Ten Phrases To Motivate Anyone

Sometimes the right collection of the right words at the right moment can cause a tidal wave of emotion, setting into motion seemingly “impossible” events.

The key to unlocking our potential lies in opening the floodgates of our emotions, rather than appealing to our more rational side. We can read hundreds of well-researched opinion pieces about the migration crisis in Europe without raising an eyebrow, but we can see a heart-wrenchingly sad photo of a lifeless little toddler washed up on a beach, and our opinion is transformed. Our attention spans are getting ever shorter, and in the age of Snapchat, Periscope and Twitter, the messages have to be short and powerful to get through to us.

It is the same in the workplace. Long meetings explaining the details of certain projects are being replaced by dynamic and collaborative ways of working in real time. Why talk for a long time about a project if you can get on with it and iterate as you go along? Theory is so 20th Century. Let’s get into the thick of the action. 

For all the power of an image (this is undeniable), there is still a lot to be said for a well-placed phrase. As with everything, the phrase will only be effective if uttered at an appropriate time and delivered in the right way by the right person. Our “oral tradition” has ensured that the pithy phrases have survived through the generations, and many a grandparent has passed the accumulated wisdom onto their grandchildren. Although they are much-maligned, the most popular “phrases” of some of the most amazing people in our history find their rightful place on social media. You never know who might find themselves at the right place in life to be touched by them. 

For me, these ten quotes are ones that I will be passing onto my (hopefully future) grandchildren when I feel that they need an injection of motivation. Encouraging people is one of the richest of life’s pursuits, and the following words have kept many a life on the right track or even taken it to a better place:

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”- Benjamin Mays

Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”- Charles R. Swindoll

“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.” - Hal Borland

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”- Stephen Covey

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” -  Winston Churchill  

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”- John Maxwell

“Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity.”- Albert Einstein  

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”-  Wayne Gretzky

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” - Unknown

These few short sentences make me feel warm inside. Words can be truly magical things, but it is what we do with the feelings that they evoke that is the mark of who we are.

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