Quote Me

I am a sucker for advice. 

That makes me sound somewhat like a crazy person. Maybe I should change that to "words" or "quotes" instead. 

I am a sucker for a great quote. Yes, that's better. 

Browse my Pinterest and you'll find a board overflowing with quotes, advice and words of wisdom. Take a gander at my cube and you'll find printed-out quotes, neatly pinned to the gray walls ("Keep Calm and The Force Be With You" is one of them. High five to me). 

I am constantly searching for powerful quotes that directly influence me or spark something deep within in my soul. A mashing of words and syllables, tied together in a neat package of a sentence, can have the power to change my thinking, mood or even my day. I strive to read things that hit me so hard in the chest with emotion, I find myself at a loss. A straight punch to that thing beating within my rib cage, a jab at the very organ controlling my entire life, and I'm sold. 

There's nothing like it. Finding that one quote that puts into words exactly how you're feeling at that moment, or coming across that piece of advice that you desperately, unknowingly needed to hear. Its a startling realization that someone else out there in this vast world understands you and your thoughts. 

Words have an unusual power over me. They make me remember certain moments in my life with either great passion or strong hatred. They challenge my actions, thoughts and everyday behavior, while cornering me into learning the lessons I didn't know needed learning. They inflict damage on my psyche in the best way possible; they show me paths of light when I'm stuck in utter darkness. They express words I can't bring myself to speak out loud: ones I wish I had the courage to mutter and those I smartly refuse to say. They broadcast positive attitudes about love, life and change that I sometimes forget to remember. 

A good quote is everything. A strong piece of wisdom that I connect to is something I hold dear. Such a simple thing as a quote can evoke emotions strong enough to knock the wind out of me. Does anyone else find that as fascinating as I do? As impressive? 

My only wish is to be able to remember all the wonderful quotes I've read or heard and implement them throughout my life. I wholeheartedly want to internalize the words so deeply that my actions must follow suit; applying them to every aspect of my life, every struggle I encounter, every breath I take. 

It's hard to remember them all, but I try. I grasp at the words with long, stricken fingers, tugging at them to surrender and lay to rest in my insides. Some escape - their words just fleeting moments of joy before I find the next powerful quote - while some manage to stick to my ribs and heart canals.

My advice to you: Find a powerful quote and live by it. Find something that impacts you and hold it close. Find the words that change everything and let them. 

You won't be disappointed. 

- A