Wednesday, April 17, 2013

101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time, Volume 2


This is volume 2 of 101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time Series.
  • Vol 1, Quotes #1 – 103: Quotes on Life, Purpose, Past/Present/Future, Dreams & Passion, Goals, Hard Work, Change, Truth & Honesty, Imagination & Creativity
  • Vol 2, Quotes #104 – 211: Quotes on Confidence & Personal Power, Courage & Fear, Obstacles, Failure & Success
  • Vol 3, Quotes  #212 – 313: Quotes on Taking Action, Planning, Persistence, Time Management & Productivity, Wealth, Money & Finance, Happiness & Emotional Mastery, Love
  • Vol 4, Quotes  #314 – 427: Quotes on Learning & Growth, Attitudes & Mindsets, Responsibility, Gratitude & Kindness, Friendship, Leadership, Helping Others, People & The World
Following the popularity of the previous article 101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time (#1 visited article in 2009 that hit Frontpage of StumbleUpon and brought in over 101k unique hits), I thought it’s time to have another quotes collation . All these quotes have been specially handpicked and have inspired me in one way or another, so I hope you will enjoy them as I have. :)

101 Most Inspiring Quotes, Part 2

Quotes on Confidence & Personal Power

  1. “Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.” ~Unknown
  2. “When you are totally at peace with yourself, nothing can shake you.” ~ Deepam Chaterjee
  3. “If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.”
  4. “Confidence comes not from always being right but not fearing to be wrong.”
  5. “Confidence is not a guarantee of success, but a pattern of thinking that will improve your likelihood of success, a tenacious search for ways to make things work.” – Dr. John Eliot from Overachievement
  6. “To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” ~ Unknown
  7. “In order to be walked over, you have to be lying down.”
  8. “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne
  9. “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else. ” – Judy Garland
  10. “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.” – Thomas Edison
  11. “Others can stop you temporarily – you are the only one who can do it permanently.” – Zig Ziglar
  12. “We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” ~J.K. Rowling
  13. “The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” – Chinese proverb
  14. “Life is about choice. You can choose to be a victim or anything else you like to be.“
  15. “Many answers to what you seek don’t lie “out there”. If you look inwards, you’ll find the answer has been in you all along.”
  16. “We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are.” – Jim Rohn
  17. “If you believe you can, you can. If you believe you can’t, then, well you can’t.”
  18. “Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.” – Richard Bach
  19. “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” – Les Brown
  20. “The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” – Albert Ellis
  21. “Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you.” – J. Gitomer
  22. “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” —Aristotle
  23. “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
  24. “We are all functioning at a small fraction of our capacity to live fully in its total meaning of loving, caring, creating and adventuring. Consequently, the actual­izing of our potential can become the most exciting adventure of our lifetime.” – Herbert Ottto
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Quotes on Courage & Fear

  1. “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.” – Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?
  2. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
  3. “The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.” – Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?
  4. “Fear, uncertainty and discomfort are your compasses toward growth.”
  5. “Fear is nothing more than a mental monster you have created, a negative stream of consciousness” – Robin Sharma, The Monk who sold his Ferrari
  6. “If you try, you might get exactly what you want. If you don’t, you don’t.” – Unknown
  7. “If you’re not willing to risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot be your best. If you cannot be your best, you cannot be happy. If you cannot be happy, what else is there?” – Les Brown
  8. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” – Elbert Hubbard
  9. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~Winston Churchill
  10. Confidence comes not from always being right but not fearing to be wrong
  11. “A warrior is not about perfection. Or victory. Or invulnerability. He is about absolute vulnerability. That is the only true courage.” – Peaceful Warrior
  12. “Don’t be timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson”
  13. “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” – Helen Keller
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Quotes on Obstacles, Failure & Success

  1. “Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing.” ~ Helen Keller
  2. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” ~ David Brinkley
  3. “You already have every characteristic necessary for success if you recognize, claim, develop and use them” – Zig Ziglar
  4. “The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
  5. “History, though, shows us that the people who end up changing the world- the great political, social, scientific, technological, artistic, even sports revolutionaries- are always nuts, until they’re right, and then they’re geniuses.” ~ Dr. John Eliot
  6. “Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you.” – J. Gitomer
  7. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” – Sydney Smith
  8. “There is no one giant step that does it. It’s a lot of little steps.” – Peter A. Cohen
  9. “Problems remain as problems because people are busy defending them rather than finding solutions. Stop wasting time defending your problems and work on addressing them instead.”
  10. “As soon as you truly commit to making something happen, the “how” will reveal itself.” – Tony Robbins
  11. “Athletes visualize winning 1000s of times before they step on the track. They’ve already won. Other people just don’t know it yet.”
  12. “Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  13. “There is no failure except in no longer trying” – Elbert Hubbard
  14. “Unless you’re willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another go, success won’t happen.” Phillip Adams
  15. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie
  16. “Some give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.” – Herodotus
  17. “If you run you stand a chance of losing, but if you don’t run you’ve already lost.” – Barack Obama
  18. “Greatest success comes just one step beyond the point at which defeat overtakes you.”
  19. “Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.” – Napoleon Hill
  20. “The greatest achievement was, at first, and for a time, but a dream.” – Napoleon Hill
  21. “No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”- Napoleon Hill
  22. “A Quitter never wins – and – a Winner never quits.” – Napoleon Hill
  23. “Cultivate your desire for success to be greater than the fear of failure; Failure is merely a pitstop between where you stand and success. Failure allows you to learn the fastest; Failure inspires winners and defeats losers.”
  24. “Winning means being unafraid to lose.” – Fran Tarkenton
  25. “To be successful you don’t need to do extraordinary things, you just need to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” – Jim Rohn
  26. “Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.” – Sumner Redstone Chairman
  27. “For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” -Mary Kay Ash founder
  28. “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  29. Success is 99% attitude and 1% aptitude.
  30. “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
  31. “Success in life is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is usually the result of experience. Experience is usually the result of bad judgment.” – Anthony Robbins
  32. “Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.” – Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture (Book)
  33. “You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.” – Booker T. Washington
  34. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan (Nike ‘Failure’ Commercial)
  35. “In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
  36. “As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.” – John Eliot
  37. “I haven’t failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” — Thomas Edison, when inventing the first commercial light bulb.
  38. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
  39. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” – Michael Jordan
  40. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan
  41. “Men are born to succeed, not fail.” – Henry David Thoreau
  42. “One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments.” – Henry Ward Beecher
  43. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
  44. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert Francis Kennedy
  45. “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become.” – Jim Rohn
  46. “The secret to success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.” – Dennis Green
  47. “But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” – Rocky Balboa
  48. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
  49. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. ~G. Woodberry
  50. “Success is what you attract by the person you become.” – Jim Rohn
  51. “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” ~Robert Kiyosaki
  52. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” -Theodore Rosevelt
  53. “Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get back up.” – Deamsian Wisdom
  54. “That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” Abraham Lincoln
  55. “I am always doing things I can’t do. That is how I get to do them.” -Pable Picasso
  56. “A diamond is a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” – Unknown
  57. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.”~ Colin Powell
  58. It is our experiences that mold us into who we are….during times of adversity our true character will show.
  59. You become stronger with every problem you face and every obstacle you overcome.
  60. “Winners don’t Quit. That’s why they Win.”
  61. The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.- Elbert Hubbard
  62. (Tool+Training+Experience) x Mindset = Goal/Success —- BUT if your mindset is zero then equation is (100 + 100 +100) x 0 = Failure
  63. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
  64. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt
  65. “Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.” ~ Woody Allen
  66. “The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them.” ~Unknown
  67. “Everyone faces challenges in life. It’s a matter of how you learn to overcome them and using them to your advantage.”
  68. “Nothing is impossible.”
  69. “Impossible, when spelled out, stands for ‘I’m possible’.”
  70. “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time, Volume 1


This is volume 1 of the 101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time Series.
  • Vol 1, Quotes #1 – 103: Quotes on Life, Purpose, Past/Present/Future, Dreams & Passion, Goals, Hard Work, Change, Truth & Honesty, Imagination & Creativity
  • Vol 2, Quotes #104 – 211: Quotes on Confidence & Personal Power, Courage & Fear, Obstacles, Failure & Success
  • Vol 3, Quotes  #212 – 313: Quotes on Taking Action, Planning, Persistence, Time Management & Productivity, Wealth, Money & Finance, Happiness & Emotional Mastery, Love
  • Vol 4, Quotes  #314 – 427: Quotes on Learning & Growth, Attitudes & Mindsets, Responsibility, Gratitude & Kindness, Friendship, Leadership, Helping Others, People & The World
“I am always doing things I can’t do. That is how I get to do them.” -Pablo Picasso
Lately I have been regularly posting inspiring quotes on twitter. If you haven’t added me on Twitter, please feel free to do so @celestinechua :D
The thing I love about inspiring quotes is they pack so much wisdom in so few words. Some of them are really mind and heart opening – just reading them has the power to give you an eureka! moment. Based on the feedback I’ve been getting from others, it seems that they share the same sentiments too.
Since the quotes are so popular, I decided to put together 101 of the most inspiring quotes so that all of you can benefit from these golden words of wisdom. :D These are quotes which have been meticulously hand-picked by me while surfing the net, reading books, or simply quotes I write when I get an epiphany moment. I have grouped the quotes into broad categories below for easy reference.
For the quotes that resonate with you, make sure to put them around you through your environment so you are always reminded of them. Some examples of good places to place these quotes are:
  • Mobile welcome message
  • Life handbook
  • Noticeboard and/or walls in your room
  • Desktop wallpaper
  • Cover of your folder
  • Working desk
  • Photo frames in your house or office
Since I was a student, I have always been a big fan of motivational quotes. It’s one of my habits to surround myself with these quotes. Today, I have these quotes in places such as my mobile welcome message, my noticeboard in my bedroom, my life handbook and my office so I’m always in the face of inspiration. I recommend to do it too, because it’s really a great source of positive energy :)
I present to you 101 of the most inspiring quotes of all time:

101 Most Inspiring Quotes

Quotes on Life

  1. “The consequences of today are determined by the actions of the past. To change your future, alter your decisions today.” ~ Anonymous
  2. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
  3. “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
  4. “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
  5. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs
  6. “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
  7. “We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot
  8. “There’s no next time. It’s now or never.”
  9.  “For every effect there is a root cause. Find and address the root cause rather than try to fix the effect, as there is no end to the latter.”
  10. “When you don’t get what you want, you suffer. If you get it, you suffer too since you can’t hold on to it forever.” – Peaceful Warrior, on the fallacy of attachment
  11. “Every moment you get is a gift. Spend it on things that matter. Don’t spend it by dwelling on unhappy things.”
  12. “There are no ordinary moments. There is always something going on.” – Peaceful Warrior
  13. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  14. Everything around us is made up of energy. To attract positive things in your life, start by giving off positive energy.
  15. Don’t put off living to next week, next month, next year or next decade. The only time you’re ever living is in this moment.
  16. Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. – Mark Twain
  17. Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in.
  18. The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced – Art Van Der Leeuw
  19. “My life is my message.” – Gandhi
  20. “If wrinkles must be written upon our brow, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.” – James A. Garfield
  21. “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
  22. “In the beginning you will fall into the gaps in between thoughts – after practicing for years, you become the gap.” – J.Kleykamp (Regarding meditation)
  23. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~ Jim Rohn

Quotes on Purpose

  1. “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life… Therein he cannot be re­placed, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” – Viktor Frankl
  2. “Your work is to discover your work and then, with all your heart, to give yourself to it.” – Buddha
  3. “One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interests.” – John Stuart Mill
  4. “Nothing is likely to help a person overcome or endure troubles than the consciousness of having a task in life.” ~ Victor Frankl
  5. “Make your life a mission – not an intermission” ~ Unknown
  6. “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t.” ~ Richard Bach

Quotes on Past, Present and Future

  1. “Don’t let the past steal your present” – Cherralea Morgen
  2. “One has to live in the present. Whatever is past is gone beyond recall; whatever is future remains beyond one’s reach, until it becomes present. Remembering the past and giving thought to the future are important, but only to the extent that they help one deal with the present.” – S.N. Goenka
  3. “It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” ~ Bob Proctor
  4. “We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” – Robin Sharma
  5. The more you take responsibility for your past and present, the more you are able to create the future you seek.
  6. “Be present – it is the only moment that matters.” Peaceful Warrior
  7. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” – B. Olatunji
  8. “Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.” ~ Ann Landers
  9. “Holding on to anything is like holding on to your breath. You will suffocate. The only way to get anything in the physical universe is by letting go of it. Let go & it will be yours forever”. – Deepak  Chopra
  10. Don’t put off living to next week, next month, next year or next decade. The only time you’re ever living is in this moment.
  11. “There’s no next time. It’s now or never.”
  12. “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” – Dale Carnegie
  13. “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.” – Doug Ivester
  14. “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~ Albert Einstein
  15. “To create more positive results in your life, replace ‘if only’ with ‘next time’.”
  16. “We think about all of our tomorrows, but we don’t know how many they are, so let’s start making the most of our Todays!” ~ Ivana Trump
  17. “The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.” ~ Herbert Spencer
  18. “What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” – Buddha
  19. “Everyone faces challenges in life. It’s a matter of how you learn to overcome them and using them to your advantage.”

Quotes on Dreams and Passion

  1. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
  2. “If what you’re doing is not your passion, you have nothing to lose.”
  3. “At first dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable.” – Christopher Reeve
  4. “Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” ~ Steve Jobs.
  5. “Do what you love and the money will follow.” – Marsha Sinetar
  6. “The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” – Richard Bach
  7. “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.” – Howard Thurman
  8. “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
  9. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau
  10. “No matter where you are in life right now, no matter who you are, no matter how old you are – it is never too late to be who you are meant to be.” – Esther & Jerry Hicks
  11. “There’s nothing capricious in nature, and the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature that feels it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  12. “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.” – Belva Davis
  13. “I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.” ~ Tony Robbins
  14. “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  15. “Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.” – Les Brown
  16. “Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.” – Niccolo Machiavelli
  17. “No dreamer is ever too small; no dream is ever too big.” – Anonymous
  18. “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.” – Doug Ivester
  19. “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” – Pursuit of Happyness (Movie)
  20. “History shows us that the people who end up changing the world – the great political, social, scientific, technological, artistic, even sports revolutionaries – are always nuts, until they are right, and then they are geniuses.” – John Eliot
  21. “You will not do incredible things without an incredible dream.” – John Eliot
  22. “Instead of thinking about what you are going to do when you retire, think about how you can do that now and make a living from it.”
  23. “Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.”
  24. “Everything you want should be yours: the type of work you want; the relationships you need; the social, mental, and aesthetic stimulation that will make you happy and fulfilled; the money you require for the lifestyle that is appropriate to you; and any requirement that you may (or may not) have for achievement or service to others. If you don’t aim for it all, you’ll never get it all. To aim for it requires that you know what you want” ~ Richard Koch
  25. “I am not my memories. I am my dreams.” ~ Terry Hostetler
  26. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – Les Brown
  27. “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~ Albert Einstein
  28. “Every second you spend thinking about someone else’s dreams you take time away from your own.” – Yogi Ramen
  29. “What the mind can conceive, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill
  30. “20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover” ~ Mark Twain

Quotes on Goals

  1. “In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are.” – Arnold H. Glasgow
  2. “When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.” – Greg Anderson
  3. “The most important thing about goals is having one.” – Geoffry F. Abert
  4. “The only reason we don’t have what we want in life is the reasons we create why we can’t have them.” ~Tony Robbins
  5. “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” – Bill Copeland
  6. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn
  7. “Everything is always created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”
  8. “You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” – Zig Ziglar
  9. “The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” ~ Benjamin Mays
  10. “People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.”
  11. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napolean Hill

Quotes on Hard Work

  1. “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” – Thomas Jefferson
  2. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.”~ Colin Powell
  3. “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Gary Player
  4. Success is 99% attitude and 1% aptitude.
  5. “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

Quotes on Change

  1. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama
  2. “All great changes are preceded by chaos.” ~ Deepak Chopra
  3. “Change is not pleasant, But change is constant. Only when we change and grow, We’ll see a world we never know.” ~From Wisdom of The Orange Woodpecker
  4. You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. ~ Sri Ram
  5. “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn

Quotes on Truth and Honesty

  1. “The greatest advantage of speaking the truth is that you don’t have to remember what you said.”
  2. “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
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Quotes on Imagination and Creativity

  1. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” ~ Albert Einstein.
  2. “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~ Albert Einstein
  3. “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” ~ Pablo Picasso
  4. “Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

101 Ways To Live Your Life To The Fullest by Celes


“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs (101 Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time)
How do you feel about your life today? Are you living every day in exuberance? Do you love what you’re doing? Are you excited every single moment? Are you looking forward to what’s coming up next? Are you living your best life?
If your answer to any of the above is a no, maybe or not sure, that means you’re not living your life to the fullest. Which really shouldn’t be the case, because your life experience is up to you to create. Why settle for anything less than what you can get? You deserve nothing but the best. In the past years of my life, especially since after I pursued my passion in ’08, I’ve been living every day to the fullest, filled with joy, passion and rigor. It’s an amazing experience that I want you to experience that too.
This is a list of 101 timeless principles I use to live my best life, and I hope they’ll help you to do so too. As you live in alignment with them, you’ll find yourself becoming more conscious, more alive, and more importantly, experiencing life on a whole new level. Be sure to bookmark or even print out this page and refer to it daily to guide you to your best life. :D
Here are 101 ways to live your life to the fullest:
  1. Live every day on a fresh new start. Don’t be held back by what happened yesterday, the day before, the week before, the year before, and so on.
  2. Be true to who you are. Stop trying to please other people or be someone else. It’s better to be an original version of yourself than an exact duplicate of someone else.
  3. Quit complaining. Don’t be like the howling dog, always howling and never doing anything. Stop complaining about your problems and work on them instead.
  4. Be proactive. Stop waiting for others around you to do something and take action yourself instead.
  5. Rather than think “what if”, think “next time”. Don’t think about things you can’t change (namely what has happened and thoughts of other people) or unhappy things because these are disempowering. Instead focus on the things you can action upon. That’s the most constructive thing you can do in any situation.
  6. Focus on WHAT vs. How. Focus on WHAT you want first, before you think about HOW to do it. Anything is possible, as long as you set your mind, heart and soul to it.
  7. Create your own opportunities. You can wait for opportunities to drop in life. Or, you can go out there and create your own opportunities. The latter is definite and much more empowering.
  8. Live more consciously each day. Stop sleepwalking through life. Your life is something to be experienced, not coasted through.
  9. Be committed to your growth. In the Map of Consciousness, there are 17 levels of consciousness – from Shame to Enlightenment. The higher level of consciousness you are in, the richer your life experience. Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to growth.
  10. Know your inner self. This means knowing who you are and what you represent. Be clear of your personal identity.
  11. Discover your real life purpose. Set the mission statement for your life; one that will drive you to life your life to the fullest.
  12. Live in alignment with your purpose. What can you start doing immediately that will let you live 100% in alignment with your purpose? How can you live true to your purpose within every context/situation/environment you are in, every second of the day?
  13. Set your life commandments. Define your personal commandments to live your best life. What adages and principles do you want to follow in your life?
  14. Discover your values. Values are the essence of what makes you, you. Read article #11: Discover Your Values in The Personal Excellence Book on the importance of values, my values and how you can create your own.
  15. Hold yourself to the highest conduct. Every one of us have our own set of ethics, principles and moral codes. Live true to them every day. Also, live in full alignment with your purpose (#11), commandments (#13) and values (#14).
  16. Design your ideal life. What is your ideal life? Design it. First, assess your life at the moment via the life wheel. Then, ask yourself what it takes to live a 10/10 life (in all 10 areas – career, health, love, social, etc…). What is the life that will make you the best person you can ever be? Set your BHAGs – big, hairy and audacious goals! There are no limits in life – only those you set for yourself!
  17. Stop putting life on hold. Are you putting any parts of your life on hold? What is one area of your life you have been putting off/avoiding/denying? Uncover it and start working on it.
  18. Create your life handbook. Your life handbook is your life-long personal manual to live your best life – from your mission statement, your values, your long-term goals, short-term goals, personal strengths, blind spots to address, plans, among others. Create your book first then build on from there.
  19. Set your goals. After you design your ideal life, set your 5-year, 3-year and 1-year goals. The more specific your goals, the better! Read the 10 principles on how to get winning goals.
  20. Take action on your goals and dreams. Create an action plan with your strategy, plan and immediate next steps. ESPER: 7-part Goal Achievement series is a great tool to get you started.
  21. Create your bucket list, i.e. things to do before you die. Then, get out to achieve them.
  22. Don’t do things for the sake of doing them. Always evaluate what you’re doing and only do it if there is meaning behind them. Don’t be afraid to quit the things that don’t serve your path.
  23. Do the things you love, because life is too precious to spend it doing anything else. If you don’t enjoy something, then don’t do it. Spend your time and energy on things that bring you fulfillment and happiness.
  24. Discover your passion in life. What sets you on fire? Go out there (and explore inward) to know what you love to do.
  25. Make your passion a full-fledged career. Then, start pursuing it. Stop working in a job you are passionless towards. Quit your job when you are ready to do it full-time.
  26. Turn your passion into a huge success. Turn your passion into a multi-million dollar business. Better yet, make it a multi-billion dollar one.
  27. Learn from criticism. Be open to criticism but don’t be affected by it. Criticism is meant to help you be a better person. Learn from it.
  28. Be positive. Is the glass half empty or half full? How about neither? It’s actually all-full – the bottom half is water, the top half is air. It’s all a matter of perception. Take on empowering perceptions, not those that bind you. If you can see the positive sides of every thing, you’ll be able to live a much richer life than others. Purge unnecessary negativity from your life.
  29. Do unto others what you would like others to do unto you. The law of reciprocity – Golden Rule
  30. Don’t complain or badmouth about other people.
  31. Be empathetic. If everyone only see life from his/her own perspective, we’ll forever be close-minded and insular. See things from others’ shoes.
  32. Be a compassionate person. Show compassion and kindness to everyone around you
  33. Develop 100% self-belief. Believe in yourself and your abilities.  Remove your limiting beliefs and replace them with empowering ones (Day 25 of 30DLBL). If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you?
  34. Let go of unhappy past. This means past grievances, heartbreaks, sadness, disappointments, etc.
  35. Forgive those who may have done you wrong in the past. “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realize it was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
  36. Let go of attachments. Don’t fixate yourself with a certain status, fame, wealth or material possessions. These are impermanent and will ultimately disappear one day when you die. Focus on growing and living life to the fullest instead.
  37. Let go of relationships that do not serve you. That means negative people, dishonest people, people who don’t respect you, people are overly critical and relationships that prevent you from growing.
  38. Spend more time with people who enable you. Hang out with people who you compatible with, like-minded people, people who are positive, successful, strong achievers and positive for your growth. You are after all the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
  39. Build genuine, authentic connections with people around you – strangers, friends, family, colleagues, business partners, customers/clients, etc. Spend more time to know them better and foster  stronger connections.
  40. Connect with an old friend. There is no end to the number of friends you can have. Reach out to people from the past.
  41. Do a kind deed a day. What is something you can do today that will make the world a better place? Go and do it.
  42. Help other people who are in need. Voluntarism is one outlet. You can also start with your friends and family.
  43. Help people when they least expect it, without reason. You don’t need any reason to help others. Do it because you want to. Share the love with everyone.
  44. Go dating (if you’re single).
  45. Fall in love ♥ :D
  46. Review your life. Set a weekly review session to assess how you are doing for your goals and your life. Review your purpose once every 3-6 months too so you know you’re on the right path.
  47. Overcome procrastination. Procrastination is a huge waste of your time (and your life). Get rid of it once and for all.
  48. 30 minutes a day. Set aside at least 30 minutes every day to work on a quadrant 2 goal that, when you achieve it, will bring about the biggest source of fulfillment and happiness in your life
  49. Get out there and make new friends – whether in your workplace, online, friends’ friends, social groups, etc.
  50. Be your advisor (from the future). Imagine you’re the future you, 5 years later. How would you advise yourself? Write it down. Now, apply them. Check out Future Prediction Exercise article in The Personal Excellence Book, which teaches you to predict your future, then learn from it.
  51. Write a letter to your future self. Actually, write 3 letters – for yourself in 1, 3 and 5 years. The longer the letters, the better. Envision how you’ll be like in the future. Make each letter a minimum 2 pages long. Now, seal them and put them in a safe place. Set it in your calendar so you’ll know to open them when it’s time. This will inspire you to work your hardest and achieve your maximum results in the time period.
  52. Declutter. Start from your computer, then your table, your room, your bag/wallet, and your home. The more you throw the unwanted and old stuff away, the more room you’re creating for new things to enter.
  53. Keep learning. There is something to learn from everything you see, hear and experience. This includes your mistakes and past misshaps (if any). Learn to interpret each event objectively. Focus on what you can learn from it so you can apply them moving forward.
  54. Keep developing yourself. Equip yourself with a huge breadth of knowledge. Learn different skills, pick up different hobbies, study different fields.
  55. Keep upgrading yourself. Equip yourself with a huge depth of knowledge. While you can usually only level up to 99 in video games, in real life you can level up to infinity. Go for further studies if need be. Develop your skills. Level up. Build your >10,000 hours in each skill.
  56. Try new things. What’s something you’d normally not do? Get out of your comfort zone try something different. It can be something simple like taking a new bus route, trying a new food item, picking up a new hobby, or something bigger like studying a different field, picking a new skill, traveling to a country you’ll never visit, etc. You set your own limits.
  57. Get yourself out there. This applies for everything. (a) Get out there geographically. Go out, travel and explore the world. Set sail into the sea. Go backpacking by yourself and visit as many countries as possible. Get on a road trip and visit the different places that come out. (B) Get out there situationally. Stop sticking to routines and comfort zones. Try something different. (c) Get out there in life. Stop watching TV and living vicariously through the TV characters. Go and live the life of your dreams.
  58. Be the absolute best in what you do. Go for the #1 position in what you do. If you want to spend your time doing something, you might as well be the best in it. Strive for the best – you don’t deserve anything lesser than that.
  59. Don’t settle. In the same lines as #58, don’t settle for less. Don’t settle for someone you don’t like as your partner. Don’t settle for a job you don’t like #25). Don’t settle for friends who make you feel like a lesser person (#37). Don’t settle for a weight you are unhappy with. Go for what you really want.
  60. Stretch yourself. What are you doing now? How can you achieve more? Set bigger goals. Explore your limits and break them.
  61. Embrace new ideas. Don’t mentally limit yourself; Let your mind be a breeding ground for new ideas. Read: 25 Brainstorming Techniques.
  62. Create your inspirational haven. Turn your room into a place you love. Do the same for your work desk. Get rid of things that make you unproductive. Surround it with things that inspire you and trigger you to action. Read more: How To Create An Inspiring Room
  63. Behave as your ideal self will. All of us have an ideal vision of who we want to be. How is your ideal self like? How can you start to be that ideal self now?
  64. Set your role models in life. With role models, you become much better than you can be by yourself. I personally am inspired by Tyra Banks (for her passion for helping women build their self-esteem and changing notions of beauty), Ivanka Trump (for her success, intellect and beauty), Donald Trump (for his success and drive in life), Oprah (for being who she is), Lady Gaga (for her talent and not being afraid to be different), and many more. Seeing them and what they do reminds me of what I can be and what I can do, so they drive me on to greater heights.
  65. Get mentors and/or coaches. There’s no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Not only will they drive you to achieve more for yourself, they’ll also share with you important advice which you can use to create even more success for yourself. Many of my clients approach me to coach them and the net result: they achieve significantly more progress and results in their life than if they had worked alone.
  66. Uncover your blind spots. The more you uncover, the more you grow, the better you become.
  67. Increase your consciousness. The more conscious you are, the more evolved you become.
  68. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to uncover our blind spots (#66), there will be areas we cannot identify. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively. In Day 13 of 30DLBL, the task is to ask for feedback from others to uncover our blind spots.
  69. Generate passive income. Create passive income streams so your income is not tied to the time you spend on your work. Of course you’ll still continue to work, but only because you want to and not because you have to.
  70. Help others live their best lives. There is no better way to grow than to help others grow. Ultimately, the world is one. We are all in this together.
  71. Get married / Start your family / Have kids!
  72. Improve the world. There are many things in the world that need your attention and help. Poverty. Disaster recovery. Illiteracy. Children in need. Depleting rainforests. Animal rescue. Endangered species. How can you do your part?
  73. Spearhead a humanitarian cause/organization you are passionate about.
  74. Give more value than you receive. There is so much unspeakable joy that comes from giving. And when you keep giving, you’ll find that you actually receive a lot more in return, in spades.
  75. Be big picture focus. You can either set your eyes on the big things or get hung up by the nitty gritty details. The former will help you get a lot more out of life than the latter. Focus on the big rocks in life and put first things first (Quadrant 2 tasks). Practice the 80/20 rule – focus on the 20% things that give you the 80% fulfillment in life.
  76. Be clear of your end objective. What is the end goal you seek? Is what you’re doing bringing you there? If not, put it aside. As long as you keep taking on things that meet your end goal, you’ll eventually reach there.
  77. Go the 80/20 route. For every goal you have, there are different paths to achieve it. Pick out the 80/20 path, i.e. the most effective path that brings you there the fastest with least amount of effort.
  78. Prioritize (80/20 actions). As you embark on the 80/20 path for your goals, focus on the important tasks and cut out the less important ones. That means do the 20% actions that give you the 80% results.
  79. Live in the moment. Are your thoughts wandering around all the time? Calm your mind down. Be present. The only time you’re ever living is in this moment. Meditation helps to remove mental clutter.
  80. Relish in the little moments. Snuggling under warm covers on a rainy day. Ice cream on a hot day. A kiss with your loved one. Being with your best friend. A walk by the park. The breeze on your face. Quiet, alone time. Watching the sun rise/set. Soak in all these little moments of life. They are what make up your life.
  81. Take a break. Being the best also requires you to take breaks when needed. Make sure you rest when needed. Doing so lets you walk the longer mile ahead.
  82. Stop wanting things a certain way. I wrote a 3-part series before on the downsides of perfectionism and how to overcome them. Be firm on your end goals and your ideals, but let go of the fixation that things have to be a certain way. You’ll realize it’s by doing that that you achieve what you want.
  83. Focus on creation.
  84. Don’t criticize or judge others. Respect others for who they are.
  85. The only person you can change is yourself. Stop expecting others to behave in a certain way. Rather than demand that others around you change, focus on changing yourself. You’ll be happier and live a more fulfilling life this way.
  86. Embrace gratitude. Be grateful for everything you have today, and everything you will get in the future.
  87. Express gratitude. Let the people who’ve touched you know of your gratitude towards them. You’ll be surprised what a little act like this can do. If you don’t tell them, they’ll never know.
  88. Let loose and have fun. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance in the rain :D. Run barefoot and feel the ground underneath your feet. Release of your self-imposed shackles and be free :D.
  89. Get into nature. Many of us live in concrete jungles. Soak in the beauty of nature.
  90. You have a choice. Recognize you always have a choice in how to live your life.
  91. Laugh more :D. Are you reading this with a straight face? Smile and have fun :D.
  92. Embrace change. The only thing that’s constant is change. Change means growth. Rather than resist change, learn to versatile such that you can make the best out of the changes that come. In fact, become an agent of change.
  93. Be more risk-inclined. Don’t be afraid to take risks. The bigger your risks, the bigger your return.
  94. Embrace mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the faster you learn. Make sure to draw lessons so you can build on them. (#53)
  95. Embrace disappointments. Many people try to avoid feeling disappointed. They develop a resistant relationship with disappointment. However, disappointment is part and parcel of being human – it reflects your real passions. Don’t resist it – instead, embrace it. Understand it, then channel into it to create more in life. Read: How To Overcome Disappointment (4-part series)
  96. Challenge your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk… All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Rather than avoid your fears, recognize they are the compass for growth. Address and overcome them. Read: How To Overcome Fear (3-Part Series).
  97. Maximize your mind, body, heart and soul. Living your best life requires you to maximize yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you’re highly successful, very materially abundant, have a big circle of friends, very spiritually aware but you neglect your physical health, that’s not living your life to the fullest. The same for other scenarios where a part of you is blocked off. Maximize all 4 aspects of you.
  98. Be your best self. Essentially all the articles here at The Personal Excellence Blog are about being your best self and achieving your highest potential. It’s only through being the best we can be that we live our life to the fullest. This is why the motto of the site is “Be your best self, Live your best life“.
  99. Love yourself. You are the person you have to live with for the rest with your life. Treasure and love yourself. :)
  100. Love others. Be grateful for all the people around you because they help you to grow. They enrich your life experience. Without them, your life would not have been the same.
  101. Last but not least: Love life. I always find living to be a fascinating experience. How we’re all on earth, with millions of species, 30,000 different life forms, over 7 billion people, and all thriving in its own way, existing, co-existing and in co-creation mode. There’s so much we don’t know out there, so much to be experienced in life, that it’s just wonderful.

25 Lessons I’ve Learned In 50 Years


Life Lessons
This is a guest post by Barrie Davenport of Live Bold and Bloom.
For anyone under 50 reading this, I have some good news for you.  50 is pretty darned good!
I even surprise myself by writing this, because believe me, I never thought the day would come when I would embrace being half a century.  But it has arrived, and it doesn’t stink.
Yes, yes — there are the inevitable physical changes that are quite unsettling.  Things do start to droop, wrinkle and expand.  Sometimes you will catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and wonder who that middle-aged person is.  On the outside, you may look like a grown-up, but on the inside it’s crazy how you still feel like you are 30.  Or younger.  (Ask my teenagers.  They hate that about me.)
When I was in my 30’s and 40’s, I took life much more seriously.
In fact, I think I was mysteriously older then than I am now.  Is that possible?  When you are busy building a career, raising children, accumulating stuff, and creating a lifestyle, you are defined by that busyness.  It’s serious work.  You have to make money to pay for the lifestyle.  Your kids need to be raised right lest they become a scourge on society and embarrass you by living in a trailer and eating bugs.
Those years are fulfilling and wonderful, but they also are fraught with upheaval and angst.  Things that once didn’t matter when you were younger, like having the right cocktail napkins or winning yard of the month, somehow matter so very much.  We struggle toward some kind of perfection and achievement that is ‘out there’ somewhere.
I don’t know about you, but I have spent a lot of time trying to create the self I thought I should be.  I cobbled together the perfect me made from pieces of this and that.  The clothes I wear, the neighborhood we live in, the car I drive, the friends I have.  It looks pretty nice from the outside.  And much of it is nice on the inside too.
But I spent way, way too much time in the work of crafting myself, and far too little time just being myself.
When you are spinning your wheels to maintain this beautifully crafted life, you miss out on a whole lot of real living.
If I were able to time travel and visit my twenty or thirty-year-old self, there are some things I would really like to teach me.  Since I can’t do that, hopefully you will benefit from some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last 50 years.
  1. 50 doesn’t feel like 50.  It doesn’t feel like the age you imagined when you are in your 20’s or 30’s.  For the most part, it feels the way you feel right now.  But smarter and more confident.  You also have more time and resources to enjoy life.  So don’t fear it.  Look forward to it.
  2. Experience life before you settle down.  Whatever it is you want to do or experience, do as much of it as you can before you have children.  Especially travel.  Live in a hovel and drive a beat-up Dodge Dart if you have to.  But go have some really great, amazing, mind-blowing experiences.
  3. Money and stuff are not all that important.  Yes, you want enough to be comfortable and do the things you want to do.  But accumulating for the sake of accumulating is so boring and empty.  Feed the soul, not the ego.
  4. Don’t try to impress people.  That’s an act that brings nothing but a momentary ego boost.  Be real with people instead.  Connect with fewer people on a level that is deeper and more profound.
  5. Let your kids fail.  Your kids will be okay, even if you think they are headed for the juvie right now.  Don’t come to their rescue all the time.  Don’t manage every detail of their lives or over-schedule them with tao quan dao or viola lessons.  Give them some boundaries, and then relax about them.
  6. Bad things will happen.  Part of living and getting older is experiencing upheavals in life.  People lose jobs, get divorced, die.  When you are younger, and things have gone pretty well, this can be shocking.  The bad things won’t kill you.  You will learn from them if you allow it.
  7. Not much is worth fighting about.  If you can avoid it, don’t fight.  Step back from arguments with your spouse or family member or neighbor.  When you feel anger surging up and you want to say that snarky thing on the tip of your tongue, just close your mouth and walk away.  Let yourself calm down.  You don’t have to be right or win the argument.  It just doesn’t matter that much.
  8. Little things stick with you.  So pay attention to them.  Like watching your child sleep.  Preparing a meal with your family.  Sharing a great laugh with an old friend.  That is the real stuff life is made of.
  9. Keep having fun.  Fun is way underrated.  With all of our responsibilities, fun seems like an indulgence.  It shouldn’t be.  It should be a requirement.  Remember what you did to have fun when you were younger, and go do it again.  Leave the house messy and the yard un-mowed for the weekend.  You will remember the fun, not the clean house or yard.  Make time for fun.
  10. Make things simpler.  Pick the five most important things in your life now, and focus on those things.  Let the other stuff go.  Let go of the activities, the events, the commitments, the shopping, the to-do lists.  Stop the busyness and really enjoy the important things you have right now.
  11. Keep your brain active.  Don’t get into a mental rut.  Do new things, learn new things, explore new ideas in all areas of your life.  Keep challenging yourself and your mind.  Be curious and interested in the world around you.
  12. Hang out with younger people.  Stay connected with what the generation behind you is doing and thinking.  Establish friendships with them.  You will benefit and learn from each other.  Don’t act superior, because younger people may know a whole lot more than you do!
  13. Keep exercising and eating healthy.  You know this, but I’ll remind you anyway.  The older you get, the more important a healthy lifestyle is.  In my 20’s, I could shovel down a Wendy’s hamburger and fries every day and never see the difference.  Now I just look at a hamburger and my butt gets bigger.
  14. Manage aging, but why fight it?  You can spend a fortune on face creams, plastic surgery, hair growth formulas, and botox, but eventually you realize you are fighting an uphill battle.  Groom yourself nicely.  Stay fit.  Have unsightly things removed.  But accept the beauty of aging.  A striking mature man or woman is much more attractive than someone who looks overly taunt, tanned or top-heavy.
  15. Everyone doesn’t have to like you and vice versa.  One of my friends likes to say, “She’s not in my cluster.”  Sometimes there are people in your life who are just not the right fit or who drain you dry.  It is fine to back off from them or even let them go.
  16. Marriages evolve and change.  The feelings you had for the man or woman you married will mutate and evolve several times over the life of a marriage.  Hopefully you will evolve in the same direction or at least embrace and accept the changes in the other person.  It takes work, and sometimes it takes counseling.  Don’t gloss over those changes or you may wake up next to a stranger one day.
  17. Yes, you can still have great sex.  When I was in my 20’s, I thought you stopped doing it when you were in your early 40’s.  I assumed middle aged people would no longer want to disrobe in front of each other.  I’m happy to inform you that this is not the case.
  18. Tend to your friendships.  Especially your oldest friendships.  These are the people who know and love you best, in spite of your flaws.  Treat them like the precious gems they are.
  19. Stop worrying.  Worry does absolutely nothing productive.  In fact, it is counterproductive.  The more you worry, the more you reinforce the problem or concern in your brain.
  20. Everything is not always black or white.  Life is often very ambiguous.  Sometimes there isn’t a right or wrong decision or choice.  Things are not always completely clear.  You may not get THE answer, so you just have to wing it.
  21. Take action on your dreams.  If you’ve been putting things off — a new career, more education, the big trip — start taking action right now to make it happen.  Don’t dream about it anymore.  Start doing it.
  22. Don’t dwell on your wounds.  Everyone has something that has caused pain and has been limiting them in some way.  If you need help to deal with it, then get it right away.  Don’t let the past limit your future.
  23. Embrace change.  As uncomfortable as it is sometimes, change allows us to stretch and grow.  New things feel awkward and scary at first, but those feelings go away, and you are left with something bigger and bolder in your life.
  24. Be vulnerable.  Allow yourself to feel, to be open and authentic.  Tear down any emotional brick walls you have built around yourself and feel every exquisite emotion, both good and bad.  This is real life.  This is how you welcome new opportunities.
  25. Count your blessings every day.  I know, this is a refrigerator magnet line, but practice it daily anyway.  There is so much good, so much beauty, so much love in your life.  What more do you really need?  You have so much right now, you just need to pause long enough to appreciate it.
http://www.marcandangel.com

101 Short Stories that Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking


Makes Me Think
Since its inception eighteen months ago, our sister site Makes Me Think (MMT) has truly evolved into a remarkable online community.  Every day, users share their thought-provoking life stories and vote on stories  that other users have shared.  Some are happy, some are sad, and others twist your emotions, pulling them in several directions at once.
As stated on the MMT About page, sometimes the most random everyday encounters force us to stop and rethink the truths and perceptions we have ingrained in our minds.  These encounters are educationally priceless.  They spawn moments of deep thought and self-reflection that challenge the status quo and help us evolve as sensible individuals.
I believe the 101 stories listed below perfectly fulfill that description.  Of the thousands of stories that have been submitted to MMT in the last eighteen months, these are my personal favorites.
What do you think?
  1. Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug.  When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her.  She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”  MMT
  2. Today, at the age of 70, my grandfather graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in business studies.  He’s been a successful business owner most of his life, but he told me he earned his degree to fulfill a promise he made to his mother before she lost her battle with cancer 50 years ago.  MMT
  3. Today, my mom is a healthy 54 year old who successfully owns and operates a popular bakery downtown – a goal she had all her life.  15 years ago she was diagnosed with cancer.  In the face of death, she quit her store clerk job, opened the bakery, started chemo therapy, and succeeded on all fronts.  MMT
  4. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.  MMT
  5. Today, as a young ‘up and coming’ lawyer, everyone in the firm was congratulating me for winning my first big case this morning.  And all day long all I could think about is how I used a technicality in the law to help a murderer walk away a free man.  MMT
  6. Today, on our 50th wedding anniversary, she smiled at me and said, “I only wish I had met you sooner.”  MMT
  7. Today, after 2 years of separation, my ex-wife and I resolved our differences and met for dinner.  We laughed and chatted for almost 4 hours.  Then just before she left, she handed me a large envelope.  In  it were 20 love letters she wrote me over the last 2 years.  There was a post-it note on the envelope that said, “Letters I was too stubborn to send.”  MMT
  8. Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago.”  MMT
  9. Today, someone else’s tragedy provided the miracle my family had prayed for.  Thanks to this stranger, my dad will have a heart.  It’s so odd to think that an accidental death just saved his life.  MMT
  10. Today marks the ten year anniversary of the day when I slapped him and screamed at him remorselessly for not letting me in the bathroom after we ate breakfast.  That moment also marks the positive turning point in my battle with Bulimia.  I think he saved my life that day.  MMT
  11. Today at 7AM I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went in to work.  At 3PM I got laid off.  On my drive home I got a flat tire.  When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too.  A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.  I start tomorrow.  MMT
  12. Today, I was working in a coffee shop when 2 gay men walked in holding hands.  As you might expect, heads started turning.  Then a young girl at the table next to me asked her mom why 2 men were holding hands.  Her mom replied, “Because they love each other.”  MMT
  13. Today, after the funeral, I went back to my parent’s empty house – the house I grew up in.  As I gazed around in awe of all the great memories we made in it, I noticed an old photo of my parent’s in their 20’s sitting on the coffee table.  In my father’s handwriting, across the back was written, “In this moment, we were infinite.” MMT
  14. Today, as I walked away from the airport gate alone with my head held high and eyes beet red from crying, I knew at that moment what it meant to be a military wife.  MMT
  15. Today, a lady walked up to me in the gym and asked me to give her some workout pointers.  She said, “You look incredible!  Watching you gradually tone-up and progress in here has become my primary inspiration to get in shape.”  It made me smile because I’ve struggled with my weight since I was 15.  MMT
  16. Today, my grandpa died.  As I was crying and telling my grandma how sorry I was, she said, “Let’s stop being so sad and instead celebrate the 80 wonderful years he was alive… 60 of which he spent with me.”  MMT
  17. Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died.  She simply said, “I feel so loved right now.  We should have gotten together like this more often.”  MMT
  18. Today, my richest friend growing up filed for bankruptcy and one of my poorest friends growing up purchased his second vacation home.  MMT
  19. Today, I pulled into a small gas station in the middle of the desert in New Mexico and realized I had left my wallet at my girlfriends house 5 hours away.  I had no money and barely enough gas to make it another mile down the road.  The only other person that stopped for gas was a burly looking trucker.  I was a bit reluctant, but I asked him for some spare change for gas.  Instead he filled my tank and said, “Someone did this for me a few years ago.”  MMT
  20. Today, I was all dressed up and waiting on my blind date to arrive.  He never showed up.  It made me feel ugly.  I thought he may have seen me from a distance and bailed.  Then as I left the restaurant alone, I heard a little girl ask her mom if I was a princess.  It made me smile and it MMT.
  21. Today, while I was driving my grandfather to his doctor’s appointment, I complained about hitting 2 red lights in a row.  My grandfather chuckled and said, “You always complain about the red lights, but you never celebrate the green ones.”  MMT
  22. Today in downtown San Diego, I watched a blue collar Mexican man get harassed for being Mexican.  It was a blatant act of discrimination.  And the man actually began crying.  As he left the office building, he took off his jacket. His t-shirt underneath read, “I love the USA!”  MMT
  23. Today, at a jazz club in San Francisco I saw a man and woman enjoying a drink together.  The woman was a dwarf and the man must have been 6 feet tall.  Later in the evening they went out onto the dance floor.  The man got down on his knees so they could slow dance together.  They danced the rest of the night.  MMT
  24. Today, I was the maid of honor in her wedding.  Four years ago she was declared cancer free.  Eight years ago, during our senior year of college, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and told she had eighteen months to live.  MMT
  25. Today, I received a gigantic gift bag from one of my friends.  She said she appreciated me being there for her, and that I am one of her best friends.  She is mentally and physically handicapped, and I merely see her for half an hour once per week.  MMT
  26. Today, my close friend died unexpectedly in a car accident.  A cab driver saw me crying outside the hospital all alone at 3AM.  He stopped, helped me into the cab, drove me to my house 30 miles away and refused to let me pay him.  MMT
  27. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed.  About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.  MMT
  28. Today I met a 90 year old woman at Kinko’s who was getting her passport photo taken so she could go on a Safari in Africa next month for her 91st birthday.  MMT
  29. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling.  I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?”  “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.  MMT
  30. Today, I am thankful that my family has acquired enough wealth so that my parents can afford to live in their own house and send me and my siblings to college.  But I miss the days when we were younger and were all crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment and forced to play board games and eat supper together.  MMT
  31. Today, my father’s mistress saved my mother’s life when she ran into our fire-engulfed house and pulled my mother out to safety two minutes before the roof collapsed.  MMT
  32. Today, at a funeral reception, everyone had something kind to say about the deceased.  As they spoke through their tears, many of them admitted that they wish they had told John how wonderful he was before he died.  MMT
  33. Today, after watching a violent horror movie, my little brother abruptly asked my grandfather how he wants to die.  “Like the sunset,” my grandfather replied.  MMT
  34. Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.  MMT
  35. Today, as they teased me and laughed hysterically, I just wished they could see the world through my eyes.  MMT
  36. Today, as I read my brother’s suicide note, chills ran down my spine because I was horrified by the fact that I could relate to everything he wrote.  MMT
  37. Today, my son and I were in a car accident.  I came out of it with just a cut over my eye, but my son fell into a coma.  The doctor said if he doesn’t wake up soon his chances of a full recovery greatly decreases.  An hour ago he opened his eyes and said a word I thought I’d never hear again, “Mommy.”  MMT
  38. Today, I interviewed a woman who is terminally ill.  “So,” I tried to delicately ask, “What is it like to wake up every morning and know that you are dying?”  “Well,” she responded, “What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend that you are not?”  MMT
  39. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”  MMT
  40. Today, I told my mom that I feel like I’m failing with my alcoholism counseling and that I want to quit.  Then she said my 8 year old brother told her, “I really like the new Elliot so much better.”  MMT
  41. Today, I met an amazing guy at a local diner during the breakfast rush.  He was sincere and handsome.  We agreed to meet back at the diner for lunch, but he never showed up.  I found out this evening from a mutual friend that he was in a fatal car accident on his lunch break two blocks away from the diner.  MMT
  42. Today, for two hours I stood next to a 50 something year old, burly biker looking guy at a Lady Gaga concert while he sincerely sang his heart out.  MMT
  43. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me.  He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.” MMT
  44. Today, I lost my mom to cancer.  My whole life I wanted to build an empire of wealth.  And now that I’m relatively wealthy, all I want is my mom back.  MMT
  45. Today, after telling my grandmother that I didn’t want to risk making such a huge mistake, she looked at me and said, “Looking back on it all, there are so many mistakes I wish I had had the courage to make when I was your age.”  MMT
  46. Today, while everyone else was complaining about the overbooked flight, I smiled and joked with the gate agent about my willingness to sit in the belly of the plane with the luggage.  15 minutes later, the gate agent found me sitting in the gate area and hand delivered a first class ticket to me.  She winked and said, “Thanks for being so patient.  As you know, the coach cabin is full.”  MMT
  47. Today, the evening news report forgot to mention that I was driving home from work five miles an hour below the posted speed limit and that he was an intoxicated drug addict with suicidal tendencies who deliberately jumped out in front of my vehicle.  MMT
  48. Today at 3PM my wife checked herself into an alcoholic rehab clinic all by herself after our son showed her bruise marks and belt lash welts on his backside that she couldn’t even recall giving him.  I don’t even know how I feel right now, angry at her or proud.  My head is spinning, and it all MMT.
  49. Today, I swore to her that if she followed through with it, I’d do the same.  And she slowly pointed the gun away from her forehead and toward the floor.  Then she handed it to me and cried in my arms for almost three hours.  MMT
  50. Today, a 12 year old boy died in a house fire near my neighborhood.  After he pulled his mom to safety, he ran back into the burning house for his 5-month-old baby sister.  MMT
  51. Today, my electric wheelchair broke down as I was rushing across campus to take a midterm exam.  Two female joggers noticed I was stuck and asked if I needed assistance.  When I explained my dilemma, they both pushed me simultaneously all the way to my class and got me there just in time.  MMT
  52. Today, I was in line at the store behind a man holding a dozen roses.  When he got up to the cashier’s counter, he realized that the cashier looked sad.  The man smiled and said, “I’m buying 11 of these roses for my wife.”  And then he handed the cashier the 12th rose.  She smiled from ear to ear.  MMT
  53. Today, I asked my 6 year old son what he wants to be when he grows up.  He said, “Mommy, all I want to be is happy.”  MMT
  54. Today, as I watched my 75 year old grandmother and grandfather being silly with each other and laughing in the kitchen, I felt like I got a short glimpse of what true love feels like.  I hope I find it someday.  MMT
  55. Today, we were supposed to meet in the park.  But instead I met her in the hospital’s intensive care unit.  And as I sat beside her bed and staring at her unconscious body hooked up to all the breathing equipment, I reached into my pocket, pulled out the diamond engagement ring, and cried.  I’m still here waiting and hoping.  MMT
  56. Today, when I told my 8 year old son that all of our dreams are within reach as long as we follow our heart and take action, he asked me if it was always my dream to be a waitress.  MMT
  57. Today, after spending the last year working 60 hours a week in an attempt to give my family a more comfortable life, I forgot about my son’s 14th birthday.  My son told me what the family really needs is more of me at home.  MMT
  58. Today, I was diagnosed with a malignant tumor and given 3 to 6 months to live 10 minutes before the hospital realized they mixed up my biopsy results with the patient in the next room.  MMT
  59. Today, as my son cried in my arms, he said, “What nobody realizes is that it’s torture.  Every day of my life I wish I wasn’t gay.”  MMT
  60. Today, my blind friend explained to me in vivid detail how beautiful his new girlfriend is.  MMT
  61. Today, my mother passed away after a long battle with cancer.  My best friend lives 2000 miles away and called to comfort me.  While on the phone, he asked, “What would you do if I showed up at your house and gave you the biggest hug in the world?”  “I would surely smile,” I replied.  And then he rang my doorbell.  MMT
  62. Today, the main girl who bullied me in high school came into my office apologizing and pleading for a job. I’m still thinking about it.  MMT
  63. Today, I was stopped at a traffic light when a mid-aged homeless woman asked me for change.  I usually I don’t give out dollars to the homeless because I assume they are going to buy booze.  But I saw her 45 minutes later at 7/11 buying bread and peanut butter.  She was so happy to see me.  MMT
  64. Today, my sister told me a student of hers turned eight years old on Friday.  When I realized he was born on September 11, 2001, I said, “How horrible for his family.”  My sister explained that his grandfather worked at the Pentagon and skipped work that day upon learning his daughter was in labor.  MMT
  65. Today, I was driving to a job interview when I saw a businesswoman standing next to her BMW on the side of the road.  She had a flat tire.  I pulled over and helped her put on the spare.  When I arrived to the interview, the woman who I helped ended up being the CEO of the company.  I got the job.  MMT
  66. Today at the Atlanta airport, as I walked off a plane dressed in my Army uniform, a little girl grabbed my hand and asked me if I would be going back overseas soon.  I told her I would be in 6 weeks.  She smiled and said, “Can you please tell my daddy that I love him.  My mommy told me he’s never coming home from over there.”  MMT
  67. Today, I waited on an elderly woman at the local restaurant where I work.  She left me a $90 tip on a $10 tab with a handwritten note that said, “I’m 86 and I can’t take this money with me.  So please spoil yourself with it.”  MMT
  68. Today, I met an elderly man at a bar in Miami.  When I asked him if he was vacationing, he handed me a photo from his wallet and said, “Today would be our 50th anniversary.  And although she’s been gone 10 years now, this bar still reminds me of her smile - when we shared our first laugh here so many moons ago.”  MMT
  69. Today, another cancer patient of mine cried and begged me to let her die.  MMT
  70. Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic.”  MMT
  71. Today, as soon as my 5-year-old baby brother came into my room, I yelled at him to get out without even looking up at him.  When he didn’t listen and I turned around to yell again, I noticed he had a bowl of cherries (my favorite) in his hands.  He said, “Sorry, I just wanted to share these with you.”  MMT
  72. Today, when I got home from dropping you off at the airport, I sat at our kitchen table and stared down at my wedding ring and then up at the photo of my dad hanging on our refrigerator, and then I cried. I just hope the war doesn’t take you away from me too.  MMT
  73. Today, after spending the last 3 years viciously bickering with the college kid who lives next door, I found myself crying in his arms and thanking him repeatedly for saving my son’s life.  MMT
  74. Today at the diner where I work, an elderly couple came in for the 4th time this week and requested my table.  I asked them what kept them coming back.  They told me that I reminded them of their granddaughter who passed away 6 years ago.  Then they told me her name.  She was my best friend at the time.  MMT
  75. Today, my dad told me and my little sister that we might lose our house. I was sad, angry, worried and stressed.  My 14 yr old sister asked me what’s wrong.  When I told her, she said, “It’s just a house.  I don’t care where we live, as long as we’re together.”  MMT
  76. Today, I read countless articles about the slain soldiers at Fort Hood.  And it occurred to me that if these soldiers had been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq and died there, their deaths wouldn’t have made the front page of the newspaper.  MMT
  77. Today, I was walking past a group of homeless men who live near my complex.  A cab pulled up next to the men and the driver opened up the rear door and pulled out two huge grocery bags full of food.  He set them down next to the group of men, got in his cab and drove off without saying a word.  MMT
  78. Today, for the four hours he was breathing, his father and I loved him for a lifetime.  MMT
  79. Today, as I watched my oldest daughter graduate at the top of her class from Harvard Medical School, my wife reminded me that we had her when we were only seventeen.  MMT
  80. Today, I stopped to chat with the office janitor like I do every Monday morning on my way into work.  And at the end of our conversation he grinned and said, “You know, you’re the only one who ever stops to talk to me around here, and you’re the President and CEO.”  MMT
  81. Today, exactly twenty years ago to the hour, I risked my life to save a woman who was drowning in the rapids of the Colorado River.  And that’s how I met my wife - the love of my life.  MMT
  82. Today, I’m in Iraq on my third tour of duty fighting for a cause I no longer believe in.  And I want to go home.  But ever since I caught my wife having an affair 6 months ago, I’m not sure I know where home is anymore.  MMT
  83. Today, as I stared down blankly at the $750,000 life insurance check, I couldn’t help but wish it had been me instead.  MMT
  84. Today, my wife checked herself into an alcohol rehab clinic after she glanced up at me while she was eating her breakfast and asked how I got a black eye and fingernail scratches all over my face.  MMT
  85. Today I found out that my high school friend I’d been meaning to get in touch with for the last year died last week.  MMT
  86. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.”  MMT
  87. Today, after spending the last ten years serving liquor to alcoholics all day every day I looked in the mirror and felt disgusted.  I’ve concluded that I am, in fact, a failure, even though all my friends call me a successful business owner.  MMT
  88. Today, as my grandfather (a military doctor, war hero, and successful business owner) rested in his hospice bed, I asked him what his greatest life accomplishment was.  He turned around, grabbed my grandmother’s hand, looked her in the eyes, and said, “Growing old with you.”  MMT
  89. Today, it’s just the six of us.  One was raped when she was fourteen.  Three come from abusive households.  Two were orphans.  Like me, one spent almost two straight years in a psychiatric facility as a kid.  But I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for all the perfect friends in the universe.  MMT
  90. Today, I was walking home from work in the pouring rain without an umbrella.  I was walking just behind an elderly man who had an umbrella.  As we both passed under the overhang to an apartment building, he stopped, turned around and handed me the umbrella.  He said, “This is my stop and you look like you need an umbrella.  Pass it along someday when the opportunity arises.”  MMT
  91. Today, my friend told me she didn’t mind being legally blind, with only 12% of her vision.  She said, “After it rains there’s usually a dew left on the grass.  And because of the way my eyes refract the light, I see rainbows in the grass.”  MMT
  92. Today, at a neighborhood BBQ my neighbor’s son - a 25 year old Marine – dropped to the floor and started crying when one of the other guests lit off a round of firecrackers.  MMT
  93. Today, the teenager I scream at almost every day for driving too fast in the neighborhood because it worries me that he’s going to run over my kids, ran across the street from his driveway to ours and grabbed my son off of his tricycle in the middle of the street just before a swerving drunk driver ran over my son’s tricycle and kept going.  MMT
  94. Today, I was in an accident that left me with a gash on my forehead.  The doctors wrapped a bandage around my head and said I have to keep it on all week.  I hate wearing it.  Two minutes ago my little brother walked into my room wearing a bandage on his head.  My mom said he insisted that he didn’t want me to feel alone.  MMT
  95. Today, when I tapped the side of my wheelchair and told my husband, “You’re the only reason I want to be free from this contraption,” he kissed me on my forehead and said, “Honey, I don’t even see that thing.”  MMT
  96. Today, I was jogging in Central Park when this lady started screaming for help.  Her husband was having a heart attack.  I ran over and checked his pulse.  He didn’t have one.  I gave him CPR and got his heart beating before the paramedics arrived.  I’ve done some bad things in my life, but today I saved a life.  MMT
  97. Today, I met a powerful businessman who is worth 100 million dollars.  In conversation he told me he regretted never making it to his son’s hockey games or his daughter’s dance recitals.  It made me smile because my dad is probably only worth as much as this man’s last paycheck, but he made it to everything.  MMT
  98. Today, at the food court in the mall, a beautiful girl about my age came up to me and hugged me with tears in her eyes.  Once she calmed down, I realized that I had pulled her out of a bathtub a month earlier, her wrists covered in slashes. I am an EMT, and her gesture of appreciation MMT.
  99. Today, my fiancé was in a head-on collision car accident.  He is currently in a coma.  And all I can think about is the argument we had this morning.  I screamed at him for screaming at me.  It was a petty argument.  But if he could scream now, I wouldn’t say a word.  I’d just listen to the sound of his voice.  MMT
  100. Today, I have two twin boys in my kindergarten class.  I have heard from other parents that they come from a very broken home in which their mother is in and out of rehab and their father is always away on business.  But their 16 year old sister never fails to get them to school on time or pack them a healthy bagged lunch with a smiley face on it.  MMT
  101. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.”  MMT
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