Here’s the situation: in just a few hours, you’ll be giving a critical business presentation. While you have done your best practicing and preparing answers to anticipated questions, you still feel a bit queasy and anxious. So, you head on to your usual coffee shop to order a cup of Joe, hoping to lift your spirits up.
Before the crew even hands your order, you see a big poster plastered on the wall saying, “Sell the problem you solve, not the product.”
You don’t know what it is, but something in your brain lit up like a bulb. That’s it! As a result, your worries were kept at bay and you now look at your presentation through a different lens. You have yet to take a sip of your coffee but it already feels like the day will be a good one.
You may have experienced something similar to the situation. But believe it or not, just stumbling upon an inspirational quote can turn your productivity gears running unintentionally. It may even change the way you look at things, especially when you’re having a bad day.
Generally, men are not accustomed to tying their beliefs in quotes or verses because of the notion that this behavior appeals to the yin or feminine part of their personalities. But the truth is, most men will need something more than a string of words to tug their hearts and be emotional. If anything, quotes can only influence how men think, not what to feel.
So, if you’re still wary of putting up a piece of paper with an inspirational quote on it, you might want to reconsider.
What to Expect?
As a man who hustles on a daily basis, you are bound to experience days of burnout once in a while. But, you don’t need to stay for long in that phase.
In this article, you’ll find a few tips and tricks on how to condition your mind to be more productive rather than busy. Doing so is difficult as it is, but the list of quotes that we have here are easy to follow along.
Without further ado, here are some inspirational quotes that can help you out if you’re in a rut.
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
–Mary Tyler Moore
Actress and humanitarian Mary Tyler Moore was born on December 29, 1936. Also hailed as the Queen of Brooklyn, Moore experienced more than the usual share of ups and downs of life. From her loved ones departing earlier than expected, to having endured bitter life circumstances. Even so, these events did not hinder her from doing humanitarian work and helping out others as much as she can. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
–Albert Einstein
Born on March 14, 1879, the genius Albert Einstein is considered as the most influential physicist of the 20th century. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his discovery of the photoelectric effect. But perhaps his most notable and widely known achievement is the equation E=mc2.
“Nothing lasts forever. Not even your troubles.”
–Arnold H Glasgow
Born as Arnold Henry Glasow in 1905, Arnold H Glasgow is the author of the book “Glasgow’s Gloombusters”. This book contains the archives of his humor literature sold throughout the 60 years of his productive work. His ability to make people laugh made him a regular citation in top magazines like the Wall Street Journal and Reader’s Digest.
“Being strong means rejoicing in who you are, complete with imperfections.”
–Margaret Woodhouse
Margaret Joan Woodhouse possessed one of the skills that an influencer must have—a genuine interest in other people. She even took this skill on a higher level by being a champion of fair dealing and professional work ethic. Woodhouse was born on August 18, 1927 and died of acute asthma on July 12, 1990.
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
–Nora Roberts
Eleanor Marie Robertson, or more popularly known as Nora Roberts, was born on October 10, 1950. She was one of the founders of the Romance Writers of America and was the first inductee of the organization’s Hall of Fame. The American author has published around 225 novels written under her pseudonyms, J.D. Robb, Jill March, and Sarah Hardesty.
“You’re going to fail your way to success, you have nothing to be ashamed of, so keep your head up. It’s much easier to come up with excuses of why you can’t do it. If you do what is easy, your life will be hard.”
–Les Brown
Les Brown was born on February 17, 1945 and has experienced a string of failures before he became successful in his career. Called an educable mentally retarded student in grade school, Les Brown succumbed to the negativity in his early life but managed and excelled in creating a path of his own. Now, he is one of the most renowned and highest-paid motivational speakers in the world.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
–George Bernard Shaw
Born on July 26, 1856, George Bernard Shaw had a profound distaste for any form of organized training or education. He believed that there is so much more knowledge and information that can be taught in spontaneous ways that the confines of organized training can never offer. Using his skills in writing and playwright, his literary works were recognized around the world. In 1925, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
“Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.”
–George Weinberg
The term homophobia was first coined by Geoge Weinberg, a Jewish-American psychologist who was born on May 17, 1929. He was originally a student of mathematics and statistics but later on, decided to become a clinical psychologist. Among his best works is the book “The Society and the Healthy Homosexual”, which was published in 1972. This work came to fruition after he noticed the hostility of his co-workers towards his gay friends.
“The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
–Walt Disney
American filmmaker Walt Disney reached the peak of his popularity through animated cartoon films starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. To let more people enjoy the motion pictures, he planned and built the amusement park Disneyland near Los Angeles in 1955. He was also in the process of building Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida when he met his untimely end. Nevertheless, his legacy lives on and the Disney Company remains one of the world’s largest entertainment corporations.
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”
–Winston Churchill
The proper title for Winston Churchill is The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill. He received his titles in recognition of his efforts as a British Army officer, a statesman, and an author. The highest award he received is the state funeral at St. Paul’s Cathedral, an entitlement that is usually reserved for the British monarch or consort. Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 and died on January 24, 1965.
“Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it.”
–Dennis P. Kimbro
Dennis Kimbro, born on December 29, 1950, was the author of the best-selling book “Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice”. This book was written as a guide to success for black Americans, who are feeling less motivated due to racial issues. Kimbro was awarded the Dale Carnegie Personal Achievement Award and the 2005 H. Naylor Fitzhugh award, for his works as an author, writing partner, and master trainer.
“Winning is not a sometime thing: it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do the right thing once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.”
–Vince Lombardi
The national symbol of single-minded determination to succeed or win was Vincent Thomas Lobardi, also known as Vince Lombardi. He was a professional gridiron football coach and one of his best achievements is with the Green Bay Packers. With his virtues on hard work and winning, along with spartan-inspired training drills and routines, he was able to condition the players for success.
“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
– Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955. He was a college dropout with ever-changing passion projects in his younger years. He experienced Buddhism in India sometime after his stint in Atari. In 1976, he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Inc. Steve Jobs is a visionary, a genius, and a charismatic leader who transformed the playing field of telecommunications with his ideas and execution ushering the company to the summit of success.
“People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
– Rob Siltanen
Rob Siltanen is the man behind Apple’s 2002 campaign slogan, “Think Different”. His manifesto entitled, “To The Crazy Ones” paved the way for a new benchmark in modern advertising. The campaign turned out to be a victorious feat for Apple’s marketing division. “Think Different”, bagged the Grand Effie award for the most effective marketing in America and an Emmy award as the best commercial for that year.
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
– Elon Musk
Tesla, Paypal, and SpaceX are among Elon Reeve Musk’s achievements. Born on June 28, 1971, Elon Musk displayed interest in computers and entrepreneurship during his early years. He was quick to change gears and go through a different path as soon as his gut tells him that something doesn’t feel right. Case in point is when he realized that there are more opportunities on the Internet than in studying Physics in Stanford University.
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
–Maya Angelou
Marguerite Annie Johnson, also known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928. She was an American poet, memoirist and actress who made her mark in the world with the critically-acclaimed book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. On the other hand, her poem, “On the Pulse of the Morning”, also gained attention after she delivered it for a president’s inauguration.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. wishing is not enough; we must do.”
–Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe was born on August 28, 1749 to a bourgeois family in that century. He was considered as the greatest German literary figure of the modern era, although his writings are generally referred to as classical. His work on Faust, a play about a man’s experience selling his soul to the Devil, is probably his best contribution to Germany and world Literature.
“Security is mostly a superstition. life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
–Helen Keller
Hellen Adams Keller was born blind and deaf on June 27, 1880. Even so, she was able to prove that her disabilities can’t stop her from becoming a functional and conscientious member of society. She went on to become an author and an educator and push forward the rights of blind people by giving lectures on behalf of the American Association for the Blind. Becoming an even more inspirational civil rights champion, she was also one of the co-founders of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
–Franklin D. Roosevelt
During the Great Depression and the Second World War, Franklin Delano Roosevelt kept America afloat and was elected four times as president. One of his administration’s achievements is the New Deal, which focused on programs and reforms that helped expand the federal government. On a global scale, Roosevelt was able to wipe off German National Socialism and Japanese militarism. He was born on January 30, 1882 and also goes by Franklin D. Roosevelt or FDR.
“To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.”
– Confucius
Born in 551, the paragon of Chinese sages Confucius helped shape the world through ethical, moral, and social standards embodied in his philosophy called Confucianism. He established four cardinal principles and eight virtues as the foundation of this way of life. Confucianism greatly influenced Chinese culture and is still being practiced today.
The Benefits of Inspirational Quotes
Inspirational quotes can benefit individuals directly or indirectly. Depending on how perceptive the person is and what situation they are currently in, the rewards of these sayings may become more profound.
If you didn’t know, here are some of the benefits that these quotes can give you, aside from inspiration:
- Quotes appeal to the subconscious, so even if you aren’t intentionally thinking about it, something might click at the back of your mind. Clarity, perhaps?
- Inspirational quotes can be words of wisdom or actionable steps that you can do to ease out of a rut. Oftentimes, a quote might save you from procrastinating if it came at the right time and moment.
- Depression is hard to battle but words of affirmation can help keep negativity away, one bad thought at a time.
- In retrospect, something you might have read a while back can make sense in the present. When it does, it almost inevitably leaves you feeling elated and makes your lips curl up into a smile.
- The best thing is that inspirational quotes are free and easy to find! You can even customize its presentation whichever way you find the most appealing. Just make sure that there aren’t too many of them in one place. Otherwise, it will defeat the purpose of using a quote to give you a sense of direction.
A Final Word From The Trending Man
Inspiration is hard to find but quotes about it are scattered around the Internet. It may take you some time to find the quote most relevant to you. But when you do, you are more likely to use it as a reference in times you feel lost or stressed out.
If it helps you clear your mind and ease your thoughts, then you should grab a pen and paper, write the quote, and post it somewhere in your living or workspace. Put up as many as you need and as few as you can get by with. Choose quality over quantity.
