“When we all part from this life and gather on the other side, the only thing each of us will have to share is his own story.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Death lurks in the shadows, just out of view.
Now and then I see his reaching hand, uncertain of the blurry image that passes before my eyes, but conscious of the crippling influence of his touch.
Some say Death rears an ugly head, so hideous a view the beholder can scarcely gasp their last breath. Others call him beautiful, a sweet relief to look upon. But these are rumors babbled by the unknowing. For Death is like the gorgon, Medusa, who when perceived, turns the body to stone.
Those who know Death take the knowledge of his shadowed face with them to wherever it is he leads our dearly departed by the hand. All who are left behind must wait their turn to glance into the eyes of the one who will close our mouths forever.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“I believe life is an education meant to teach us the need to be better people. And I believe this learning often takes place through trial and error which may mean being an awful person at times before clearly seeing and grasping the necessity to improve. If you don't agree with me, just ask Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge. I think Charles Dickens got it quite right.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“People will insist on building high and wide barriers directly in your path, often with the intent of closing you in. If you treat these obstacles like fencing walls, they will prove mightily so. I choose to see them as grand towers meant to be scaled and conquered, providing an added victory as well as a great view of the journey ahead.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Life can seem like a gloomy wait in the thick of black shadows.
And still there are those who smile at the darkness, anticipating the beauty of an eventual sunrise.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“We are all imperfect, clumsy, struggling works in progress.”
Source: Hope Evermore: Quotes, Verse, & Spiritual Inspiration for Every Day of the Year
“Your life isn't some prerecorded movie where, no matter how many times you watch it, the ending remains the same. Your life is a book in progress, and you are the author. So if you don't care for the main character or the gloomy scenery or how the twisted plot is unfolding, then do something to change it. You write your own story.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Your life is not a simulation; it's the real game. Play wisely.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“Life is determined to introduce you to your true self. Be kind.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“How do I know I have lived?
How can I be certain my days were not squandered?
What criteria, which principles qualify life as lived?
Certainly, I have endured trials and troubles, and I learned from life’s lessons. I grew wise as well as empathetic. But is edification and its accompanying traits the ultimate aim for living?
I have traveled. Oh, I have seen marvelous wonders in this world. Skies that were artic blue, emerald green, soft lilac, and rosy red. Mountains fixed like monuments to the gods. Waters as clear as crystal, as blue as larimar, deeper than a leviathan’s lair, and as vast as the night’s sky. I have witnessed pyramids and castles, colosseums, great walls, and temples. Is this living? To travel, to see, to awe at the world’s aesthetic wonders?
I have experienced great joys in my days: laughter, kindness, fun, love, thrills, successes. I have suffered a great many sorrows: sickness, loss, pain, cruelty, vengeance, disparagement. I have valued the good and abhorred the bad. Is this the ultimate feat of living?
I have been actively doing: from sailing to flying, acting to singing, hiking to biking. I have dived, danced, drummed, battled, built, raced, and used my incredible body to perform every activity I desired. I gained strength and endurance in the process. Is this a sure sign of living?
I have been part of a family and raised my own. I have formed lasting, loyal friendships that have passed the test of time. I have felt what it means to sacrifice for loved ones, shared in their joys and sorrows, prayed for tender mercies and miracles in their lives. I have loved and been loved in return. Is it connection to family and friends, the relationships developed between kindred, is this what it means to truly live?
How do I know I have lived?
As my days near an end, how can I be certain my life was worthwhile and not wasted? Did I accomplish what life mandates of those who truly live?
What qualifies life as lived?”
Source: A Heart Made of Tissue Paper
“Live your day and live it well. It's yours whether you want it or not.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“While 'Once upon a time' may be a great way to start a story, 'Here in the moment' is the best way to live one.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“We live that we might have experience; that through it we might gain wisdom, compassion, faith, and inner strength.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life is too hard to maintain a constantly serious outlook. You have to laugh at yourself and the world now and then―see humor in undesirable circumstances, even harsh situations―or you will either rot from the inside or go stark-raving mad. Humor is power against the worst oppression. It lightens heavy burdens; it allows one to smile while in agony; it eases excruciating pains. In short, humor makes the intolerable tolerable.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“You may think you've hit rock bottom in your life but guess what—there's more crud underneath those rocks.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“You were born to author your own story. This includes editing the bad parts. Go back. Repent. Climb where you fell. Joy where you sorrowed. Mend what you tore. Heal where you harmed. Speak where you were silent. Sing and laugh and dance where life once snatched your pen and scribbled black, ugly marks in your book. Buy new ink and print beautiful poetry over all the ugly parts.”
Source: Hope Evermore: Quotes, Verse, & Spiritual Inspiration for Every Day of the Year
“To laugh continually is to never laugh at all. For it takes the periodic sound of sorrow from which to distinguish the sound of joy.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“There are an abundance of things in my life that I would not have picked out for me, yet I value those items, experiences, customs, and memories because they were given to me by someone I love.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“I believe the main purpose of life is to accept with gratitude what you've been blessed with so that you may use those gifts to mold yourself into the best person you can possibly be. Learning to discern things of true value from those of little or no worth is part of the process.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“Some live for their own joy and pleasure.
Some live to ease the burdens of others.
Then there are those who seem to exist for pain's sake only, that in the end the wrathful fire sent to consume their oppressors will be justified."
~ In loving memory of Miss Annabelle Fancher”
Source: Secrets of a Noble Keykeeper
“One way or another, I think we are all destined to learn the same lessons in life. Universal truths are universal truths. They cannot be changed.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“Love is donating a chunk of your life to patch up holes in the life of another.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life has me trapped in a cocoon of earth where I must grow and change until the day I sprout wings. And on that day I shall burst free, no longer marooned on a pebble of dust in a universe that only waits for me to find a means to fly.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life isn't a lazy cruise on some endless, calm, and temperate sea. Life is a raging ocean with swells and tidal waves that wreck and sink your boat. Life is a series of storms―overcast skies, fierce winds, and pelting rain. You were meant to be immersed in it all―first to float, then swim, and eventually to walk on water.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“I'm starting to think this world is just a place for us to learn that we need each other more than we want to admit.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“Life is not what happens to us; it is what we perceive has happened to us.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“You can't make me be nice.
You can't make me be good.
You can't make me believe.
But your example, your kindness, your patience and love will affect me perhaps enough that eventually I may choose to do those things.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“You can believe what you've been told. You can imagine in vivid detail the things explained to you. You may even feel emotions assumed to accompany the related experience. But you absolutely cannot know something with any real degree of understanding until you've personally walked the road yourself.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“If looking back on life, you have no regrets, no disappointments, no mistakes, no dark days—things from which you have learned, grown, improved, and strengthened—then what good has life done you?”
Source: Hope Evermore: Quotes, Verse, & Spiritual Inspiration for Every Day of the Year
“Every brush stroke on the canvas, every dab of color introduced, the fine textures impressed in the paint—this accumulation of many small acts combines to shape a final work of art. And so it is with life; each step, each deed, each brief choice builds gradually, day by day, to shape both character and destiny.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“Life is not about having perfect days. Life is not about handling days perfectly. Life is about perfecting one’s character through the having and handling of every given day.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life is a character-building opportunity that we all volunteered for.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“Life is a test. It was designed to be so. It is where we taste the bitter and the sweet; where we feel pain and pleasure; where we learn right from wrong; where we pass through both darkness and light. It is a time to make choices. And through this process we form our characters—some grand and glorious, some barely decent, and others just plain monstrous.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“The bulk of life is discovering who you are—and then reconciling that with who you wish you were.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Had life not given me reasons to grieve, I would never have known the healing power of a hug.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“God cries for us in the same way we cry for others. His tears most often spill over for the pain and suffering caused from the mortal misuse of a gift called agency. He will not revoke the gift. It was promised to us for the duration of our time on Earth. But He will hold each one of us accountable in the end for how we applied this power of agency.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“I know you would like to blame the world, but the fact is that life is an 'up to you' thing.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Have you ever been too old, too young, too big, too small, too smart, too dumb?
Have you ever been too fat, too thin, too shy, too loud, too slow to win?
Have you ever been too scared to try, too small to play, too young to die?
Have you ever been too weak to fight, too little yet, or not quite right?
Have you ever been too dark, too light, too black, too brown, too red, too white?
Have you ever been put off ’til last, the odd man out, the jerk they sassed?
Have you ever been the one black sheep, the naughty child, the nerdy geek?
Have you ever been the butt of jokes, the timid soul, the oddest folk?
Have you ever been left out of fun, forgotten when the day is done?
Have you ever been afraid to lose? Afraid to try? Afraid to choose?
Have you ever been too rich, too poor, too venturesome, or just a bore?
Have you ever had no clue at all? Nowhere to go? No one to call?
Have you ever been without a friend? Have you ever wished the day would end?
Have you ever had the biggest nose, the longest arms, the funny toes?
Have you ever had the flattest chest? Have you ever had the biggest breasts?
Have you ever prayed your luck would change? Have you ever felt your life was strange?
Have you ever wished for something more, or something less than what you were?
If you have ever felt this way, you're one of us I’m here to say.
We've all been there a time or two because we're human, me and you.
We've all felt different in some way because we are, and that’s okay.
We've all been hurt; we've all been scarred. That's life. And frankly, life is hard.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“Man is dust.
Rue is rain.
Life is mud.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life is the season for loving and caring,
for laughing and caroling, giving and sharing.
Christmas is meant for the same, people say,
which makes life like Christmastime every day.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“You'll be hard-pressed to reach your goals if you don't map out where you're going. Take time to navigate your life.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Life is a fierce duel with emotions and a slow war with psychology.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life isn't all grand, but it isn't all miserable either. There's both sweet and sour in every day. So why focus on the ugly when you can gaze at what's beautiful? Concentrate on the good.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“There would be no cloud-nine days without rock-bottom moments left below.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Not every day is awful.
Not every day is good.
Despite the way the hours pass,
I’m living like I should.
Not every day is all wrong.
Not every day is right.
At least I’m not a spider trying
to scamper out of sight.
Not every day is ideal.
Not every day is bad.
At any rate I have my senses,
even if they’re mad.
Not every day is happy.
Not every day is glum.
When melancholy drags me down,
a simple tune I hum.
Not every day I smile.
Not every day I frown.
With effort, I can take a scowl
and turn it upside down.
Not every day is crazy.
Not every day is sane.
If consequence nips at my heels
I don’t pass on the blame.
Not every day is giddy.
Not every day is blah.
Yet I can still appreciate
a giggle and guffaw.
Not every day is timid.
Not every day is proud.
I may not be a dragon, but
I roar about as loud.
Not every day has rainbows.
Not every day has rain.
Despite the fact I’m stiff and sore,
I’m not in chronic pain.
On every day the sun shines,
so every night I pray
that I might see the morning light
and live another day.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Minutes turn into hours
that add up to days
amounting to weeks
that become months
melting into years
accumulating for decades
to pile up for centuries
and ultimately form minutes again―
just on a grander, divine scale.”
Source: Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
“Have you noticed how children never bypass a puddle of water, but jump, splash, and slosh right through it? That's because they know an important truth: Life was meant to be lived; puddles were meant to be experienced.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year
“If life is a stage and you are your own agent, then don’t hesitate to play the character you wish to play.”
Source: Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
“Life can surround you with music, with books, with talents, with teachers, with all types of materials for opportunity. Life will not, however, make you sing or read or work or learn. Though the books are provided, you still must read them. Though the music plays, you still must sing along. People come and go, but you must reach out and make them your friends. Education is available, but you must study and learn. Life will not force you to take advantage of the opportunities around you. Life will not make you work to learn, to develop, to progress as required until you succeed. In the simplest terms, life pours water into your glass but it will not drink for you. You, and you alone, must pick up the cup and take a sip.”
Source: Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
“Life is just repeated attempts at trying to do better.”
Source: Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year