Favorite Inspirational Quotes

This is the true joy in life: The being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. The being a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die - for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw

This was a man who believed in putting all that he was and all that he had into living his life. It’s there for the reading in the inspirational quote and quite the inspirational quote it is.

Shaw believed in being a force of nature working toward a purpose (or purposes given all his inclinations and causes) that he recognized as great and worthy. He didn’t believe we are each small candles in the wind but that we should live as splendid brightly-burning torches. Can’t you just see the passion within this quote? No complaining and whining for him expecting the world to make him happy.

The world can’t make me or you happy. Happy is a state of mind and my mind is the one that must embrace this state. Nothing outside me can make me happy. I must rejoice just to be alive, here and now in this wonderful adventure.

And I want to live this adventure in time and space as fully as I can. I don’t want there to be any unlived dreams within me when I die. Shaw must have loved his work or he would not have said, “…the harder I work, the more I live.” When you find the work or purpose that makes your heart sing, the work is not hard. It makes you feel even more alive.

I want that passion again. I want to be a force of nature again. I will find that which makes my heart sing - the purpose that is recognized by me as a worthy one. I do know that this journalizing on inspirational quotes is beyond just helpful in this. This journalizing is part of my goal in making a better me.

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