“If it was easy, we’d all be doing it.”
Okay, that doesn’t count as one of our 15 Inspiring Quotes listed below, but it’s a good example of how one little phrase has the power to neutralize a bad situation and turn it into a better one.
Simply hearing, saying, repeating, reading, or writing an inspiring quote or a small nugget of wisdom can have a calming effect and change your entire outlook on the day. At the very least, it can free you from the fear of moving forward or working on the task or goal in front of you.
Some of us have experienced days so debilitating, it makes the task of getting out of bed an utter impossibility. Even if things aren’t quite that bad, at some point we’ll all face a difficult situation that causes a small state of fear that overwhelms us to the point where we can’t do anything but panic.
Those with severe depression, mental disorders, or in addiction recovery are truly facing a more difficult time than many of us. Much of their day is spent facing a difficult situation that takes time and hard work to repair. But the work makes it all worthwhile.
While there are many tools to help during these tough times, successful recovery is best achieved through a mixed approach. Taking the power to recover into one’s own hands doesn’t mean carrying an impossible weight. A simple change in mindset will often do wonders and having a positive perspective can transform almost any dire situation from a hopeless sinkhole into a glorious triumph.
Many well known people have walked the path to recovery from addiction and mental disorders. They’ve been quoted on their inspiring insights into the journey and its gratifying destination. Inspirational quotes can serve as daily mantras posted above a bed or on a desktop as a reminder that recovery is possible.
Below are 15 of our favorite inspiring quotes that may serve as an extra push when the weight of a difficult situation becomes overbearing.
1. The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.
~ Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
2. It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.
~ Charles Darwin
3. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
~ Lao Tzu
4. The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
~ Thomas Paine
5. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.
~ Ayn Rand
6. Recovery from addiction requires hard work, a proper attitude and learning skills to stay sober, not drinking alcohol or using other drugs. Successful drug recovery or alcohol recovery involves changing attitudes, acquiring knowledge, and developing skills to meet the many challenges of sobriety.
~ Dennis Daley, Ph.D.
7. The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
~ Emile Zola
8. Tough times never last, but tough people do.
~Dr. Robert Schuller
9. The power to overcome addiction lies in the belief that it is possible, combined with a consistent strength of spirit.
~ Author Unknown
10. Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
~ Dale Carnegie
11. It’s never too late to be what you might have been.
~ George Eliot
12. A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer.
~ Author Unknown
13. Find out what you’re afraid of and go live there.
~ Chuck Palahniuk
14. Face your fears and doubts, and new worlds will open to you.
~ Robert Kiyosaki
15. You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can be grateful that thorn bushes have roses.
~ Tom Wilson
34 Pieces of Advice About Addiction From Patients in Recovery
Working through an addiction can be so frustrating that it sometimes seems impossible. Even when the skies couldn’t become more clouded and your heart couldn’t be heavier, it’s important to keep in mind that overcoming an addiction is completely within your power. Nobody else can take that power from you.
Remember, though, that positive thoughts are the very first step. You must first allow the negative thoughts to breathe without focusing on them or hiding from them. Then, as your mind calms, introduce positive thoughts and focus on positive words such as inspirational quotes. Even if you don’t believe the positive thoughts at first, think them anyway, and cultivate relationships with positive people who will bring you up, too.
If you’re having a hard time believing Dennis Daley, Ph.D., keep in mind the words of Dale Carnegie. Changing attitudes begins with recognizing that this moment is the only one we have and we aren’t defined by the past whatsoever. We can be empowered by the moment we have now, choosing to respond to it however we wish. This entails choosing positive thoughts, healthier choices, and developing more positive relationships.
Recovery begins when we recognize that we aren’t defined by who we have been, who we think we are, or the habits we’ve picked up along the way. The road to recovery might be a long one, but it’s worth it. Surround yourself by positive people and positive thoughts and you can overcome it!
