There’s a few quotes that really stick in my head, and they are ones I always try and think of when making big decisions, or even smaller ones. In a way they help me live the kind of life I want to live!
“A Little Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good”
This has basically been my mantra throughout my losing weight period as I really didn’t want to deprive myself. As part of my diet was increasing the amount of fat I ate (I was advised by a gastro consultant my diet lacked it) I found it quite easy to allow myself a small portion of what I wanted – generally this involved an indulgent salad dressing, cheese and a bit of nutella in my morning porridge.
It’s also a great thought to bear in mind when you are budgeting – I feel you are more likely to blow your budget if you deprive yourself all the time. Whilst I’ve been out on placement my aim has been to save as much as possible (I’m pretty pleased with how I’ve done!) but I’ve still allowed myself a few small treats each month.
“Be Silly, Be Honest, Be Kind”
It’s a quote I originally came across through Little Miss Katy, and rather embarrassingly I didn’t realize it was a quote until last week – I just thought it was a delightful phrase she came up with! It’s such a lovely idea, a simple phrase which is perfect to live by.
Small decisions, big decisions, even just thinking about it improves my mood. It makes me appreciate simple things, makes me realize I don’t need to be too serious, and the kindness bit speaks for itself.
Katy has actually penned the quote onto a t-shirt as part of a competition – there’s some fab entries and entering automatically enters you into a prize draw for some vouchers so you have nothing to lose!
“Friends Are Like Flowers, They Need Love to Grow”
I think this was on the wallpaper in my sister’s nursery – as she’s sixteen this year it’s an awful long time for me to have remembered this quote but it’s stuck with me.
I have a fear of always being the one making the effort with friendships, and a flight-not-fight mentality. If me and a friend have a slight falling out I always take it as the end – and I’m stubborn so unless something is genuinely my fault I won’t make the first move back. This quote is lovely as it reminds me that friendship is a two way thing and needs work to happen. Since I’ve been at university I’ve made close friends which have stuck (and I can’t imagine my life without them).
This quote also works in the other way – I found having left my secondary school I was always the one arranging things with my friends (I was the only one to leave), always the one texting first, and it just starting getting more and more awkward. Friendship isn’t just one sided, and this quote made me realize that if they weren’t willing to make it work, it probably wasn’t worth it. In the end I was all the more happier for letting them go and concentrating on friends who were there for me.
“Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do”
Such a good one currently, as I approach the time when I’ll be frantically searching for a graduate job. I have the long-term dream of becoming an actuary, but I know that will take patience to get the job, then hell of a lot of dedication whilst working towards qualification.
I know I’ll never, ever get there without putting the work in, and that’s the same with most things in life. Relationships are never just ‘perfect’, they take work. Dream jobs don’t just appear. Opportunities don’t always present themselves – you need to get out there and work for success.
What quotes/sayings do you live by?