, just remember, you are not alone. You will stumble, but that’s part of the dance.
I wish you every success on your journey and thank you for reading this.
