I’ve always been a huge fan of quotes. I used to sit for hours and simply read different quotes on diverse websites. Also, ever since I started reading more books (read more about this interesting story here), I began building my own quote collection. I think it’s just nice to sometimes sit down and have a look at the list of the books you’ve read and read the quotes you’ve found inspiring for some reason. This year, I already made it to read about 35 books in total. I didn’t like them all, but 25 of them were really great. I’ve highlighted many quotes from each one of them and today I’m sharing my favorites. I´ll also include a short story about why I liked them. 🙂
QUOTES ABOUT HAPPINESS
To find happiness, it is crucial that you know what it is. It means that you must define it for yourself.
There is no app for happiness – Max Storm
This quote made me realize something important about happiness. I’ve always thought about it as somethings general, but after reading this book, I realized happiness really is something we all have to define for ourselves. Also, I learned happiness is not something we find, and it stays with us forever. We have to constantly ask ourselves: What is it, that really makes us happy.
...and that I knew what it meant to be “happy”, I had to figure out how, exactly, to make myself happier. Could I discover a startling new secret about happiness? Probably not. People have been thinking.
The happiness project – Rubin Gretchen
You’ve probably noticed I really enjoy books about happiness. This is because I think we sometimes become blind and miss to appreciate some simple things around us that make us happy. This book was all about figuring out what it really is that makes us happy and it gave me a lot of food for thought about all the tiny things that put a smile on my face.
Indeed, it turns out that we are prone to take for granted pretty much everything positive that happens to us.
The Myths of Happiness Lyubomirsky Sonja
One more about happiness!! And a very good one. I started reading it on one evening, shortly before my graduation exam. I think I’ll never forget that precise evening. All of a sudden, I started a very stupid discussion with my husbanded. Nevertheless, I realized very quickly it wasn’t leading to any good conclusion. I gave up and looked for a new book to read. This is how I came across The Myths of Happiness. It was just there waiting for me to show me how stupid it was to start a discussion for no good reason at all. It also thought me to learn and appreciate positive things we experience on a daily basis and stop taking them for granted.
as much as i cherish the joys of genuine companionship, i do love the glory of solitude. this is a pleasure that has deepened for me with age. often, solitude can fill me with peacefulness and a simple gratitude for being alive.
Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It - Klein Daniel
No words needed for this book. Go ahead, get it and read it. You’ll love it.
QUOTES ABOUT ATTITUDE
Life is fragile. We all say that, but most of the time the truth of it does not move from our hearth to our hearth. We take people for granted, ignore aches and pains, do not say the things that we know we need to say, putting them off for a later time.
Driving Miss Norma – Tim Bauerschmidt
This was definitely one of those books I´ll remember forever. It’s such a sad and incredibly positive story at the same time. It made me think about how important it is to enjoy every second of our lives. Moreover, it was such a great reminder on how much we should appreciate our parents and our parents in law. Loved it!!!
Authenticity isn’t always the safe option. Sometimes choosing being real over being liked is all about plying it unsafe. It means stepping out of our comfort zone.
The gifts of imperfection – Brene Brown
This book has sent my thoughts back to the school days. Especially in the elementary school, I was one of those uncool kids nobody minded hanging out with. I desperately tried to be a person everybody would like, but it simply didn’t work out. That made me incredibly sad. However, now that those times are over, and I’ve put a lot of effort in changing my attitude, I’ve found myself in this quote. It really is incredibly important to learn to like ourselves just the way we are and stop trying to be everybody’s darling.
As a child she’d discovered that anything that made you different, made you stand out, also made you a target. In the jungle of the playground, differences were seen as weaknesses, and weaknesses were rarely celebrated. People thought she was gentle, but Harriet knew that wasn’t accurate. She wasn’t particularly gentle, whatever that meant, except perhaps with animals. She was tolerant. She accepted differences.
Moonlight Over Manhattan – Morgan, Sarah
This book gave me the opportunity to reflect on my life a lot. Especially on the years I’ve spent in school. It also made me think about sister-love and how much I appreciate having a sister who was always there for me.
We allow ourselves to be driven by speed, momentum—everything must happen now—and by impulses. Nothing is durable anymore. Farewell cathedral built across three centuries; farewell masterpiece that required a lifetime of experience and attention to perfect. We live passively. We defer to telephones, our jobs, fashion. Life becomes ever more uniform. Appearance, character, everything needs to look like everything else, and the average always tends to descend to the lowest sort. One of the most striking characteristics of the contemporary world is its superficiality...
To Fight Against This Age – Riemen Rob
I had to agree on so many points this book has managed to make. Isn’t it sad how superficial our daily lives have become and how stressed we´ve become over the years? We run from one point to another every single day and just forget to take some time for a deep breath and allow ourselves to enjoy being alive.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES
Life is like the theater. You are assigned a role. If you don’t like the role, keep in mind that you have the power to re-create the role you want.
The Things you can see only when you slow down – Sunim, Haenim
Sometimes, you meet people who constantly complain about their lives and how unhappy they are. Usually, it’s those people that never try to change a thing about their current situation. This is one of the quotes that really reminds me of them. To me, there are not many things impossible to achieve and if we really want to change something, we have to work on it until it works out. Complaining about it is not going to bring us any good. Don’t you think?
Some people put things off until a deadline looms, and others seem compelled to complete tasks immediately. Does procrastination interfere with success? Definitely not. Those who wait to complete tasks are just as likely to be successful as people who complete tasks ahead of time. Procrastination should not be linked with failure just as early action should not be tied to success.
What Motivates Getting Things Done – Lamia Mary
I always thought procrastination is just being lazy and the worst thing for our productiveness. However, this book really opened my eyes and made me realize there is nothing bad about it. It’s on you to find out why. 🙂
Nowadays people are so busy working toward the future and thinking about tomorrow, they forget how precious the present is.
Holiday in the Hamptons – Morgan Sarah
Such a fun book I really enjoyed reading to distract myself from studying and relax a bit. And it really is truth that we forget to enjoy the present way too often.
With all its shame and drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world; be careful, strive to be happy.
Paid For – Moran Rachel
I have to admit this book has totally changed the way I look at prostitution. It made me cry a lot and some details made me feel incredibly sick. However, it’s one of the books I would recommend reading to everyone who thinks prostitution is a choice. You’ll be shocked many times!
QUOTES ABOUT LIFE
perhaps we are all immigrants
trading one home for another
first, we leave the womb for air
then the suburbs for the filthy city
in search of a better life
some of us just happen to leave entire countries
The Sun and Her Flowers – Kaur Rupi
Looooved this one! Especially the quote. As I’m an immigrant myself (moved to Austria about 8 years ago), I’ve regularly been involved into discussions about immigration. I think there are way too many negative reports about immigration in the news and people should learn to appreciate all the benefits immigration contributes to our societies.
She remembered the owner from when she’d been growing up. She’d spent hours scanning new titles, writing down which ones she wanted the library to order.
Almost Perfect – Mallery Susan
One of those books that make you realize there is always hope and room for forgiveness. It talks a lot about personal success and how important our environment is for the realization of our dreams. Moreover, it teaches us that being able to forgive is a huge step that might just be the one to make us happier in so many ways.
Most of the choices we make each day may feel like they are the products of well-considered decision-making, but they’re not. They are habits. And though each habit means relatively little on its own, over time they have enormous impacts on our health, productivity, financial security and happiness.
The Power of Habit – Duhigg Charles
Everyone should read this book. Seriously! You’ve got no idea how crazy habits can be. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and become more aware of some things you do on a daily basis. Moreover, it´s gonna help you learn how to make some things we avoid become our habits. Like working out regularly. 🙂
Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.
Shame Nation – Scheff Sue
Read this one and you’ll never again laugh about 90% of the Gifs or “funny pics” you see on social media. It´s gonna make you realize how often you’ve been involved in collective bulling and trust me, you’ll feel ashamed.
Women writers aren’t supposed to be too brave, too sure of ourselves. Instead, we are supposed to dissemble, to approach with one knee bent, supplicant, to thank the men who helped us on our way, to blush and prevaricate if anyone asks what we hope to achieve. We’re taught, as women – especially as women – that before anything else, we must make ourselves likeable. We must make ourselves agreeable. We must shrink ourselves to fit the room, and shave down our ideas to fit the times. That sort of thing is death to creativity, death to good writing, death to clear thinking. Accepting that you’re going to be called a bitch isn’t about acquiescence. It’s about choosing freedom.
Bitch Doctrine – Penny Laurie
The first book I read that was written by a feminist. I can’t say I would agree about every single word, but there was so much truth in it.
Well, these are my absolute favorite quotes from the books I’ve read this year. I very much hope I’ve succeeded in my intention to inspire you to, firstly create some time to read more (full story here) and secondly, to learn to appreciate small things and understand how important reading is for expanding your mind and the way you look at the world.
Pictures taken by Patrick Sabo
Ein Food- und reisesüchtiger Mensch, der sich auch mit 28 über kleine Dinge freuen kann: Eine Schoko-Mousse-Torte lässt jede Sorge zumindest kurz verschwinden. Allerdings nur dann, wenn die Schokolade dunkel ist.
Auf “The Cosmopolitas” schreibe ich gerne über alles, was so in meinem Kopf herumschwirrt: Über diverse Gedanken, Essen, Reisen, Mode, und, und, und…
|| Sonst bin ich…
…eine wissbegierige Persönlichkeit, eine Predigerin des lebenslangen Lernens und bald eine Matrosin.:)
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