Quotes To Inspire Yourself

Being a hero doesn’t necessarily imply wearing a cape and having superpowers, although that would make things a lot easier. There’s a hero in each one of us and the challenges we face and overcome every day are proof of our strength and courage. In narratology, the hero’s journey is also known as the monomyth and it’s basically a template for all the hero stories you know: the hero goes on an adventure, faces many trials, takes risks, wins a victory, and then comes home wiser and stronger than ever. As an expert on mythology, Joseph Campbell laid out the basic elements of this concept in his book The Hero’s Journey . The hero’s journey did not originate in fiction. It is simply who we are as human beings. If you take a step back and think of all the things you’ve accomplished by now, the way you managed to overcome every situation that almost made you quit, and the kindness you’ve shown to others, you’ll come to realize that you’re the hero of your own story. But yo...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791), was an Austrian composer renowned for having composed numerous concertos, symphonies, operas and sonatas that have shaped classical music. As the son of a successful composer at the Salzburg court, Mozart was introduced to music at an early age. He loved mimicking his big sister’s playing and his father saw that he had a remarkable talent so he became young Mozart’s tutor. Soon, the boy exceeded everyone’s expectations -- by the age of six he was composing his own music. The proud father decided to take him on a tour around the palaces to show off his son’s genius to kings and queens. At just 17 years old, Mozart got a job in Salzburg as a court musician, but his ambition took him to Vienna where he composed and performed for his fans until his very last breath. Nowadays, he is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in history. Unlike Beethoven and Haydn, another two brilliant musicians, Mozart ...

Every single time we read a book, we go on a new adventure and we owe every journey to our favourite authors. We learn new things about the world we live in, about people around us and perhaps, most importantly, we rediscover ourselves. If you love books, you must have inevitably read something that shook you to your very core or has radically changed your perception on life itself. That’s what good books do – they open eyes, new horizons and feed our minds. The best authors still delight us with stories and truths and for brief periods of time, they release us from the constraints of our own reality. You know a book is great once you get lost in its story, lose track of time and forget about your daily struggles. Oh, and the smell of a new one! It is the smell of knowledge and comfort… Selecting a few quotes from your favourite authors was no easy task since there are so many brilliant men and women out there that have made history with their masterpieces. However, her...

Gustave Flaubert (December 12, 1821 - May 8, 1880), was a prolific writer regarded as the prime mover of the realist school of French literature. Flaubert began his literary career at school, and even though he had enrolled to study law, writing remained his all-time passion. His reputation rests on his masterpiece – Madame Bovary – a novel that was considered an outrage for many critics after it was published. Now, the novel, which examines human conflicts, weaknesses and hypocrisies, is considered one of the best written books of all times. It remains just as pertinent today as it was in the 19 th century. Flaubert hated newspapers and “ideas received.” He strongly believed that they spread a new kind of stupidity in which people know more, yet understand nothing. The author used his opinions on the matter to create his most loathsome character in Madame Bovary , the pharmacist Homais. An intelligent man in the pursuit of perfection, Flaubert polished his work ov...

Marcel Proust (July 10, 1871—November 18, 1922) was a French novelist, best known for his seven-volume novel based on his own life, À la Recherche du Temps Perdu ( In Search of Lost Time ). Proust discovered his writing talent when he was only a teenager and wrote for class magazines; his later work was influenced by his philosophy master, Alphonse Darlu. He slowly gained fame after publishing Les Plaisirs et Les Jours ( Pleasures and Days ), a collection of short stories and short verse that mainly described artists and musicians. Proust was no stranger to tragedy – he was devastated after his father’s death. His mother also passed away only two years later, forcing Proust to be admitted into a sanatorium. Fortunately, he emerged once again into society after two months and writing helped him overcome his pain. His masterpiece, À la Recherche du Temps Perdu , consists of raw material from the author’s life and his reflections on the loss of time. However, it also em...

We often use the word soulmate to describe a special someone with whom we’ve deeply fallen in love and who also loves us back. But there’s definitely more to this type of connection and all the meanings that we attach to it, as this compilation of quotes will reveal to you. To some of us, a soulmate is almost like a mythical creature because we can’t seem to find it. They are always present in various love stories and poems-- everybody’s talking about them-- but where are they and how do recognize them? Others have been lucky enough to find their soulmate; they call it a divine intervention. And some are still searching, hoping that one day they’ll just show up and make us whole. By the way, kissing frogs is not the recommended way to find one. They say that when you meet your soulmate, you instinctively know. Your connection is so profound that words can’t even begin to describe what you’re feeling inside. It suddenly feels like you’ve been knowing that person for a li...

The 19th century Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen is known throughout the world for his fairy tales and stories. Andersen went from being a poor working class lad to a world famous artist. His mother was a washer woman and his father a shoemaker. While his family didn’t have much, they still made sure their son received proper education. Hans began writing poems when he was a teenager, but started to make a name for himself as a short story writer. Published in 1829, his short story called "A Journey on Foot from Holmen’s Canal to the East Point of Amager" became a runaway success. Hans would then become a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, but he is particularly remembered for his books on fairy tales that are enjoyed by people of all ages to this day. Stories like "The Ugly Duckling" , "The Emperor’s New Clothes" , "Thumbelina" , "The Snow Queen" , "The Little Mermaid" and "T...

As natural as it might come to others, true self-love is one of the most difficult things a person can achieve in a lifetime. First and foremost, just to remove any type of confusion, self-love and narcissism are not the same. While narcissism can be destructive to the self and affect others around you in negative ways, self-love will bring you nothing but joy. Think of it as a package made out of self-esteem, self-acceptance and the kindness one can show to oneself in different situations. Self-love does not mean you’re selfish. It means that you’ve finally learned what makes you happy, what your standards and boundaries are. You’re finally okay with cutting off whatever doesn’t feel right in your life. You treat everyone with the same amount of love and respect, but now you also know that your time and feelings are just as valuable as any other’s. Self-love means understanding and forgiving yourself, just like you’d do with your loved ones. Loving yourself will make...

Ryan Reynolds is one of the sexiest men alive and has starred in movies from comedies (Van Wilder) to dramas (Fireflies in the Garden) and everything in between . He’s also known as Detective Pikachu and the funniest superhero we’ve all been waiting for since X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released. No matter how hard they’ve tried to oppose the project, Deadpool is now the funniest superhero. But before becoming one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, Reynolds earned a living just like everyone else, working in warehouses or taking late shifts at a grocery store. The money he was getting as a young actor wasn’t enough to support himself so he needed some extra cash. We also know that he has an amazing relationship with his wife Blake Lively but when it comes to his children, Ryan is the perfect father. He got so good at changing diapers that now he can even do it while the kids are running. Reynolds is either “too deep” or makes fun of everything, no matter how ser...