"do what you can, with what you have, where you are." -teddy roosevelt
this is my all time favorite quote, and it's even in my email signature. it reminds me that i don't have to wait for the perfect conditions to make something happen in my life. i can always be working towards a goal, because moving an inch closer is better than having miles of intentions with no action. i might not have my forever house for my family right now, but i can still make it feel cozy and comforting! i might not have the life that i dream of at the moment, but i can make the life i am living currently bright and wonderful! i'm someone who is constantly wanting to improve on something in my life but struggles to find the "right time" to start. i can't spend my life waiting on what-if's and could-be's when i could spend my time being in the moment.
"wherever you go, you take yourself with you." -neil gaiman
this quote came to me in my teenage years and at a very emotionally vulnerable time for me. i've always been one to daydream of living freely and nomadically, never wanting to be tied down, and i came across this quote in high school when all i was doing was thinking of traveling. i was also in a deep depression and thought that leaving my home and family would be the answer to being happy, when in reality whatever place i ended up in, i would still be with myself and my depression. i would still be stuck with the inner troubles i had because you can't physically run away from those things, they always follow you. i still moved out of state for college and believed it was the answer to feeling joy, but it really ended up also being some of the loneliest times in my life. this still sticks with me today because i still often talk to my husband about uprooting our lives and moving to the wild skies of montana to start a farm, or to the PNW and have a home in the dense forests, or to NYC and live out a big city life, or to europe and reside in the hilly countryside of france where our children could learn to be bilingual. but in reality, i have to learn to be happy with who i am as a person.
"your best can look different everyday." -unknown
being a human means being dynamic. you are not the same person you were yesterday and you won't be the same tomorrow. a little part of you changes everyday as you live and learn, as you experience life. i've come to accept that this also means my best efforts one day are going to be different than another day. today i might feel energized and motivated to clean my entire house top to bottom, while tomorrow i might barely get out of bed to brush my teeth - and both of those things are okay. not everyday has to be productive and not everyday has to feel relaxed. i am constantly changing, growing, shifting, experiencing, and becoming. this is also something i tell my students often to reassure them that it's okay to not be perfect everyday and that i don't expect them to be, i just need them to put forth as much effort as they have that day and we can worry about tomorrow when we get there.
honorable mention: "people have thrown dirt on my name, others have given flowers. it's all a garden to me." -barbara howard, "abbott elementary"
what are some of your favorite quotes? do you have any that changed your perspective on life? do any of the quotes i've listed hit home for you?
until next time, ciao!!
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