Why Read Inspirational Quotes?

Maybe you've heard this one:

"What does it profit a man to have gained the whole world, and to have lost his soul?" - Jesus Christ

Inspirational quotes and sayings from the present day or centuries past, can inspire and instruct us. This is true regardless of the religious or spiritual tradition they come from. Nor do religious or spiritully-oriented individuals have a monopoly on useful words. Quotes that strike at the truth of the matter can come from scoundrels, saints, and ordinary people.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excelence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old. Seek what they sought." - Basho

Why Read Inspirational Quotes?

Philosophies and arguments often use logic in an attempt to "capture" truth in a net of words to build systems of knowledge, or to satify egos. Logic is important, but when mis-used it leads to confusion. Inspirational sayings cut through the fog and point at the truth, so you can see it for yourself.

Imagine a choice: do what you love and possibly fail, or wait a few more years. Now, outside of mathematics, virtually all reasoning is tainted with rationalization, so you can support whatever you decide with "logical arguments," right? No wonder we're often confused and demotivated! How can we trust our own reasoning, if it just finds a logical construct for whichever fear or other feeling is strongest!

Then you read an inspirational quote:

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky

Can you see how this hockey metaphor might touch you precisely because it isn't a logical argument? It just points at a truth you can see for yourself: You can't get what you want without "taking that shot." Seeing the truth is far more motivating than arguing it. That's the value of reading inspirational quotes.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

Entrepreneur and Mom

When I was 12 years old, I had surgery with... Read More

The Art of Giving

In the pursuit of the life we dream of, this... Read More

Have You Ever Felt GOD in You?

God is the primordial Creative Force that is believed to... Read More

Planning for the Unexpected

Unfortunately, most people fail to plan until it is too... Read More

To Raise Your Frequency, Just Turn on the Joy!

The feeling response to being filled up with Love from... Read More

A Prison Cell?

Do you have a goal? A focus in life? Have... Read More

Tending the Fire

In old buildings there was a boiler room where men... Read More

It Only Takes a Spark - Pass It On

Great inspiring people have influenced people in every area of... Read More

5 Things That Americans Can Do To Remember Reviving, Surviving and Thriving in the Wake of Sept 11

For those people who lost friends and loved ones... Read More

Naomi and the 5 Life Lessons

Not long ago, I attended a seminar that featured Naomi... Read More

Lifetime of Discoveries: Moments of Peace and Renewal

There are discoveries all around us—small gifts of joy that... Read More

Everyone Has Been Hurt ....Part 6

Continued....I have since grown a lot. I have grown through... Read More

Playing with Matches

Matches are all about power; a new world opens up... Read More

Tim McGraw had it Right - Live Like You Are Dying!

Chorus: An' he said: "I went ski diving, I went... Read More

Create Your Way Out of It

When life has you feeling less than happy, and you... Read More

Iron Man Inspiration - Raise The Ceiling On What You Can Achieve

The Florida Iron Man involves swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112... Read More

Delay Can Reveal Doubts

Confident Expectation! The feeling of 'confidence' is the assurance that... Read More

Walking on a Path of Life

We set out walking along a route where one foot... Read More

Wow a Butterfly!

Okay, I am sure that you clicked on this title... Read More

Dreams Do Come True

Experience has made a lot of folks to consider dreams... Read More

Create 10 Delightful Daily Habits

Practising extreme self-care in our life involves practising good "daily"... Read More

One Woman, One Leg, No Job

What is social acceptance? Why is it so important? What... Read More

By Now, Im an Expert at Memory Loss

I sat down to write my weekly humor column, but... Read More

Anam Cara - Finding a Song for the Heart

All this week I have been singing.This week I have... Read More

Go Ahead, Toss the Starfish!

There is an old story that tells of a man... Read More