focus.

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

This is an inspiring poem. On the surface it’s about Aragorn, the rightful heir of Gondor. Yet it really conveys how people who lose their way can still bounce back in life.

You never intended to go off-track, right?

It just happened overtime, you say?

People lose their way often because they take the path of least resistance. What they fail to understand is that this actually involves the most pain.

As we grow older some of us find it harder to rationalize our choices. A sense of dissatisfaction permeates our lives. We’d like to change our situation, but oftentimes we no longer have a vision of our own.

No life purpose = no motivation.

The back burner is no place for dreams.

The moral of Tolkien’s poem is you can have a great destiny ahead of you assuming you (eventually) take action to rightfully claim what is yours.

You’ll notice Tolkien’s poem starts off with another famous line ~ All that is gold does not glitter. This is ‘borrowed’ from Shakespeare, the greatest writer of all time.

All that glitters is not gold.

The Merchant of Venice has the line all that glitters (or glisters) is not gold.

O hell! what have we here?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing.
All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.

The Bard is the best-known writer to have expressed the idea that shiny things aren’t necessarily precious. Yet, it stands to reason that others before him had coined the idea.

Everything is adaption, a connecting of dots.

Writers paraphrase all the time.

For instance, it is a truth universally acknowledged that all writers love to adapt famous quotes (you saw what I did there, right?).

Inspirational quotes have the power to change the way we feel about our lives.

Often instantly. As writers, that’s why we find them so appealing.

Brain Tracey said it best:

You grow either flowers or weeds in the garden of your life, whichever you plant by the mental equivalents you create.

Here are a few quotes that encapsulate the varied dimensions of mindset I explore in my writing.

Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. — Mother Teresa

This quote reminds us that small acts of kindness aren’t small when you consider the knock-on effect. People doing good deeds send out ripples into the world. Those ripples are significant in creating positive social change!

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. ―George S. Patton

Most people don’t set out believing they will fail. Yet, it’s tough out there. When things don’t go to plan, you need the strength to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.

Our greatest fear should not be of failure… but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter. ―Francis Chan

People often set goals based on what others think. Instead of pleasing others, think about what you care about, and set goals that achieve what is important to you.

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ― George Bernard Shaw

Your mindset is a secret weapon. It can make or break you. When you have the right mindset you can cruise along effortlessly. When you have the wrong one you may feel stuck (or worse) in life.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. ― Mark Twain

Conventional wisdom says you needn’t do something if it makes you uncomfortable. Most people choose safety over uncertainty. But do safe choices always bring you happiness in life?

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. ― Babe Ruth

Doubts and fears can be hard to let go. The truth is if something scares you, you should do it because it scares you. Trust me, you are capable of a great deal more than you realize!

Life is trying things to see if they work. ― Ray Bradbury

Productivity is a recurrent theme in my writing. Taking action (any action!) is better than endlessly preparing, or worse doing nothing at all.

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly. ―JFK

Creators of all stripes take risks. The best ones hardly think about failure. The bar is set high and they expect to fail over and over before they get it right. That’s what experimentation is all about!

Character is destiny — Heraclitus

If you chose to look for downsides in life, you will find them. When you cast things in a positive light, you can create opportunities for yourself.

As always it comes down to mindset.

The last word

Taking advice from those who have gone before is a smart move. After all, the problems we face today are not new as the quotes prove; it is the normal human condition.

What is your favourite inspirational quote? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.