"Many arguments and conflicts come about because we are so sure of our own thoughts and perceptions." — Thich Nhat Hanh How to Fight
"False: When things change, I will be happy. True: When I’m happy, things will change." — Kyle Cease
"Optimism is a choice." — Unknown
"If you spent less time bitching about your life, you’d possibly enjoy it more." — Unknown
"We human beings are all the same in wanting to be happy and not wanting to suffer and yet many of the problems we face are of our own making. We seek happiness in external things without realizing that they don’t help when we have problems within. We need to focus instead on the joy that comes with peace of mind that allows us to remain happy whatever happens." — Dalai Lama
"Expectation is the cause of all disappointment." — Unknown
"The biggest issue you face is your own mind (you’re not alone in this) and the stories it tells you about your perceived problems. But the problems themselves are not as big as you feel they are. It’s the narrative around them that is most oppressive. You’ve been listening to K-FUKT. Change the station." — Lena Dunham Lennyscope, September 2016
"When we would start complaining as kids, my dad would ask us: “Do you want to have a good time or do you want to have a bad time?” It’s a simple question, but it’s always felt profound to me, this idea that I could reframe reality. That having a good time was about deciding to, and that when things went badly, I didn’t have to go with them." — Steph Wright Oru Kayak, "Go Anyway"
"Internal reflection was more important than external appearance; personal growth took precedence over material acquisition." — Dick Dorworth Climbing Fitz Roy, 1968, "Viva los Funhogs"
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Anger, resentment, envy, and self-pity are wasteful reactions. They greatly drain one’s time. They sap energy better devoted to productive endeavors." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
"It’s not a competition. If you must compete, do so only with the person you were yesterday." — Peggy Dean Peggy Dean's Guide to Nature Drawing and Watercolor
"Comparison is the biggest thief of joy." — Unknown
"There are things you can’t control, so you’d better know how you’re going to react to them." — Laurence Gonzales Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
"People love to blame a place for their own failures." — Jedidiah Jenkins To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
"It wasn’t about winning. It was about fighting. Continuing the project of improvement. The intention and effort was what built character. Not success." — Jedidiah Jenkins To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
"In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important." — 11th Doctor Doctor Who, "A Christmas Carol"
"Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it." — Vincent Van Gogh
"If you want to be someone who is brave, live with courage. If you want to be someone who is honest, tell the truth. If you want to be someone who is strong, do something that requires strength. Do those things and therefore become the kind of person who would do them. Wishing or aspiring to be a certain way does nothing. You must act. You must act that way until you are that way." — Carolyn Highland Out Here: Wisdom from the Wilderness
"It turns out there is a difference between wanting to be something and wanting to become something. Wanting to be something indicates a hope that somehow you will be struck by lightning and suddenly be that thing you wanted to be. Wouldn’t it be nice if I were suddenly, somehow, more outgoing, more confident. Hoping to be something is passive, and passivity gets you nowhere. Being is a state, and becoming is a process. And to be, you must become. Becoming requires work. Becoming requires action. Becoming means deciding you’re going to achieve something and taking real quantifiable steps in that direction." — Carolyn Highland Out Here: Wisdom from the Wilderness