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50 Times That People Spoke Words So Profound, They Literally Changed Lives
The old saying “The pen is mightier than the sword” is testament to the true power of words. While there are many ways to influence and inspire a person, few are more effective than a well chosen anecdote or piece of advice.
Reddit user AWWWshetz asked a question on the AskReddit Subreddit, and the responses collected are a list of occasions when words were so powerful, they literally changed lives. These nuggets of wisdom really strike a chord, and we are sure there are a few in there that will inspire you too! Scroll down below to check them out for yourself, and upvote your favorite ones! (Cover image: Pablo Manriquez I Facebook cover image: whatleydude)
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#1
I was 13 years old, trying to teach my 6 year old sister how to dive into a swimming pool from the side of the pool. It was taking quite a while as my sister was really nervous about it. We were at a big, public pool, and nearby there was a woman, about 75 years old, slowly swimming laps. Occasionally she would stop and watch us. Finally she swam over to us just when I was really putting the pressure on, trying to get my sister to try the dive, and my sister was shouting, "but I'm afraid!! I'm so afraid!!" The old woman looked at my sister, raised her fist defiantly in the air and said, "So be afraid! And then do it anyway!"
That was 35 years ago and I have never forgotten it. It was a revelation -- it's not about being unafraid. It's about being afraid and doing it anyway.
#2
"Don't be a d*ck to your dog. He's a few years of your life, but you are all of his"
Bored Birgit 6 years ago
Be thankful for every animal that shares its life with you and treat it well.
#3
I met a person who was in a wheelchair. He related a story about how a person once asked if it was difficult to be confined to a wheelchair. He responded, "I'm not confined to my wheelchair - I am liberated by it. If it wasn't for my wheelchair, I would be bed-bound and never able to leave my room or house. "
Amazing perspective.
River Smith 6 years ago
this isn't "glass half full" thinking. it's how he moves around! you walking isn't "positive thinking", it's just how you get around. he isn't making light of his situation because it isn't bad, and people shouldn't feel pity towards him because he doesn't move the same way they do
#4
My mom was dying. A friend told me "you have your whole life to freak out about this-- don't do it in front of her. "
It really helped me to understand that my feelings are not always what's important. It IS possible to delay a freakout, and that skill has served me innumerable times.
Leopoldo Pisanello 6 years ago
“- Some day, we will all die, Snoopy. - True, but on all the other days, we will not.” ― Charles M. Schulz
#5
When I was 38 I contemplated beginning a two year Associates Degree in Radiography. I was talking to a friend and had almost talked myself out of doing it. I said "I'm too old to start that. I'll be 40 when I get my degree." My friend said "If you don't do it, you'll still be 40, but without the degree." I'm nearly 60 now, and that degree has been the difference between making a decent living, and struggling to get by.
#6
When I was young and having what I thought was a serious relationship talk with my first real SO, I told her that I just wanted to find the right person.
Without missing a beat she said, "Everybody is looking for the right person, and nobody is trying to be the right person."
That stopped me in my tracks.
#7
A friend of the family's five year-old child died in a freak accident, where the father had just left the room for a minute to go to the bathroom, and the child climbed on top of the TV, and it toppled and crushed him. The family was in pieces, and the father undeservedly blamed himself for the death of his child. I remember telling my dad, a stoic man who has only said he loves me maybe three times in his life, that this is a reason that I don't know if I want children. I don't think I could handle something like this.
His response was: Even one minute with you in my life is worth whatever pain I would feel if you had died.
To hear that from him really showed me how strong that bond can be, even if a parent doesn't show it openly, and changed my mind about wanting children.
#8
"Think of a time you were embarrassed, easy right? Now think of a time someone else was embarrassed. It's a lot harder to do isn't it?" I don't really worry about being embarrassed anymore if no one but I will remember it!
#9
After getting rejected by a bunch of colleges in the same week, my dad (who is a writer) said "I was rejected by Stanford three times, and now my books are in their library. You've got to be better than them."
#10
As a child, my duty was to empty the dishwasher.
I was something like 10, that day. I was always trying to do that fast, so I had more time to play SMB on my NES.
Only my dad was home, gardening. I grabbed the coffee pot that was in the dishwasher and it slipped off my hand, to broke loudly in pieces on the floor.
I was ashamed and afraid of my dad's reaction. Like a lot. He was (and still is) a nice guy, but for me it was like a big mistake, and for my child brain, this pot was worth a lot of money. He would be mad.
It took all my courage to go see my dad and tell him, but I did. I was almost crying of shame, while still having the handle of the pot in my hand, as a proof.
My dad, calmly looked at me, and said "Breaking something happens when you work, that's ok, don't worry".
It's silly, but I think of that almost every day. It's okay to make mistake, at least you are trying to do something.
Thanks dad!
Rainbow screen 6 years ago
“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” -Bob Ross. I just wanted to bring this up...
#11
Next year, you'll wish you had started today.
#12
I'm the oldest of three kids. I'm older than my little brother by 2.5 years and my little sister by 9.5.
When I was about fourteen or so, arguing with my dad in private about something I don't remember, he, being the second-oldest of eight kids, told me:
"Any decision you make in this household, you make three times. Once when you make it, once when your brother makes the same decision after watching you do it, and once when your sister makes the same decision after watching you and your brother do it. How you treat your brother will tell him how he can treat your sister; and how you treat your sister tells her how she will expect to be treated for the rest of her life, even as far as her future boyfriends."
That kinda shook me up and made me rethink my role as the oldest child; I started taking my responsibilities as the role model a lot more seriously after that. Even when you aren't trying to actively influence those around you, those who look up to and respect you will still base their decisions, in part, on how they've seen you handle similar situations. If you break down and get stressed and angry when something inconvenient happens, they'll feel better doing the same when something similarly small happens to them. But if you keep your cool in a dire situation and under a lot of stress, it can inspire them to believe they can do the same.
Cerys Dunbar 6 years ago
this is so true im the youngest with three elder siblings i remember i was 5 and got asked who my role model was without thinking i said "my brothers" i still worship what they say and how they act to this day.
#13
"How would it make you feel?"
It's the sentence that changed my stance on gay marriage. Without context, that seems silly, but I'll offer up a shortened version. I grew up in suburban STL to conservative Christian parents (and they weren't remotely tolerant) and pretty much never left my comfort bubble. I moved to Kansas City when I was 20 to finish college. My roommate was good friends with a gay couple, and this was my first encounter with gay people (that I knew of, which was ignorant. There's no way it was my first). Inevitably, we got into a debate, and they basically went into a tirade about how much it sucks to constantly be berated and made fun of, and how it sucks to be treated unfairly because of something they can't control. I reverted to the classic "it's a choice!" line of thinking. They responded with "why would we f*cking choose this for ourselves? Why would we choose to constantly be made fun of, to constantly be judged, and constantly be denied rights? How would it make YOU feel?" It was pretty much that exact moment when I, who I consider to be a logical person, realized I was being an illogical asshole and that I was just regurgitating the sh*t I picked up from being raised in a conservative Christian household. From that moment on, I start undoing all of the programming in my mind from years of living in a sheltered environment. My views have since changed on nearly everything, from gay marriage to abortion to religion. One sentence from one conversation with two gay men changed me in a huge number of ways, and now I scoff at the idea that you can't change someone's mind about these things.
Dian Ella Lillie 6 years ago
This is a wonderful story of acquired understanding. If only it was much more common than it is - most people are happier to hold onto their biases than they are to let them go...
#14
My mom was in a nursing home, recovering from a heart attack (a battle she eventually lost). She had struggled with depression in her life, and this was hitting her very hard. She had worked in nursing homes, and hated them. I spent hours a day with her, and some days were better than others. I pushed her a lot, encouraging a positive outlook, and patience. Patience with herself, her situation, the staff, everything.
I started taking in some headphones, thinking maybe music would cheer her up. So one afternoon I'm sitting next to her bed, and she's listening to my iPhone, and tears just start running down her face. I pulled the headphones off her and started asking her what was wrong. Asking her not to cry. She looked at me and smiled like a mother looking at her son, and simply asked me "what if that's what I need right now? To cry?" Then she pulled the headphones back on.
Through all the pain and chaos of the last few years, that really stuck with me. What if sometimes, you don't need to focus on the positive. You don't need to smile, and bear it. Sometimes you just need to cry.
BusLady 6 years ago
Crying releases hormones that suppress the stress hormone cortisol. So crying is a good thing.
Laugh Fan 6 years ago
Yup, makes you feel better. Though the horror in the mirror afterwards... Yikes!!
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Naima Ivansdóttir 6 years ago
sometimes you desperately need to embrace and accept your pain. make some room for it and just go with the flow. mandatory for your mental health. :)
Michelle Dodson 6 years ago
Absolutely! We need to allow ourselves to feel - even if it's unpleasant.
Kathleen Hansford 6 years ago
Sometimes you need people to just accept that you feel terrible and that you're not able to just 'be positive'. Sometimes crying, yelling, throwing (non-breakable) things can all help more than shutting that pain away behind a smile.
Tiny Dancer 6 years ago
Indeedy, that's been my unwritten mantra for years! In my 50s now, I have a 30-year-old autistic son and a husband battling throat cancer (in remission, yeah, but still suffering radiation and chemo side effects). Every day is an acting feat of putting on a happy face and doing my best to keep everyone else up and positive. Once every month or so, when I have the place to myself and no outside commitments, I just lie down in bed and let it all flow. All the anger, all the frustrations, all the hurt just pours down my face. A good ugly cry, you know? I think we can all use a good ugly cry now and then. It cleanses the soul's palate. Ooo, that's good, someone write that down ;-)
Crochet lady 6 years ago
I live in daily pain and as a result suffer from depression which is pretty natural. There are days when I can just tell I need a good cry and it's almost like hitting a reset button. It can be a great stress reliever.
Tyler Cook 6 years ago
Reminds me of the scene from Inside Out https://youtu.be/QT6FdhKriB8?t=30s
Django Stewart 6 years ago
THIS NEEDS TO BE ON TOP!!! This is one of those inspirational sayings that goes against the cheezy ones. You can't always look on the bright side, and you can't always be happy, and you have to cry, to rage to explode. This is a lesson I've been teaching myself recently, after a friendship got toxic due to me bottling things up.
Mika N 6 years ago
This had been such a valuable lesson for me over the past few months, as I reach 2 years trying unsuccessfully for a baby. I'm learning its ok to go there, to look honestly at your grief and feel it, process it, acknowledge it. I thought it would drown me if I did that, but it tends to be a relief, then I feel more ok, and can move forward to other things in life.
Anouk 6 years ago
This! So this! Sometimes you can't fix things. Sometimes you can't keep your chin up and put on a happy face. Sometimes you just need to cry. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It can be cleansing and cathartic, like a storm after a heavy hot day. It freshens the air and allows you took at things in a new light, washing some of the weight away.
Meliisa Ao 5 years ago
Thanks for this. I am going through the exact same with my mom...including having her listen to my iPhone on headphones when I visit her at night.
Josie Coffman 5 years ago
I love this one, because somedays this is what i relly need, but can not do.
Nicklas Linder 6 years ago
So true. I've taught my children that they can always cry if they feel the need. I never tell them to stop, because I'd be negating their emotions.
Linda Brown 6 years ago
Yes, they say that the older people who listen to music, seem to come out of their shell when they start listening to music. If they haven't been speaking they even start speaking a bit.
Mr. Re-in-act-ment 6 years ago
My parents hate it when i cry about things changing. Now this is a reason: so my grandparents moved away You just cant hold it all in sometimes
igetboredeasily 6 years ago
my partner told me the same thing a few months after she lost her mom...
KT Trondsen 6 years ago
Yes, its healthy and cleansing to have a cry out sometimes in life. Let it all out.
Martina Třešková 6 years ago
I have been using sad songs and movies to ventilate for years :) I once realized that when I give into it, no matter how silly the "reason" (scene, lyrics, whatever) might seem at the moment, it helps you ventilate something that's bottled up inside and that could burst out in the worst time otherwise. Every now and then I even give into a crazy sad fantasy, while having a bath or something. When I come back from it, it makes me even happy because I realize it was just a fantasy. Since I started to do this, I pretty much never cried in any tough situation and if you asked my younger self, she wouldn't believe that. I used to be a crybaby.
Fester Sixonesixonethree 6 years ago
When I was recovering from a clinical depression I allowed myself 5 minutes each day to wallow in self pity. I actually set the timer. It helped.
Binxyminxem 6 years ago
It sounds like you and your mum had a loving close relationship, which is wonderful. Sometimes I think a good cry is good, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it in front of just anyone.
#15
I recently got married earlier this year, and obviously our marriage is far from perfect. We argue, and disagree, and sometimes can't stand to be around each other. I grew up in a very hostile environment and having an arguement with a family member was awful. Personal attacks were always used, instant anger, and no mutual understanding was ever to be had. It was always about who was right and how to make them feel bad. When I got married, I quickly noticed that my fighting habits were toxic for our relationship, and my husband said something to me that I use in every relationship I have. He told me, "It's not You Vs Me, love. It's You and Me Vs Problem. We are always a team." It's helped me overcome some serious rifts in my personal relationships and I will never forget it.
#16
Everyone you meet knows something you don't." My grandfather told me this, and it's been a good reminder that I am surrounded by teachers.
#17
This is a bit lengthy, but changed my life. Not just the way I think. When I was young my father abandoned me twice as a child. I grew up to be a very angry and depressed young man. I truly hated him for it. In high school, I had this amazing teacher. He helped me, and so many others, in so many ways. But one day he asked me something. He asked "You hate him right?" I said yeah. He said "And he deserves it right?" And, again, I said yes. Then he then he said "Do you think he feels any of your hatred for him?" I thought for a few seconds and answered "No. He probably doesn't." And then he said "But you feel all of it. And you don't deserve that. It's time to forgive the man. Not because he deserves it. But because you do.". He was completely right. I forgave my father, and over time have built up an incredibly close relationship with the man. And I could neve have gotten to this point without my teacher.
Mika N 6 years ago
In this case his forgiveness led to a renewed relationship, but forgiveness doesn't always need to equal that outcome. You can forgive (including a choice to let go of negative feelings or any desire for revenge or proving yourself to them) but still acknowledge it if they're toxic and not allow them back into your life. Forgiveness shouldn't always mean reconciliation. To me it essentially means giving up your claim on them which says they must make it right. That usually won't happen so you'll just be waiting in bitterness.
#18
"You know you're an adult when you can be right without proving the other person wrong."
#19
In terms of love and romance, the truth is, the only person you know you're definitely spending the rest of your life with is you.
Everything else is simply not guaranteed -no matter how much you believe in “true love” and all that it entails. People die. People leave. People change their minds. When all is said and done, you end up with yourself. So you better f*cking like who that is. In fact, you better LOVE who that is. Work everyday to be your best self. And don't let ANYONE EVER define who you are without your permission.
criminalgirl 6 years ago
I don't get moved by inspirational speeches, I'm too cynical, but the above is exactly on the money. I'm old enough to believe this is absolutely correct. Well saic.
#20
"You're going to die one day. We all are. Do everything you want to do. Don't wind up on your death bed one day thinking of all the things you didn't do because assholes might have an asshole opinion about it. They're just jealous anyways."
~ My grandpa at 89 years old; a few months before he died 12 years ago.
And that's the real quote. It was on video.
#21
"You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm".
Really hit home for me, since I grew up trying to mediate my parents' issues and had multiple friends in and out of the ER for mental health crises during my teen years, among other things. As someone who spent the majority of her life feeling like she had to take care of others at all costs, it was kinda a shock to the system to hear that I was allowed to have my limits even with people who truly needed help.
Teresa Anthony 6 years ago
Yes, I agree with this. To whoever doesn't have limits when it comes to helping people, stop. Be kind to yourself too. You won't be able to keep helping others if you neglect and hurt yourself. It happened to me.
#22
People won't remember the words you say but how it made them feel.
Katja Pirjevec 6 years ago
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou
#23
My old boss, the CEO of a small hospital, told me a story from back when he was a lab technician (for simplicity, let's call him Dan). Dan had forgotten to check some sort of mechanism on a piece of equipment he used, it malfunctioned and broke the equipment which ended up having around a $250,000 repair bill. The next day Dan's boss called him in to talk about it, and he was sure he was going to be fired. His boss asked him why he didn't do a proper check, made sure he understood what happened and sent him back to work. Dan asked him "Am I not getting fired? I was almost sure that's what this was about." His boss said "No way, I just spent $250,000 teaching you a lesson you'll never forget. Why would I fire you now?"
It seems silly, but that attitude always resonated with me. Don't make professional decisions based on emotional responses. Always know what your goal is when dealing with someone, and what exact problem you are trying to solve. Everyone makes mistakes, and yelling at them just makes them resent you and become defensive. Being calm and understanding will make people look up to you.
#24
My dad was/is a deacon of a church, and one part of his duties was to visit with people in retirement homes and bring them communion. He couldn't go one day, and he asked me (I was in high school at the time) to go in his place.
Perhaps obviously, with me being young and the people in the homes being elderly, age was a frequent topic of conversation. One old man told me, "the hardest thing about getting old is running out of people who understand you." That is, each generation has a unique way of looking at the world and what it means to be alive in it, and as new generations come and redefine what the world is, one's world gets smaller and smaller as there are fewer people around who understand your world in the same way.
We are all marching toward obsolescence. I think I became much more of a realist that day.
#25
"Education is expensive, but no education is more expensive". Definitely took school more seriously after someone said that to me.
Mika N 6 years ago
That can be true, depending on what your education is in and if you're trying for the most affordable options. There are some options for education which don't always include college, and if you're wiling to put in the "expense" of time and commitment it may be more worth it in the end and save you lots of debt. You just need to weigh carefully what's right for your goals.
#26
"There will be something you hate in every job. The trick is finding a job where you love the good parts enough to make up for the crappy parts."
That might sound like a dumb one to list here, but whenever I have problems related to work (which seems to be where I need most of my motivation) I like to think back on this and take a deep breath. It's ok to hate where you are sometimes. The trick is to remind yourself what else you like, and power through.
#27
"Depression presents itself in the guise of rational thought." Said by my uncle.
#28
"Shouting a person into silence does not mean you have shouted them into agreement."
Forgot who originally said this, so I cannot give proper credit.
#29
"I learned to give... not because I have too much. But because I know how it feels to have nothing."
#30
"It's only embarrassing if you're embarrassed." Changed my life forever.
#31
'Your job will never love you."
It made me really reconsider being so emotionally invested in it.
#32
My dad once gave me and my brother each a dollar out of nowhere. I scoffed and said "Dad its just a dollar, you keep it." He got really mad and said "Never try to give anything back that someone gives you. It could be all they have to give and a huge sacrifice to them." I felt like such a dick. And I could really use that dollar right now.
Lynda Gene Rymond 5 years ago
When I was putting myself thrucollege in the 80's, I had an elderly relative that would send me encouraging cards from time to time, and maybe once a year, include a $5 bill "so I could treat myself to some McDonalds if they have them in California." The dear lady rarely left her house let alone her small town, and that $5 meant she had gone without some necessity to provide me with a treat. I always carried it with me for a while and spent it on some little luxury - not McD's - and think of my Aunt Anna with such love.
#33
There is no harder, only hard.
Helped me to realize that it doesn't matter if someone's problems are bigger or smaller than mine. At some point, everyone goes through the hardest thing they've ever had to deal with.
Suzi Gauthier 6 years ago
My sister & I have discussed this. So many people seem to be in a contest for whose problems are the worst, but the worst thing that has happened to you is the worst thing that has happened to you.
#34
When I was a young kid and did really well on some tests at school I came home and boasted about it. "Mom! Guess what?! I'm really really smart!"
Mom: "So what are you going to do about it?"
It's been 20 years and I still don't know the right answer to that question.
#35
Having grown up somewhat poor, I was always insecure when going to nice places...felt out of place and not as good as the other people there.
Out on a date at a nice restaurant once and the guy I was with said something along the lines of, "You're paying for your meal just like everyone else here...You deserve to be here just as much as they do."
I still get insecure sometimes, but I always think back to this and feel instantly better about myself.
#36
We're all tired, we all just want to sit on our couch in front of our TV's. But that's not living, man.
-My buddy, when I told him I didn't want to go out because I'd had a long day.
This is a philosophy I live by now. My life is so much better for it.
Suzi Gauthier 6 years ago
Getting away from TV has really enriched my life. One day I just thought, why am I getting so emotionally involved in fake people's fake lives? I still watch a few things, but turning on the TV is no longer one of the the first things I do when I get home.
#37
"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but, when we look back everything is different..." - C.S Lewis
#38
On the subject of healthy eating/losing weight etc; a bald and muscly gay man once said to me... "Don't treat yourself with food, you are not a dog."
#39
I rather live a life of 'oh wells' than 'what ifs?'
#40
"Never point out your flaws. Let others figure them out on their own."
#41
When I was 19/20 my mum started taking out loans to build houses abroad, which I thought was a silly and expensive waste of money but she told me it had always been her dream to own land/be a landlady. Which I thought was strange considering she was a nurse and she'd never once mentioned it in all the years I'd known her.
A few months later it dawned on me that it had coincided perfectly with the time my younger sister (who was the lastborn) had left the house to go off to school. Now considering she had four kids it hit me that she'd basically put her entire life on hold just to take care of us, and this wasn't just old school got a job, it was full on move to a different country/move heaven and hell to make sure we'd had a good life. And after over thirty years of putting the work in for us, she'd finally turned around and started working on her dream.
Absolutely floored me and was the first "Whoa my mum's an actual person (and not just my mum) who'd done all this for me." Appreciate your parents people and hopefully do the same for your kids.
#42
The first female leader of the Cherokee Nation came to my college campus years ago. She gave a speech, talking about how her life had been formed by always striving for more, never turning away from the challenge. Her advice was simple: "Go where the fear is" -Wilma Mankiller. When confronted with two roads I always choose what scares me more.
#43
In an episode of Louie he tells one of his daughters, "The only time you should look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure he has enough." I'm sure Louis CK didn't invent that on his own, but it was the first time I'd heard it, and it's stuck with me.
#44
I was having a bad day one time and being all "Why me?" when a coworker said "Why not you?". I had never thought about it before, but it was a good point. So I shut up and got over it.
#45
"If you're scared of doing it because you're afraid that people will judge you, trust me they won't even remember it after a year."
Something like that. Made me a little daredevillish.
#46
When I was in college a friend of mine told me I was gentle.
After being called sensitive all my life up until that point, and not in a good way, hearing that made me feel a lot better about myself.
#47
"You aren't IN traffic, you ARE traffic."
#48
I had just opened up to a good friend of mine about how, after 10+ years of intractable treatment-resistant depression, I was completely exhausted and really did not want to be alive anymore. At the time, I had kind of accepted that things would eventually get better, but I thought that it would be years until my life was what I wanted/needed it to be, and I just felt incredibly frustrated at everyone telling me to "wait it out".
Instead of giving lame advice, he asked me more about my plans, and it came out that the only thing that's ever kept me going is a drive to contribute something meaningful to humanity, and I just couldn't stand the idea of giving up and essentially leaving the world a little worse off. That's when he busted out this one:
"You know, I think it's almost tragically beautiful that you keep putting yourself through this just for the sake of other people. I know it's hard to believe it'll ever be worth 15 years of suffering, but once you're on the other side of it I think you'll see what an incredible person that makes you."
It still makes me tear up every time I think about it. It was one of the most important things anyone's said to encourage me, and it helped get me through some of my worst times. Thankfully, it was only about a year after that that I finally found a treatment that worked. No updates yet on the giant ego I'm supposed to be growing, though ;)
#49
My psychologist gave me a print of a picture of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet in the forest. This is the quote that went with it:
"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?"
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh, after careful thought.
Piglet was comforted by this.
I think about it when I'm catastrophising and it is really helpful for calming down and thinking rationally about whatever situation I'm in.
#50
We judge others by their actions and ourselves on our intentions. Really made me think about people and I try telling myself that when the f*cking idiot in front on me doesn't indicate when merging.
What do you think ?
Kjorn 6 years ago
i had a rough patch few years ago i thinking a lot about Killing myself but since i saw that story it change it all (https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/720383/dad-tells-son-mum-died-heroin-overdose) When i saw the reaction of this kids Learning from his dad that his mom dies it completly change the way i think. it's still rought right now but thinking of doing that it's now off limit. Makes me realise that whatever i can be down or feeling s**t i'm still important for my family
Dianna Siever 6 years ago
The death of a loved one to suicide is absolutely devastating. I'm glad you've reconsidered.
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SykesDaMan 6 years ago
Yeah, I was tired of upvoting the posts one by one (I almost upvoted everything that I read), and then I stopped and just upvoted the article and called it a day.
Aaron Kara 6 years ago
My brother once said to me "Don't worry about it, its all a load of s**t anyway"...I'll never forget that
Liz Karsa 6 years ago
A favorite manager of mine said to me years ago "Never expect other people to work the way you do." It was the greatest piece of workplace advice I have ever received and has really helped me at every job I have had.
FleurTangClan 6 years ago
Wow that's really resonated with me, thank you!
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Karen Duncan 6 years ago
I have been at the my job for 27 years and have to say I still enjoy my work. The thing I hear the most from new employees after being at the job for a few months is " I can't take this place (fill in the blank for whatever reason they have chosen - It's too busy, not enough training, I did not get the promotion etc.) I usually reply with..." Think back to the time that you wished so hard to have a good job and how good it felt when you finally got one. I never forget how not having a job felt and I appreciate that I have one.
Pep 6 years ago
When I was fourteen, I was struggling with performance anxiety. The only adult who could calm me down, was my physics teacher. One day I was close to crying in a lunch break after I messed up my physics test that morning. I went to him to talk and one moment, he asked me to look at the window. He then asked me: "Are the birds still flying?". After I had said "yes", he told me: "Well, if the birds are still flying, your mistakes weren't that big, were they?". Five years later I am a part time teacher myself in computer sciences after graduating high school with an A in physics. When I told him how much his words meant to me at that time, he said: "I can't explain how happy that makes me".
Connie Martin 6 years ago
I was telling my dad that I'd been asked to chair an annual fundraiser I'd volunteered for for many years. This was a big undertaking: over 1000 volunteers total, and many interlocking "moving parts." The first thing I had to do was find 22 fellow volunteers to chair committees. He said, "Well, someone is going to disappoint you. It might be someone you least expect. But if you have that in mind at the outset, it won't hurt as much when it happens." Eight months later, after a very successful (and exhausting) event, the chair of the clean-up committee calls and tells me she "can't do it." No excuse, no apology. I was startled and angry, then thought, "Oh. It's you! You're the one my dad told me to expect." And sure enough, I felt instantly over it...and just got to work.
Caroline Espenschied 6 years ago
I would like to add my own story : a substitute teacher (whom I don't remember much more of) had a huge impact on the way I see myself. It was an artclass, I had something gorgeous in mind, a masterpiece, I worked hard with handmade paper, something unique, it was going to be so beautiful. Long story short, I screwed it up. Like, totally. Unfixable. Irreversible. No way to start and try again. I had failed and there was NOTHING I could do about it. Needless to say, I became a hot, raging mess. Complete hystery. The teacher took me aside, gave me a deep look in the eyes and said "What you DO and what you ARE are two different things" It stopped me right in my track. I had failed, but I wasn't a failure; I had screwed up, but I WASN'T screwed up. I am not my mistakes. They don't define who I am. What DOES define me is my will to get back up and try something new, something different, something that might work. I might fail, but it's not who I am...
Michael Morris 6 years ago
Here's one I came across while studying Catholicism. There are two definitions to the word "perfect." The first, "flawless," is the definition most frequently used. The other, "Not lacking any essential quality." as in "A hammer is a perfect tool for driving nails." It doesn't matter how rusty, pitted or worn the hammer is, it remains a perfect tool for its purpose so long as the handle isn't rotted away. This we can aspire to, but it requires a lot of honest soul searching to determine what is essential to us and what is not.
d r e a m w o r l d 6 years ago
"Well, it's okay not to be ready yet. One day you'll be ready. There are lots of things you don't know about me. There are lots of things you don't know about your sister. There are lots of things you don't even know about yourself. And that's okay. It's okay not to know or not want others to know." -My mom when I said I couldn't come out yet
Lara King 6 years ago
During treatment for Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder we watched a TED talk by Brené Brown. Something she said ‘you can’t numb pain, without numbing joy’ in regards to vulnerability. Instantly, my life was changed. I gave up self harming, I gave up abusing my prescription pain medication and I now allow myself to feel my bad days and just ride it out.
Caroline Espenschied 6 years ago
Oh, this just reminded me of the words I once heard said by a french actress in an interview. She said her father told her she haid the choice : "You can choose great joys - but you'll have great pains. Or you can choose little pains, but you'll have little joys" Stuck with me...
Load More Replies...
Chelle 6 years ago
I was fifteen when my mother divorced my father and remarried within three-month period. The divorce hit me real hard as I was in very good relationship with my father, and I hated my mother for doing whatever she pleased using my name (she claimed that she divorced my father is so she could then coming to the states to watch me over, as I was the only one who was study abroad at the time). My stepfather, one of the warmest men I have ever known, told me after he realized how upset I was about their marriage, that "I am not replacing your father, your father is still your father, but I can be your another dad if you let me." He had been my other dad even after he and my mother broke off. He was a parent, a friend, a mentor, someone who I could always go to when I am troubled. I miss him.
Agnė Kam 6 years ago
Then I was a child, there were some days of laziness. And of course then I made up a lot of reasons why I CAN'T do something. And once my mother said - it's easy to come up with millions reasons why You don't want to do something; but just try, even once, to come up with one reason, why You would like to do it. And I tried. And U know what? Life goes easier with such kind of motivation.
Doc Thissen 6 years ago
One quote I've never forgotten: "I don't like to be limited by what might be termed as style." Guitarist Michael Hedges said this in an interview with Guitar Player magazine in about 1992 or so.
Karen Van Cleve 6 years ago
"I have 6 kids, 4 are adopted..I forget which 4". Don't remember who said it, but it made an impact on me, and I am not adopted.
Wanda Queen 6 years ago
Mine is, people are going to judge you no matter what you do, so just make the decision that's the best fit for you and don't worry about what anyone else says.
Jennifer Bobb 2 years ago
"Be the person you needed when you were a kid." I broke down and bawled. These words completely floored me and changed the way I parent.
Wayne Hoffman 6 years ago
Borrowed: Your character is determined by how you behave when no one is looking.
kyrilavera 6 years ago
It was a really dark time for me, i was crying, chatting with my joker friend, opening up coz i thought he wont take it seriously but he did. "youre not the only one, you dont have to carry all those weights alone. Im here, share them to me." plus "Jesus loves you." It was a really dark time to me that ive been blind to see the light. Were still friends now and he is annoying as ever HAHAHAHA. But im thankful really thankful to have someone like him. Hes an angel in disguise
Francesa Miller 6 years ago
It was a song by The Seekers that changed my life. "Don't be so scared of changing and rearranging yourself It's time for jumping down from the shelf a little bit Hey there, Georgy girl There's another Georgy deep inside Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be The world would see a new Georgy girl." I woke up, rearranged myself, and revealed myself to the world. No more hiding.
Tiffany Zhu 6 years ago
Something my mom told me was "the most useless thing is a forced apology." Don't force yourself to apologize for something if you truly don't feel bad for it. Obviously this only applies to smaller problems and people who don't like you and make you apologize for unnessesary matters.
Janine Randall 6 years ago
I had a really tough time getting organised at work. I'd shift things around on my desk. Look at stacks, never really getting anything accomplished. My boss said to me one day "Figure out what you need to get done today, this week and this month." It's a simple thing, but helped tremendously, even in my personal life.
Erica Warwick 6 years ago
A customer of mine and l were having a philosophical conversation about societal stereotypes- and he said his Mom told him this: "When you see a stranger, the first thought that pops into your head is what you are conditioned to think; the second thought that pops into your head shows you who you are as a person." This has overall led me to be an even more empathetic, compassionate, and openminded person every day since.
Aaaa Bbbb 6 years ago
Great stories! I wanted to add my own by couldn't see a way to do that. Basically, as a college student I whined to a prof. about how I "had to" accomplish a certain goal. He asked, "Why, because of your ego?" I kind of stammered for a moment, but the answer was "yes". And I realized that "because of my ego" was a stupid reason. And that I didn't actually "have to" accomplish that personal, academic goal or any other, really. Ever since, I try to remember that the only "have to"s in life are those that involve a direct commitment to someone else. Everything else is optional.
classicgoldrush 6 years ago
If you ever find yourself needing a little pick me up, there is a book called "Happy Little Accidents" which contains quotes and sayings from the late Bob Ross. I grew up watching him paint and my sister recently gifted me this book. I highly recommend it as it as brightened up many days for me. :)
Fjord 6 years ago
"Don't set yourself on Fire to warm someone else." I know someone already said it but if your a person who tends to put others before themselves, remember this and remember that you are just as important as everyone else. Another one; "Peoples words about you do not define you, you define yourself." My mentor told me this once when i was struggling with bullying. I realised that what people think about you does not matter and not to let the words make you change.
Kjorn 6 years ago
i had a rough patch few years ago i thinking a lot about Killing myself but since i saw that story it change it all (https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/720383/dad-tells-son-mum-died-heroin-overdose) When i saw the reaction of this kids Learning from his dad that his mom dies it completly change the way i think. it's still rought right now but thinking of doing that it's now off limit. Makes me realise that whatever i can be down or feeling s**t i'm still important for my family
Dianna Siever 6 years ago
The death of a loved one to suicide is absolutely devastating. I'm glad you've reconsidered.
Load More Replies... SykesDaMan 6 years ago
Yeah, I was tired of upvoting the posts one by one (I almost upvoted everything that I read), and then I stopped and just upvoted the article and called it a day.
Aaron Kara 6 years ago
My brother once said to me "Don't worry about it, its all a load of s**t anyway"...I'll never forget that
Liz Karsa 6 years ago
A favorite manager of mine said to me years ago "Never expect other people to work the way you do." It was the greatest piece of workplace advice I have ever received and has really helped me at every job I have had.
FleurTangClan 6 years ago
Wow that's really resonated with me, thank you!
Load More Replies... Karen Duncan 6 years ago
I have been at the my job for 27 years and have to say I still enjoy my work. The thing I hear the most from new employees after being at the job for a few months is " I can't take this place (fill in the blank for whatever reason they have chosen - It's too busy, not enough training, I did not get the promotion etc.) I usually reply with..." Think back to the time that you wished so hard to have a good job and how good it felt when you finally got one. I never forget how not having a job felt and I appreciate that I have one.
Pep 6 years ago
When I was fourteen, I was struggling with performance anxiety. The only adult who could calm me down, was my physics teacher. One day I was close to crying in a lunch break after I messed up my physics test that morning. I went to him to talk and one moment, he asked me to look at the window. He then asked me: "Are the birds still flying?". After I had said "yes", he told me: "Well, if the birds are still flying, your mistakes weren't that big, were they?". Five years later I am a part time teacher myself in computer sciences after graduating high school with an A in physics. When I told him how much his words meant to me at that time, he said: "I can't explain how happy that makes me".
Connie Martin 6 years ago
I was telling my dad that I'd been asked to chair an annual fundraiser I'd volunteered for for many years. This was a big undertaking: over 1000 volunteers total, and many interlocking "moving parts." The first thing I had to do was find 22 fellow volunteers to chair committees. He said, "Well, someone is going to disappoint you. It might be someone you least expect. But if you have that in mind at the outset, it won't hurt as much when it happens." Eight months later, after a very successful (and exhausting) event, the chair of the clean-up committee calls and tells me she "can't do it." No excuse, no apology. I was startled and angry, then thought, "Oh. It's you! You're the one my dad told me to expect." And sure enough, I felt instantly over it...and just got to work.
Caroline Espenschied 6 years ago
I would like to add my own story : a substitute teacher (whom I don't remember much more of) had a huge impact on the way I see myself. It was an artclass, I had something gorgeous in mind, a masterpiece, I worked hard with handmade paper, something unique, it was going to be so beautiful. Long story short, I screwed it up. Like, totally. Unfixable. Irreversible. No way to start and try again. I had failed and there was NOTHING I could do about it. Needless to say, I became a hot, raging mess. Complete hystery. The teacher took me aside, gave me a deep look in the eyes and said "What you DO and what you ARE are two different things" It stopped me right in my track. I had failed, but I wasn't a failure; I had screwed up, but I WASN'T screwed up. I am not my mistakes. They don't define who I am. What DOES define me is my will to get back up and try something new, something different, something that might work. I might fail, but it's not who I am...
Michael Morris 6 years ago
Here's one I came across while studying Catholicism. There are two definitions to the word "perfect." The first, "flawless," is the definition most frequently used. The other, "Not lacking any essential quality." as in "A hammer is a perfect tool for driving nails." It doesn't matter how rusty, pitted or worn the hammer is, it remains a perfect tool for its purpose so long as the handle isn't rotted away. This we can aspire to, but it requires a lot of honest soul searching to determine what is essential to us and what is not.
d r e a m w o r l d 6 years ago
"Well, it's okay not to be ready yet. One day you'll be ready. There are lots of things you don't know about me. There are lots of things you don't know about your sister. There are lots of things you don't even know about yourself. And that's okay. It's okay not to know or not want others to know." -My mom when I said I couldn't come out yet
Lara King 6 years ago
During treatment for Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder we watched a TED talk by Brené Brown. Something she said ‘you can’t numb pain, without numbing joy’ in regards to vulnerability. Instantly, my life was changed. I gave up self harming, I gave up abusing my prescription pain medication and I now allow myself to feel my bad days and just ride it out.
Caroline Espenschied 6 years ago
Oh, this just reminded me of the words I once heard said by a french actress in an interview. She said her father told her she haid the choice : "You can choose great joys - but you'll have great pains. Or you can choose little pains, but you'll have little joys" Stuck with me...
Load More Replies... Chelle 6 years ago
I was fifteen when my mother divorced my father and remarried within three-month period. The divorce hit me real hard as I was in very good relationship with my father, and I hated my mother for doing whatever she pleased using my name (she claimed that she divorced my father is so she could then coming to the states to watch me over, as I was the only one who was study abroad at the time). My stepfather, one of the warmest men I have ever known, told me after he realized how upset I was about their marriage, that "I am not replacing your father, your father is still your father, but I can be your another dad if you let me." He had been my other dad even after he and my mother broke off. He was a parent, a friend, a mentor, someone who I could always go to when I am troubled. I miss him.
Agnė Kam 6 years ago
Then I was a child, there were some days of laziness. And of course then I made up a lot of reasons why I CAN'T do something. And once my mother said - it's easy to come up with millions reasons why You don't want to do something; but just try, even once, to come up with one reason, why You would like to do it. And I tried. And U know what? Life goes easier with such kind of motivation.
Doc Thissen 6 years ago
One quote I've never forgotten: "I don't like to be limited by what might be termed as style." Guitarist Michael Hedges said this in an interview with Guitar Player magazine in about 1992 or so.
Karen Van Cleve 6 years ago
"I have 6 kids, 4 are adopted..I forget which 4". Don't remember who said it, but it made an impact on me, and I am not adopted.
Wanda Queen 6 years ago
Mine is, people are going to judge you no matter what you do, so just make the decision that's the best fit for you and don't worry about what anyone else says.
Jennifer Bobb 2 years ago
"Be the person you needed when you were a kid." I broke down and bawled. These words completely floored me and changed the way I parent.
Wayne Hoffman 6 years ago
Borrowed: Your character is determined by how you behave when no one is looking.
kyrilavera 6 years ago
It was a really dark time for me, i was crying, chatting with my joker friend, opening up coz i thought he wont take it seriously but he did. "youre not the only one, you dont have to carry all those weights alone. Im here, share them to me." plus "Jesus loves you." It was a really dark time to me that ive been blind to see the light. Were still friends now and he is annoying as ever HAHAHAHA. But im thankful really thankful to have someone like him. Hes an angel in disguise
Francesa Miller 6 years ago
It was a song by The Seekers that changed my life. "Don't be so scared of changing and rearranging yourself It's time for jumping down from the shelf a little bit Hey there, Georgy girl There's another Georgy deep inside Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be The world would see a new Georgy girl." I woke up, rearranged myself, and revealed myself to the world. No more hiding.
Tiffany Zhu 6 years ago
Something my mom told me was "the most useless thing is a forced apology." Don't force yourself to apologize for something if you truly don't feel bad for it. Obviously this only applies to smaller problems and people who don't like you and make you apologize for unnessesary matters.
Janine Randall 6 years ago
I had a really tough time getting organised at work. I'd shift things around on my desk. Look at stacks, never really getting anything accomplished. My boss said to me one day "Figure out what you need to get done today, this week and this month." It's a simple thing, but helped tremendously, even in my personal life.
Erica Warwick 6 years ago
A customer of mine and l were having a philosophical conversation about societal stereotypes- and he said his Mom told him this: "When you see a stranger, the first thought that pops into your head is what you are conditioned to think; the second thought that pops into your head shows you who you are as a person." This has overall led me to be an even more empathetic, compassionate, and openminded person every day since.
Aaaa Bbbb 6 years ago
Great stories! I wanted to add my own by couldn't see a way to do that. Basically, as a college student I whined to a prof. about how I "had to" accomplish a certain goal. He asked, "Why, because of your ego?" I kind of stammered for a moment, but the answer was "yes". And I realized that "because of my ego" was a stupid reason. And that I didn't actually "have to" accomplish that personal, academic goal or any other, really. Ever since, I try to remember that the only "have to"s in life are those that involve a direct commitment to someone else. Everything else is optional.
classicgoldrush 6 years ago
If you ever find yourself needing a little pick me up, there is a book called "Happy Little Accidents" which contains quotes and sayings from the late Bob Ross. I grew up watching him paint and my sister recently gifted me this book. I highly recommend it as it as brightened up many days for me. :)
Fjord 6 years ago
"Don't set yourself on Fire to warm someone else." I know someone already said it but if your a person who tends to put others before themselves, remember this and remember that you are just as important as everyone else. Another one; "Peoples words about you do not define you, you define yourself." My mentor told me this once when i was struggling with bullying. I realised that what people think about you does not matter and not to let the words make you change.
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