On social media, I share uplifting quotes, inspiring reminders and personal reflections to encourage people in their mental health recovery. I strive to make every #inspirationtoovercome quote accurate, insightful and meaningful, instead of just posting overly-used clichés and empty phrases. However, be mindful that life is rarely as simple as can be expressed in words. Each person’s struggles are unique, so these words will have different implications for different people.
Browse the complete collection below (updated every seven posts or so):
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| Quote Number | Quote | Caption (Comments or Reflection) | Image | Original Post Date (yyyy/mm/dd) | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #407 | "Your present does not predict your future." —Inspiration to Overcome | Never underestimate your future potential because of your present performance. You don't need to show anyone "evidence" that you are capable of something based on what you've done in the past—not even yourself. You can never know how much you are truly capable of until it's been done. Circumstances change, behaviors change, and opportunities change. In time, you will find yourself doing things that once felt impossible. |  | 2021/04/27 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #406 | "Do not let this thing you got go to waste Do not let your heart be dismayed It’s here by some random disclosure of grace From some vascular, great thing Get the fuck out of your head if it says: 'Stay cold and be deathly afraid' Do not let your spirit wane Do not let your spirit wane" —Gang of Youths, “Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane” (final chorus) | "As the spirit wanes, the form appears." —Charles Bukowski Do not let the uniqueness of your spirit slip into conformity. Stop being complacent and holding yourself back out of fear. |  | 2021/04/25 | #I2Oimage |
| #405 | "Uncertainty is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be a prison. Trying to escape it is what's keeping you trapped." —Inspiration to Overcome | Here's a secret of uncertainty's prison: the "freedoms" you are chasing after—certainty, reassurance, perfection, and comfort—are actually the prison guards. Every time you think you're getting close, they turn around and throw you even deeper into uncertainty's clutches. Now, there's an even deeper secret: the prison is not really a prison at all. There are no cells, no restraints, and no boundaries. You are free to move around and do whatever you please, whenever you please. There is only one catch: uncertainty will always be there alongside you, lingering in the shadows. If you let it be and go about living your values, eventually you may not even realize it's there. But if you spend your time and energy desperately driving it away, it will loom larger and larger until it overshadows your whole life. Uncertainty and the emotions it feeds you—fear, dread, timidity, hopelessness, guilt, and doubt—will only remain a prison so long as you try to escape them. The only freedom is in surrendering to the unknown. |  | 2021/04/23 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #404 | "Can't I just turn back the clock? Forgive my sins I just wanna roll my sleeves up And start again I know that I messed it up Time and time again I just wanna roll my sleeves up And start again" —OneRepublic ft. Logic, "Start Again," 13 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘞𝘩𝘺 (𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 2) (2018) | There is a light within each of us that no one else can shine. Don't let your brilliance stay lost in the shadows or get buried in the abyss. It's never too late to rise up and start again. |  | 2021/03/07 | #I2Oimage |
| #403 | "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." —Bertrand Russell (modern adaptation) | I came across this quote by accident on YouTube a long time ago, and the truth of it has really stuck with me. I was reluctant to share it at the time because I thought it could be viewed as demeaning and doesn't explicitly relate to mental health. But after living through 2020, I believe this message is more important than ever. We live in a world where truth is becoming increasingly relative, and "the facts" depend almost entirely on which media pundit, politician, celebrity, "expert," or random person on Facebook is stating them. Reliable sources of information have become almost indistinguishable in the minds of many from the constant barrage of misinformation, opinions, political agendas, and outright lies we are subjected to on a daily basis. As someone who's OCD demands a constant awareness and understanding of the truth, this is especially terrifying for me. However, apart from the usual methods of evaluating the reliability of a source (which far too few Americans are capable of doing in the digital age, unfortunately), I have discovered something else that says a lot about the veracity of a source: whether or not they are willing to admit uncertainty. In science, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is certain. Similarly, the very definition of "faith" requires a humble confidence in that which cannot be proven. As Russell implies, there are some people who are so utterly convinced of what they believe (or what they want you to believe) that they are unwilling to even consider any evidence to the contrary. These people are not objective researchers or reasonable people of faith—they are fools or fanatics (or manipulative liars). Uncertainty brings the wisdom of humility; certainty is the fallacy of arrogance. While the voices of certainty are convincing and outspoken, they are often the least reliable. Wisdom resides with the quieter voices who are humble enough to admit what they don’t know. |  | 2021/01/05 | #I2Oimage |
| #402 | "Taking a moment to figure out how you really feel instead of letting old patterns decide for you is one of the most authentic things you can do." —Yung Pueblo | Are you acting out your true intentions, or are you just following old habits? Are you honoring your current feelings, or do you keep trying to suppress them? |  | 2021/01/04 | |
| #401 | "It’s not the end yet. It’s just a new beginning." —Unknown | For everything there is a season. For me, these past months have been a season of concession. A season of yielding to the power of uncertainty and fear. A season of surrender to futility and desperation. A season of sacrificing the things I value most for the things that benefit me the least. And a season of settling for the same old behaviors that are tearing me apart. America is in a similar season right now. For four years we have given in to the same behaviors that led us to where we were in 2016: Divided. Broken. Angry. Spiteful. Rigid. Arrogant. Intolerant. Intolerable. Today, half of America celebrates what appears to be the end of the Trump presidency. They hail the end to an era of uncertainty and chaos; they applaud the imminent demise of a president who threatened their rights, their lives, and our democracy. But today, over 70 million Americans stare down the loss of their great nation to the dawn of socialism. They fear for their freedoms, the lives of unborn children, and our traditional American values. These Americans are not gone. They are not defeated. They will not let that happen. The reality is this: more people voted for Donald Trump in this election than any other candidate in US history. Except Joe Biden. In this election. We are more polarized as a nation today than we were four years ago. Our actions over the past four years have torn us further apart, not brought us together. And the simple fact of a Biden/Harris victory by the narrowest of margins is not going to do much to change that. It’s not the end yet. It’s just a new beginning. The real work of reconciling our differences, putting prejudices and biases aside, and uniting behind our shared humanity is just getting started. The same goes with me. It’s not the end yet. The next chapter of my journey is just beginning. I have a lot of work to do, a lot of hard work that will slowly and painfully create a better version of myself. There will be setbacks; progress is never linear. But slowly and surely, I will begin to realize a better tomorrow. And so it is with America. Let the work begin. |  | 2020/11/09 | #I2Oimage #Election2020 |
| #400 | "Learn to sense and feel what's going on in the world without allowing it to ruin your well being." —Maryam Hasnaa | What's going on around the world doesn't have to control what's happening in your world. It's okay to step away from the chaos sometimes and focus on living your own life. If you're like me, chances are things are difficult enough without putting the weight of the entire universe on your shoulders. Finding our own inner peace is one of the most powerful ways we can help make the world a better place. |  | 2020/08/10 | |
| #399 | "Too much blood has flown from the wrists of the children shamed for those they chose to kiss." —"Make It Stop" (2011), Rise Against | One of the greatest human virtues is humility: the recognition that our opinions are not always right, that our work is not always the best, and that our egos are not gods. Too much pride can lead to conceit, and conceit is surely a dangerous thing. But humility is not the opposite of pride: shame is. And shame KILLS. No one deserves to be shamed for expressing how they truly feel. Pride is a feeling, a GOOD feeling, and a well-deserved one after millennia of shame and oppression. Enough is enough. Stop shaming people for feeling good about who they are. |  | 2020/06/10 | #pridemonth #I2Oimage |
| #398 | "I believe I’m here for a reason, and that reason is to help other people—to show them that hope is real and healing is possible." —Kade (formerly Angelina) Harpole | Personal experience is the best teacher. When we share our stories of overcoming mental illness with others, we transform our fears and doubts into agents of hope. From our pain we find purpose in guiding others to their own healing. Much thanks to my friend Kade for sharing this sentiment. If you have a chance, check out her guest post, "Shades of Grey," on my blog: https://www.inspirationtoovercome.com/.../04/shades-of-grey/ Have something to share, like a quotation or your personal story? Become an Inspiration to Overcome contributor and let your voice be heard! Message me for details. |  | 2020/06/05 | #I2Oimage #GuestQuote |
| #397 | "The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom." —"Caged Bird" (excerpt), Maya Angelou | We fear the unknown because it brings risk and danger. We long for the unknown because it means freedom from the afflictions we already know. Is freedom worth the price of the unknown? Maybe the bigger question is this: Is familiarity worth the prison of affliction? #breakfree |  | 2020/06/04 | |
| #396 | "It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world." —Mary Oliver | Wake up, you're alive. |  | 2020/06/03 | |
| #395 | "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands at times of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963) | #StandTogether ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 |  | 2020/06/02 | #BlackoutTuesday |
| #394 | "You are worth the quiet moment. You are worth the deeper breath. You are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still, and rest." —Morgan Harper Nichols | Prioritizing and protecting your mental health is always worth it. |  | 2020/06/02 | |
| #393 | "Do it because it feels wrong. Do it because it feels different. Do it because it goes against everything you have learned to feel." —Inspiration to Overcome | The best feeling in OCD recovery is the freedom to be wrong, the freedom to be different—the freedom to be something else than what your OCD demands you be. |  | 2020/06/01 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #392 | "May you have the courage to break the patterns in your life that are no longer serving you." —Unknown | May your frustration with staying stuck become greater than your fear of breaking free. |  | 2020/05/15 | |
| #391 | "Not every thought deserves the attention it seeks. Not every feeling is as fatal as you fear it could be." —Inspiration to Overcome | This one, too, shall pass. |  | 2020/05/14 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #390 | "You do not need to believe in your purpose. Your purpose is far greater than anything you could ever believe." —Inspiration to Overcome | Belief is not necessary to confirm the truth. Your life has purpose regardless of what you believe it to be. |  | 2020/05/01 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #389 | "We will not only survive this. We will thrive once again." —Inspiration to Overcome | Pain is temporary. Hope is eternal. Together we will overcome the storms both inside our heads and outside our doors. |  | 2020/04/30 | #COVID19 #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #388 | "Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day" —"Beautiful Day," U2 | The sky outside my house is beautiful even when it looks like its falling. Yours is beautiful too. #EnjoyTheLittleThings |  | 2020/04/06 | #I2Oimage #COVID19 |
| #387 | "Hold On, Pandemics End." —Inspiration to Overcome | Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted any new #inspirationtoovercome quotes since February. Creating these meaningful messages to share with you takes a lot from me, and I haven't had much to give since even before this #COVID19 pandemic began. Now, it seems the whole world is in crisis with me. Each new day brings news more worrisome than the last. I find myself wondering if this is how life as we know it comes to an end, if this is how hope ends. Can we have lives worth living beyond these present circumstances? What would that even look like in a post-coronavirus society? The shape of the future is not for our present selves to know. However, what I do know is that hope does not end. Hope never ends. Pandemics always fade away, but hope lives forever. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, love and hope will always remain. [Background: An electron microscope image showing particles of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) being released from an infected cell. Image credit: The University of Hong Kong.] |  | 2020/04/04 | #COVID19 #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #386 | "No, I’m not alright I know that I’m not right It feels like I travel but I never arrive I want to thrive, not just survive." —"Thrive," Switchfoot | And on that final day I die When it's just you and I I want to stare death in the eyes And tell it that I thrived. |  | 2020/02/19 | #I2Oimage |
| #385 | "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." —Martin Luther King, Jr. | And if you can't crawl, ask for someone to carry you. There's always someone ready to help get you to where you need to be. |  | 2020/02/18 | |
| #384 | "When everything is wrong, we move along." —"Move Along," The All-American Rejects | We can't go back and change what's wrong. Do the next right thing and move along. |  | 2020/02/17 | #I2Oimage |
| #383 | "Hold on with this hope: Tomorrow can still be beautiful despite all you do not know." —Morgan Harper Nichols | I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future. |  | 2020/02/14 | #I2Oimage |
| #382 | "We live in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." —C. S. Lewis | Quiet moments of reflection and the bond shared between good friends are two of life’s greatest treasures. In this world of instant gratification and ever-increasing busyness, devote some time to what truly matters today. |  | 2020/02/10 | |
| #381 | "It’s easier to deny the uncertainty of something than to tolerate the anxiety it causes you." —Inspiration to Overcome | "Am I a bad person?" "Does she really care about me?" "Will this thought corrupt my mind?" "Is what I believe really the truth?" "Will God send people I care about to hell?" "Does God even exist?" There are no certain answers to these questions, but I would feel a lot more comfortable if I could convince myself there are. "I'm a good person because I always tell the truth and love all people." "I know she cares about me because I ask her all the time." "These thoughts can't hurt me because I do mental rituals to neutralize them." "I know the truth because I analyze everything for potential falsehoods." "I've studied the Bible and nobody's going to hell." "I know there is/isn't a god because I've reflected upon every possible piece of evidence." It’s easier to suppress fear or doubt than to accept the uncertainty of its truth. Likewise, it’s easier to believe in something completely than to accept the uncertainty of its truth. This is especially true when OCD or anxiety makes uncertainty feel like the literal end of the world (which of course won’t happen...right?) But no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves of something, the uncertainty will remain. It may be an uncomfortable feeling, but certainty is an absurd one. The only way to conquer fear, doubt, and spurious belief is to fully embrace the anxiety of not being certain. |  | 2020/02/06 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #380 | "It hurts because you feel too much, because you care too much and because you feel connected to it all no matter how far you go." —R. M. Drake | Wherever I go, anxiety follows. Whatever I'm doing, OCD is there doing it with me. However far I travel, depression is not far behind. Mental illness knows no distance. The good news is that hope doesn't either. |  | 2020/02/05 | #mentalhealthawareness |
| #379 | "I can’t live by what I feel. I will live by what I value." —Inspiration to Overcome | I choose #LoveOverEmptiness, #CourageOverComfort, #HopeOverDespair, #TruthOverFear. |  | 2020/02/04 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #378 | "I want to see what happens if I don't give up." —Unknown | Live to see tomorrow. Fight to see what another day brings. Rise up in the morning and stare down all that you fear and all that you want to be. Show yourself it's possible. |  | 2020/02/03 | |
| #377 | "Some things in life, like some people, are not meant to be fully understood. So for now it’s best we call them miracles." —Atticus | If you’re alive—here, right now, reading this—my friend, you are a miracle. ❤️ |  | 2020/01/21 | |
| #376 | "With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." —Martin Luther King, Jr. | "I have a dream that one day ‘every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.’^ This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." ^Isaiah 40:4-5 |  | 2020/01/20 | #MLKday |
| #375 | "Sometimes the only answer people are looking for when they ask for help is that they won't have to face the problem alone." —Mark Amend | Ask, and it will be given to you. Not the solution to your problems, but the promise that someone will be there to face them with you. |  | 2020/01/20 | #mentalhealthawareness |
| #374 | "Believing a lie is inevitable. Knowing the whole truth is impossible. Embracing fallibility is invaluable." —Inspiration to Overcome | Unfortunately, being deceived is a natural part of being human. It's not possible to have the right information all the time. Truth is usually what’s hardest to see and rarely what's easiest to believe. But seek it out, and you will find it. Not the whole truth, but enough of it to set you free. |  | 2020/01/16 | |
| #373 | "You’re better off chasing an actual goose than trying to chase down your thoughts." —Inspiration to Overcome | I know it’s hard not to react when they’re going berserk, but they won’t stop coming unless you let them go. |  | 2020/01/15 | #ocdawareness #mentalhealthawareness |
| #372 | "Live uncertain. Embrace the anxiety of not knowing. When the answers you seek are unknowable, any conclusions you reach are possible." —Inspiration to Overcome | Even the good ones. |  | 2020/01/06 | |
| #371 | "Sometimes we must lose ourselves to find out who we truly are." —Inspiration to Overcome | Every great becoming begins with a painful undoing. Sometimes we must systematically unlearn our old habits and beliefs to make room for those which allow us to thrive. This is not easy, nor is there always a clear path to follow. Letting go of a part of yourself that was once central to your identity is terrifying, even when it has caused you great suffering. Scarier still is what comes next: stepping out into the unknown. Rediscovering who you are will take time and feel incredibly uncomfortable. You might even get lost and wander down some paths that aren’t yours. But eventually, you will find your unique path, the one that leads to a new and healthier version of yourself. Perhaps at the end you will finally see the person you were always meant to be. |  | 2019/12/31 | |
| #370 | "Believing doesn’t make things certain; it makes them possible." —Inspiration to Overcome | You don't have to believe recovery will happen to follow the process. You don't have to be confident in the process for it to work. You don't have to feel like you're ever going to conquer the darkness inside your mind for it to be defeated. You just have to believe that it's possible, and it will be—not certain, but possible. |  | 2019/12/30 | |
| #369 | "Thoughts have no meaning besides the meaning we give them." —Inspiration to Overcome | My mind loves to assign importance labels to every passing thought. If there's a question, it needs to be answered; if there's something "wrong," it needs to be fixed. IMMEDIATELY. Even the presence of an uncomfortable feeling is enough to "necessitate" a compulsion sometimes. Anything that deviates from my OCD's absurd standard of awareness, certainty, and control over my mind is interpreted as serious threat. The problem is, we don't really have control over the vast majority of our thoughts. They come and go on their own, much like clouds drifting in the wind. And like clouds, they don't really mean anything either, unless we choose to imagine them as objects or creatures in our mind. The worst thing they can actually do is create storms—but only if we hold onto them and give them energy. Otherwise, all they can do is rain. |  | 2019/12/23 | |
| #368 | "Some things are not meant to be described, explained, or understood, just accepted." —Inspiration to Overcome, adapted | Things cannot always be described, explained, or understood in a way that gives us certainty. Like our feelings, the truth, or why we exist. (Pictured: Cosmic Microwave Background, remnants of the big bang.) |  | 2019/12/12 | |
| #367 | "Some people care too much. I think it's called love." —Winnie the Pooh (A. A. Milne) | When your cares correspond with your values, then it's called love. When your cares are driven by fear and fixation, it's called an obsession. |  | 2019/12/11 | #mentalhealthawareness #OCDawareness |
| #366 | "Greatness is not in where we stand but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it—but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor." —Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. | In a way, this is the quote that started it all. After discharging from residential treatment at Rogers Memorial Hospital in the spring of 2014, I relapsed into a depression more hopeless than anything else I have ever experienced. Around this time, I began to take an interest in inspirational quotes and aphorisms, terse formulations of the truth I so desperately longed to realize in my own life. These fleeting beacons of hope became one of the few things that kept me going through that summer and into the following year, when I was fortunate enough to begin my second treatment stay at Rogers. While I was there, my mom sent me a pen cup with this quote engraved onto the front. At the top, and on a matching ballpoint pen, was the title: “Make It Happen.” This powerful statement became something of my guiding ethos from that point forward. It was part of the spark that reignited my willingness to move forward and face uncertainty, my refusal to be complacent with The Way Things Are. I was in control of the direction I was moving. I would no longer float adrift in the sea of doubt or remain anchored in the harbor of lies. I could set sail against the wind and make it happen, see what happens, feel what happens—but not be what happens. In time, I saw that it was good. And now, in this new moment of challenge and change, I will see that again. |  | 2019/11/12 | |
| #365 | "We all have a little bit of ‘I want to save the world’ in us. Perhaps that’s why we’re still fighting to stay alive. But I want you to know that it’s okay if you only save one person, and it’s okay if that person is you." —Inspiration to Overcome, adapted from Unknown | You. Matter. Most. Remember that. There’s nothing selfish about focusing on your own needs first. You will find that when you are committed to taking care of your mind, body, and spirit, it will be easier to help others take care of their own. To save others, we must first save ourselves, because nobody can draw water from a dried-up well. So take some time today to rest, recharge, and replenish your well. |  | 2019/11/08 | |
| #364 | "What is to give light must endure burning." —Viktor Frankl | Don't be a light bulb. They merely conduct someone else's flow. You are a flame, burning with passion and pain, radiating warmth and light into the cold, dark night. |  | 2019/11/07 | |
| #363 | "Outward appearance does not reflect inner turmoil." —Inspiration to Overcome | Be gentle in your conversations and careful in your assumptions. You never know how someone may be hurting inside. |  | 2019/11/06 | #mentalhealthawareness |
| #362 | "Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nurturing to the whole (person)." —Maya Angelou | If your path isn't leading toward where you want to go, it might be time for a change in direction. |  | 2019/11/05 | |
| #361 | "Sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn't think we needed to know." —Unknown | We have so much to learn from our struggles. Adversity grows us into the people we didn't know we needed to become. Often we must lose something first to find out who we truly are. |  | 2019/11/04 | |
| #360 | "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'm still walking." —Inspiration to Overcome | Keep moving forward. Through all the darkness and pain, what a glorious thing it is even to be alive. |  | 2019/10/31 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #359 | "Lasting change doesn’t happen all at once. It comes one hard decision at a time." —Inspiration to Overcome | Every choice we face is like a new intersection on the journey to recovery. The path is not straightforward, and nobody gets there overnight. Sometimes it will feel like we're at an impasse, stuck and unable to go any further. Other times it might seem as if we're lost in the middle of a vast desert valley, thousands of miles away from home with no idea where to turn next. We will inevitably take those turns that send us into obstacles or far in the opposite direction. After all, we are human. But there are many possible routes to take, and there's no right or wrong way to reach our destination. All that matters is that we keep making the decision to turn toward our goals and values, even when it's the hardest way. |  | 2019/10/30 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #358 | "Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you never know who would love the person you hide." —Unknown | When you show your weirdness, it gives other people permission to express who they truly are. So be weird. There are lots of other weird people out there waiting to join you. |  | 2019/10/29 | |
| #357 | "Anyone can believe in God when it's all they've ever known. But to know doubt in the darkness and still trust the light, that’s true faith." —Inspiration to Overcome | It takes courage to reflect honestly upon one's beliefs, and even more to hold onto them in an uncertain existence. The truth is somewhere out there in the darkness. Keep looking for that light. |  | 2019/10/25 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #356 | "Prove to yourself that there is something inside you worth fighting for." —Inspiration to Overcome | Your very existence has meaning. There is a sacredness deep within you that can never be destroyed. |  | 2019/10/24 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #355 | "You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | Never underestimate your potential for personal development and recovery. No matter how you were raised, what you experienced, or why it happened, you have the capacity to outgrow who you were before. |  | 2019/10/23 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #354 | "It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | Facing the unknown is a fearful endeavor, but more importantly it is a hopeful one. |  | 2019/10/22 | |
| #353 | "There will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right." —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | It's not easy to do the right thing if you live with OCD. It complicates everything by creating its own moral code of rights and wrongs, dos and don'ts, safes and unsafes—and imposing it over your every thought, decision, and behavior. The easiest thing to do is often what feels most comfortable and familiar at the moment, but that's the very thing OCD thrives on. Avoidance is seldom the right choice, and certainty is never the answer. The only way to thrive is by doing the hard thing that you know is truly right. |  | 2019/10/17 | #OCD #OCDweek #I2Oimage |
| #352 | "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | After all, what's happening inside your head is your whole reality. |  | 2019/10/16 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #351 | "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | Don't dwell too long on what could be. You might just miss out on what already is. |  | 2019/10/15 | |
| #350 | "Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it." —Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) | Pain demands to be felt. Drowning your emotions in sleep, sex, alcohol, avoidance, drugs, or distraction will only make them more intense later on. >>By request, this week's featured author is J. K. Rowling; particularly, her character Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series. Dumbledore was the beloved headmaster of Hogwarts, known for his exceptional wisdom and wizardry. |  | 2019/10/14 | #I2Oimage |
| #349 | "I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." —Augusten Burroughs | The flaws are what make you human; the stitching is what makes you, you. |  | 2019/10/11 | |
| #348 | "All the best people I know are mentally different. We are not broken—we’re responding to a broken world." —Glennon Doyle | Each of us is the unique product of our biology, our choices, and the world we live in. A beautifully resilient creation surviving—thriving, even—on a broken planet. |  | 2019/10/10 | #I2Oimage #WorldMentalHealthDay |
| #347 | "For lack of empirical data I have neither knowledge nor understanding of such forms of being, which are commonly called spiritual. . . . Nevertheless, we have good reason to suppose that behind this veil there exists the uncomprehended absolute object which affects and influences us—and to suppose it even, or particularly, in the case of psychic phenomena about which no verifiable statements can be made." —Carl Jung | One day, the final veil will be torn. |  | 2019/10/04 | #carljung #I2Oimage |
| #346 | "The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it." —Carl Jung | "For it all depends on how we look at things, and not on how they are in themselves..." |  | 2019/10/03 | #carljung #I2Oimage |
| #345 | "Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible." —Carl Jung | Real friends are those you can share anything with, knowing they will still love and accept you all the same. |  | 2019/10/02 | #carljung #I2Oimage #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #344 | "As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." —Carl Jung | We are the light in our own darkness. >>This week I thought I would try something different. Instead of posting quotes from a bunch of different authors, I’m going to focus on just one person for the whole week (Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung). Let me know what you think, and I might do it again with your favorite author! |  | 2019/10/01 | #carljung #I2Oimage |
| #343 | "Your life is meaningful because life itself has meaning. You exist for a reason. The universe is not here by accident." —Inspiration to Overcome | Life is still worth living, now and forever. |  | 2019/09/27 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #342 | "If everything were certain in a relationship, trust would not be meaningful." —Inspiration to Overcome | Faith in the other person is what makes a relationship genuine. |  | 2019/09/26 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #341 | "I hate that I'm still hoping." —Unknown | One day . . . |  | 2019/09/25 | |
| #340 | "I accept who I was. I appreciate who I am. I look forward to who I am becoming." —Inspiration to Overcome | Yet I still fear who I am not. |  | 2019/09/24 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #339 | "What I feel is fear. What I believe is love. What I seek is truth." —Inspiration to Overcome | What I know is that fear is a liar. |  | 2019/09/23 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #338 | "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." —C. S. Lewis | Here's to hoping . . . |  | 2019/09/20 | |
| #337 | "I don't like being told what to think. Even by myself." —Jon Hershfield | Especially not by OCD, and other deceptions masquerading as urgent truth. |  | 2019/09/19 | |
| #336 | "There isn't anything in this world that can trouble you as much as your own thoughts." —Unknown | Time and time again, I am reminded that the worst lies come from within. Fuck you, OCD. And fuck depression too. #HopeIsDefiant |  | 2019/09/18 | |
| #335 | "I give up freely what is no longer serving me. I release it to create space for what inspires me." —Unknown | Old trees don't come down easily, but it's time to clear out a space for new growth to inspire us. |  | 2019/09/16 | |
| #334 | "If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream." —Martin Luther King, Jr. | ". . . and so today, I still have a dream." |  | 2019/09/13 | #I2Oimage |
| #333 | "I am my own person. I have my own thoughts, my own feelings, my own beliefs, and my own values. They are mine, and mine alone. They do not belong to society or religion, nor do they conform to the views of the people around me. Your opinion is welcome, but your approval is not needed. I am who I am, and that is enough for me." —Inspiration to Overcome | You are who you are, and that is enough for you too. |  | 2019/09/12 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #332 | "Tomorrow needs you." —To Write Love on Her Arms | Yesterday, I shared hope and encouragement with my friends, family, and strangers alike. Yesterday, I did my best to love selflessly, purposefully, and wholeheartedly. Yesterday, I tried to believe that life is worth living, even now. Yesterday, I made today better. But today is now yesterday's tomorrow. Tomorrow needs me to do it all again. Tomorrow needs me because I have so much more of myself to share with the world, and so much more hope to give. |  | 2019/09/11 | #WSPD18 #suicideprevention |
| #331 | "You make today better." —To Write Love on Her Arms | You make today better, just by being here. Life is worth living, even now. |  | 2019/09/10 | #WSPD19 #suicideprevention |
| #330 | "A good aphorism merely conveys a meaning; a great one inspires the reader to develop their own." —Inspiration to Overcome | Be mindful of your own meaning. The power of a great writer is in inspiration, not instruction. (Related Aphorism: "A good song merely expresses a feeling; a great one enables the listener to express their own." —Inspiration to Overcome) |  | 2019/09/09 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #329 | "Take a chance and make a change, for you have everything to lose and everything to gain." —Inspiration to Overcome | We could lose it all, or we could gain it all. Sometimes change involves both. But no matter what the outcome, life is worth the risk. |  | 2019/09/01 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #328 | "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art . . . It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival." —C. S. Lewis | It's those "unnecessary" things that make life so meaningful. |  | 2019/08/31 | #I2Oimage |
| #327 | "He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there, He is pleased even with their stumbles." —C. S. Lewis | It doesn't matter how many times you fall down, stop to rest, turn around, or wander off on a different path. What is important is that you keep walking. |  | 2019/08/30 | |
| #326 | "How futile it is to contemplate the mysteries of the universe with one of the minds it has created. Yet still, here I am." —Inspiration to Overcome | Always thinking, always searching, always questioning. But there are some answers that our minds could never grasp. |  | 2019/08/29 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #325 | "Hiding it may make you look strong, but showing your brokenness takes a different kind of strength." —Inspiration to Overcome | It requires a courage most people will never know. |  | 2019/08/28 | #MentalHealthAwareness #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #324 | "I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." —Unknown | Every day brings us one step closer to the next chapter. |  | 2019/08/27 | |
| #323 | "Keep on feeling until those feelings don’t define you anymore." —Inspiration to Overcome | Lean into the discomfort. Don't try to avoid it or push it away. Let yourself feel the things you don't want to feel and think the things you're afraid to think. Do this and those feelings will no longer control you. Keep feeling until they do not define you. |  | 2019/08/26 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #322 | "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." —Martin Luther King, Jr. | Every disappointment will one day come to an end, but Hope is eternal. |  | 2019/08/23 | #I2Oimage |
| #321 | "Certainty is a figment of anxiety or OCD’s imagination. No feared outcome can be completely disproven." —Inspiration to Overcome | OCD and anxiety want us to be completely sure that nothing bad is going to happen. If we just do another ritual, spend one more minute reassurance-seeking, or go over the problem in our heads for the very last time, we'll have made certain that the terrible situation is resolved. The real problem, of course, is that OCD and anxiety will never be satisfied. They will keep you perpetual state of fear, forever chasing after the illusion that you can prevent bad things from happening with endless worries and compulsions. In reality, the thing you are afraid of may be very unlikely, if not completely illogical. But there is just no way to really know for sure, and even if there was, it would still not be enough for anxiety and OCD. . . . That is, until you face it. Take a chance and actually see what happens. Do the exposure, embrace the uncertainty, resist the urge to seek reassurance or overthink it. Then, and only then, can you show yourself that it didn't actually happen the way you feared it would. Maybe. |  | 2019/08/22 | #I2Ophoto #I2Oimage |
| #320 | "It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform." —Roy T. Bennett | For any keen observers who may have noticed that I skipped quote #320, here you go! NEW oval-shaped Little Boxes of Inspiration are now available for sale on my Etsy shop. |  | 2019/08/22 | #I2Ophoto |
| #319 | "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." —C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves | Fear will not hold us back from love. |  | 2019/08/16 | |
| #318 | "Few will knock; some might walk away. But no one can come in unless you open the door." —Inspiration to Overcome | C. S. Lewis once said, "To love is to be vulnerable." But it takes vulnerability to be loved, too. You have to let them in. |  | 2019/08/15 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #317 | "Stop hating yourself for everything you aren't and start loving yourself for everything you already are." —Unknown | We long for more when we struggle to appreciate the goodness of who we already are. |  | 2019/08/14 | |
| #316 | "Be happy with what you have, while you pursue what you want." —Unknown | When we want what we don't have, it can be easy to overlook the goodness of the things we already do have. This is the problem with human desire. We are content when we stop striving for long enough to appreciate the value of where we are, right now. |  | 2019/08/13 | |
| #315 | "Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling. Start and don't stop. Just . . . start." —Unknown | The hardest part of any challenge is getting started. Don't wait for the perfect moment or the perfect feeling or the perfect reason that will never come. Start where you are, right now. |  | 2019/08/12 | |
| #314 | "Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person." —Unknown | Every person matters. The influencers who help the least are often the friends who help the most. |  | 2019/07/18 | |
| #313 | "'You,' he said, 'are a terribly real thing in a terribly false world, and that, I believe, is why you are in so much pain.'" —Emilie Autumn | You are not like this world, my friend. Your heart is soft and your love is true. Do not conform to the falsehood of others, but express the truth already within you. |  | 2019/07/17 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #312 | "Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say 'My tooth is aching' than to say 'My heart is broken.'" —C. S. Lewis, "The Problem of Pain" | Mental pain is just as real and valid as physical pain. Although it may be less visible on the outside, it can often be more difficult to cope with. Part of the reason is the stigma people face when they try to speak out about their mental health. The fear of being hurt, invalidated, or misunderstood by others prevents many people from sharing how they truly feel. As a result, they may not get the help they need, and their pain becomes even more intense in concealment and isolation. Reach out to someone today and ask them how they REALLY feel. Your willingness to listen could mean the world to someone who is struggling. |  | 2019/07/10 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #311 | "Don't just be good to others. Be good to yourself, too." —TobyMac | You are worthy of the same kind of love and compassion you so freely give to other people. Remember to share some with yourself, too. |  | 2019/07/09 | |
| #310 | "For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe." —Larry Eisenberg | That's not your job. |  | 2019/07/08 | #I2Oimage |
| #309 | "True happiness flows from true purpose." —Inspiration to Overcome | Find what is true and follow what is right. Seek it out and ye shall find. |  | 2019/07/05 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #308 | "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." —Viktor Frankl | Exercise your freedom to choose today. |  | 2019/07/04 | |
| #307 | "You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you." —Unknown | Make time for more of what inspires and replenishes you. Work for it with intention in your mind, passion in your heart, and purpose in your soul. |  | 2019/06/25 | |
| #306 | "Be patient with your thoughts for a little while." —Inspiration to Overcome | Thoughts are just thoughts, not threats. Be patient with them, and eventually they will leave you alone. Notice the uncertainty each intrusive thought brings without trying to push it away. |  | 2019/06/03 | |
| #305 | "You can't know, you can only believe—or not." —C. S. Lewis | Nothing is for certain, but I still believe. |  | 2019/05/31 | |
| #304 | "I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more." —C. S. Lewis | The importance of communicating with someone about your struggles cannot be overstated. Whether it be an empathetic therapist, a supportive family member, or a trusted friend, find a person (or people) you can talk to. Pain thrives in concealment, but it loses some of its power when you express it openly and honestly. While not everyone will understand, everyone deserves to know someone who will let you show yourself fully, without judgement or invalidation. And trust me, you do. |  | 2019/05/30 | |
| #303 | "Stop avoiding what you feel. Stop drinking and smoking and working and fucking and sleeping it away because it will NEVER go away until you FEEL THROUGH IT." —@ThaDalaiMama | Feelings demand to be felt. Avoidance only prolongs the pain. |  | 2019/05/23 | |
| #302 | "I am doing my best and it will just have to be enough." —Unknown | I am human. I have flaws. I make mistakes and lose battles. I commit sins and follow lies. I am far from perfect. But I am doing my best, and that is enough. |  | 2019/05/22 | |
| #301 | "Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach." —Unknown | The first way you try to do something may not be the best way. Be persistent with your therapy goals, but remember that it's okay to adjust your approach when it's not working out. |  | 2019/05/21 | |
| #300 | "I am more." —Inspiration to Overcome | "I am more. I am more than my illness; my purpose is more than pain. I am more than just thoughts and feelings; I am above the nonsense and the lies. I am more than this body, and I am more than my mind. My value is more than this life; I will not be defined." Read the full blog now: https://www.inspirationtoovercome.com/2019/05/13/i-am-more/ |  | 2019/05/13 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #299 | "Just in case no one told you today: you are worthy; you are beautiful; you are capable; you are strong." —Inspiration to Overcome | You are more . . . |  | 2019/05/08 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #298 | "Forever is composed of nows." —Emily Dickinson | The present moment is all we ever really have. |  | 2019/05/06 | |
| #297 | "Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." —Malcolm S. Forbes | You are already more valuable than you think. |  | 2019/05/04 | |
| #296 | "Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness." —Unknown | Even when my eyes can't see it, I still know that it's there. The light shines on, now and always. |  | 2019/05/03 | #I2Oimage |
| #295 | "Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing." —Sylvia Plath | Often I desire too much, because I can't stand what I have right now. In my darkest moments, sometimes it feels easier to have nothing at all. But deep down, I know that's not true. Life's blessings are always worth the pain. Pain doesn't stay, and the real blessings of life never truly go away. |  | 2019/05/02 | |
| #294 | "Prove to yourself that your thoughts and feelings can't harm you." —Inspiration to Overcome | Welcome fearful thoughts into the arena of your mind. Embrace the anxiety as it terrorizes your body. Press on as uncertainty reaches into the depths of your soul. Let them try. Watch them fail. You will slowly realize they are nothing but lies. |  | 2019/05/01 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #293 | "Faith without reason is blind; reason without faith is an illusion." —Inspiration to Overcome | A healthy faith is built on both trust and reason. It seeks the truth while steadfastly coexisting with uncertainty and doubt. Likewise, true reason cannot exist without an element of faith. To reason that there is a reason for anything requires belief in something which cannot be proven. |  | 2019/04/26 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #292 | "If I have faith that I can, and I resolve that I will, then I will know that I have." —Inspiration to Overcome | The only proof comes from action. Prove fear wrong. |  | 2019/04/25 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #291 | "I promise you, those thoughts of people not loving you or wanting to be with you are a lie." —Joshua Weiss, "Finding Common Ground," via TWLOHA blog | The right people will love you as you are. |  | 2019/04/24 | |
| #290 | "When everything is certain, hope is not possible." —Inspiration to Overcome | I'm sure you've heard the tired cliche, "When nothing is certain, anything is possible." But have you ever thought about its inverse? When everything is certain, what is possible? Hope? Nope. Confidence? I don't think so. Faith? Meaningless. Trust? Forget about it. All of these things that make life so interesting and meaningful—they wouldn't exist without uncertainty. After all, you can't hope for better things if you already know what they are. Nor can you put your trust in a god if you already know their plans. Hope waits expectantly upon the unknown. What are you hoping for? |  | 2019/04/18 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #289 | "I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future." —Ralph Abernathy | You're in good hands. What's in yours? |  | 2019/04/05 | #I2Oimage |
| #288 | "I'm at the 'we'll see' stage in my life. With everything and everyone. We will see." —Unknown | I don't know where I'm going, and I don't know who's headed there with me. All I know is that we cannot stay where we are. There is so much more to become. |  | 2019/04/04 | |
| #287 | "Before I can know others, I must first know myself." —Inspiration to Overcome | Today I've been thinking about the truth of this statement: "The key to relational success is being secure in who you are." How can I have a healthy relationship with others if I don't like who I am? Where do my values end and the other person's begin? How can I find a sense of acceptance and belonging when I can't accept myself? How can I truly relate to others without a clear sense of my own identity? It's more than just the sum of what I do and what I think and what I feel and what I believe at the moment. It must be. There is something more ethereal, something which cannot be understood or seen. To really know who I am, I have to look to who God is and what He says about me. Now I know in part, but then I will know completely, just as God knows me completely. And that is enough for me. |  | 2019/03/29 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #286 | "On my darkest days, I have a hope that cannot be taken away." —Sam Bedford, via TWLOHA | Oh, what a powerful yet elusive thing that hope is. But once it is found, it can never be lost. |  | 2019/03/22 | |
| #285 | "Nothing changes if nothing changes." —Unknown | If you change nothing, nothing will change. Start a new habit, learn a new skill, try a new exposure, set a new goal, do whatever it takes, and stick with it until you see progress. When it doesn't work out perfectly every time, don't be discouraged, keep going. If you end up realizing you need to try something else, that's okay too, but don't move on until you've followed through on the first change. Commit yourself to doing what the evidence says is right, even when it doesn't feel right. One step at a time, you will find that you can change. You will change. You have changed. You are changing. Always. And it's for the better. |  | 2019/03/21 | #I2Oimage |
| #284 | "Transformation isn't sweet and bright. It's a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unraveling of the untruths you've carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting before becoming." —Victoria Erickson | If it feels good, you're probably doing it wrong. Recovery is a painful and exhausting process that requires us to do things that make us feel uncomfortable, to feel things that no one ever wants to feel, to face the lies our minds have told us head on. But along the way, we find hope and satisfaction in seeing that the person we are becoming is worth the pain. We feel good about who we are, and what we have overcome. |  | 2019/03/13 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #283 | "Sometimes, the Lord gives us the opportunity to see things—things that seem wrong—so that we can do something about them. So we can change them. But other times, the Lord lets us see things—things that seem wrong—so those things can change us." —Unknown | The scrupulous mind is capable of perceiving the injustice in just about everything on this sinful planet. While we are not capable of rectifying every wrong we encounter, the wrongs we experience are still capable of rectifying us. |  | 2019/03/08 | |
| #282 | "My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. Continue to allow humor to lighten the burden of your tender heart." —Maya Angelou | Continue to seek the light in the darkness, continue to see the beauty of existence. Continue to find your purpose and share it with the world. |  | 2019/03/03 | |
| #281 | "You could have grown cold, but you grew courageous instead. You could have seen obstacles, but you called them adventures. You could have called them weeds, but instead you called them wildflowers. You could have died a caterpillar, but you fought on to be a butterfly. You could have denied yourself goodness, but instead you chose to show yourself some self-love. You could have defined yourself by the dark days, but instead through them you realized your light." —S. C. Lourie | Keep fighting for your light. |  | 2019/03/02 | |
| #280 | "It doesn't have to feel possible." —Inspiration to Overcome | It never feels possible until it's done. You are capable of far more than you know. |  | 2019/03/01 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #279 | "If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be." —Maya Angelou | Why be normal when you can be extraordinary? Life is meaningful because we are not all the same. Each of us experiences life in our own unique way. |  | 2019/02/26 | #I2Oimage |
| #278 | "You are always worthy of love." —Inspiration to Overcome | Even when it feels like you're not. Even when you slip back into old habits, even when you are tempted by your darkest thoughts, even when your soul feels worthless, even when you can't love yourself, you are always worthy of love. And you are loved. |  | 2019/02/15 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #277 | “Love anyway.” —Preemptive Love Coalition | When the world feels like a mess, love anyway. When your heart is much depressed, love anyway. When they’re causing you distress, love anyway. There’s only one answer to the test: love anyway. |   | 2019/02/14 | #I2Oimage |
| #276 | "Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once." —Paulo Coelho | Can you relate? |  | 2019/01/24 | |
| #275 | "Sometimes when I say, "I'm okay," I want someone to look me in the eyes, hug me tight and say, "I know you are not." —Unknown |  | 2019/01/23 | #MentalHealthAwareness | |
| #274 | "Having a sense of purpose is having a sense of self. A course to plot is a destination to hope for." —Bryant McGil | Your life has purpose, even if you haven't found it yet. |  | 2019/01/22 | |
| #273 | "At the end of the day I am at peace, because my intentions are good and my heart is pure." —Unknown | That's all that really matters. |  | 2019/01/21 | |
| #272 | "Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once. Breathe. You're strong. You got this. Take it day by day." —Karen Salmansohn | When something new is on the horizon, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the uncertainty it will bring. The future is out there waiting, together with all of its problems to be solved and decisions that will need to be made. When it all just feels like too much to handle right now, remember that the future is not for today. You will face those problems and make those decisions when that day is here, but for now, all you have is today. Therefore, there's no need to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will figure itself out. Each day—and each moment—brings enough trouble of its own. |  | 2019/01/20 | |
| #271 | "Never take someone's feelings for granted. You never know how much courage it took them to show." —Unknown | Sharing our deepest feelings doesn't come easily. The fear of being misunderstood, mistreated, or outright rejected can sometimes be strong enough to prevent us from opening up to even our closest family and friends. It takes a tremendous amount of trust for us to be vulnerable with someone. Please don't violate that trust. |  | 2019/01/09 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #270 | "Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people." —Carl Jung | The best experience is always personal experience. When we understand our own struggles, we can learn to help others with their own. |  | 2019/01/08 | |
| #269 | "Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive." —Hafez | Those are the things that matter the most. |  | 2019/01/03 | |
| #268 | "If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." —Unknown | Even the smallest victory is a huge accomplishment when you're fighting for your mental health. Over time, each small victory will add up to a lifetime of recovery. |  | 2018/12/13 | |
| #267 | "Believe in the person you are fighting to become." —Inspiration to Overcome | That person is real. |  | 2018/12/12 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #266 | "Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives." —Unknown | The damage is real. But so is healing. |  | 2018/12/05 | |
| #265 | "Move in the direction of your healing." —To Write Love on Her Arms | One small, right action at a time. |  | 2018/12/04 | |
| #264 | "The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness." —Sakyong Mipham | Most people can agree that our bodies have become more sedentary due to the technological innovations of the past century or so, and our physical health often suffers as a result. Ironically, these same innovations have had the opposite effect on our minds—and the effects are just as damaging to our mental health. Today, we are constantly inundated with all sorts of stimuli from our digital, hyper-connected world. At any given time, there are hundreds of different external things vying for our attention, in addition to our own thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Problems in far away places unfold right on our screens, and our minds are captivated by fear of things both real and perceived. No effort is required to get instant gratification, but neglecting what's truly meaningful is no vacation. More information is available to us now in one click than was ever conceivable before, yet the collective consciousness of humanity is still striving for more. So, in a world filled with minds preoccupied with what they want and need, be the one who stops and says, "I can just BE." |  | 2018/12/03 | |
| #263 | "We want to change the world because we see all the ways that it is not working, but we won't change a thing until we allow ourselves to be remade." —Chad Moses, "All Hearts Are Connected," via TWLOHA | The change flows not from us, but through us. |  | 2018/11/09 | |
| #262 | "Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds." —Unknown | We cannot stop the seeds from blowing in, but we can choose which ones to nurture. |  | 2018/11/08 | |
| #261 | "You can't save the world, but you can save yourself and the light that you bring. Because that is what the world needs. More light." —JmStorm | Before you can save others, you must first save yourself. There is a light shining within you that only you can give. |  | 2018/11/07 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #260 | "I'm making space for the things I want and need." —To Write Love on Her Arms | Clearing out the clutter of yesterday is the only way to make room for the progress of today and the opportunities of tomorrow. |  | 2018/11/06 | |
| #259 | "Like wildflowers, you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people never thought you would." —E. V. | Grow in all the ways people never thought you could. Go to the places they never thought you would. Prove the skeptics wrong. Prove yourself wrong. Prove the gardener right. |  | 2018/11/01 | |
| #258 | "It's okay to be who you are, where you are, and how you are, right now." —Inspiration to Overcome | I know what it's like to be someone I can't be, stuck somewhere I don't belong, feeling how I can't feel. I understand the frustration of knowing deep inside that you were made for so much more than this, but feeling powerless to do anything about it. I worry every day about what the future holds for me, and for you, both of us completely oblivious to our full potential. I promise you, you are capable of far more than you know. I promise you, there is always hope. I promise you, things will get better. But until then, who you are today is enough. |  | 2018/10/30 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #257 | "Your mental health matters. Your story matters. Your recovery matters. Your life matters. You matter." —The Mighty | Happy World Mental Health Day! You matter today, and every day. |  | 2018/10/10 | #MentalHealthAwareness #WorldMentalHealthDay |
| #256 | "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying." —Nelson Mandela | That's what really matters. |  | 2018/10/05 | |
| #255 | "Making a decision is like answering a multiple choice question. Sometimes the choices confuse you, not the question itself." —Inspiration to Overcome, var. Unknown | Sometimes we already know what the right answer is intellectually, but the other choices feel more appealing to us in the moment. Don't let those other options lead you astray. #revised for #FBF on 2018/11/02: Sometimes the best choice is the hardest one to make. Even when we know what is best for us in the long term, we often default to what feels easier for us in the moment. Other times there really is no "best" choice: it's just a matter of picking something and sticking with it. This can be challenging for someone with OCD, who might feel the need to analyze every decision to make sure it's the "right" one. In either case, it is often the options, not the question itself, that bring the most uncertainty. When we step back to look at what's really important, or what we really want, we already know what the answer should be. |  | 2018/10/04 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #254 | "Success doesn't come what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently." —Unknown | Being consistent with your treatment goals doesn't mean being perfect all the time. What's more important is that you persist when things go wrong. The more you can persist with feeling uncertain and uncomfortable. the more consistent you will become at achieving your goals. |  | 2018/10/03 | |
| #253 | "Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible." —Mandy Hale | When everything is certain, hope is not possible. |  | 2018/10/02 | |
| #252 | "Feel it. Let it wash over you. But don't let it stay. Don't let it be all that you are." —Molly Sarah Weiss, "If You Needed Something Today," via TWLOHA | It is impossible to move past the hurt without feeling it first. Let yourself experience the pain, but don't let it define you. |  | 2018/10/01 | |
| #251 | "To love is to be vulnerable." —C. S. Lewis | In order to experience love, you must also be open to the possibility of experiencing rejection and fear. People can only love you when you let them in. In order to give love, you must be willing to accept what the other person has inside. |  | 2018/09/27 | |
| #250 | "The goal isn't to get rid of all your negative thoughts and feelings; that's impossible. The goal is to change your response to them." —Marc and Angel | Many people have this idea that overcoming "bad" thoughts and feelings means pushing them away or eliminating them entirely. Some insist that negative thoughts have some special energy or power of their own, so they must be replaced by positive thoughts or else the negative ones will come true. Others are afraid that their horrid, egodystonic thoughts are a reflection of who they really are or what they really want. In reality, no line of factually inaccurate thinking could be more poisonous to OCD recovery. We cannot control the vast majority of our thoughts, and absolutely 0% of our emotions. What they mean for us is all in how we respond with our behaviors. We must consciously choose not to respond to intrusive thoughts and compulsive urges, or else subconscious habit will respond for us. The more we can learn to just let them, the less anxiety they will cause, and eventually, the less frequent they will become. |  | 2018/09/26 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #249 | "But hope isn't only found at the mountaintop. It's in the valley too, and in the climb up." —Jess, "A Place Called Hope," via TWLOHA | Even in "the slippery slope back down," hope is always around. |  | 2018/09/25 | |
| #248 | "Everything is going to be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." —Unknown |  | 2018/09/22 | ||
| #247 | "I show you doubt, to prove that faith exists." —Robert Browning | Real faith can only exist when it is possible to doubt. |  | 2018/09/21 | |
| #246 | "In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you." —Andrea Dykstra | As painful as it's been, I don't know who I would be without it. |  | 2018/09/20 | |
| #245 | "In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make." —Unknown | So take that chance. Chances are, it will be worth it. |  | 2018/09/18 | |
| #244 | "Is it fear you're afraid of?" —Switchfoot, "Love Alone Is Worth the Fight" | Sometimes the thing we fear the most is simply experiencing anxiety. |  | 2018/09/13 | #I2Oimage |
| #243 | "Tomorrow has so much potential for sun. We just have to find a way to hold on long enough to let it rise." —Jessica Strait, via To Write Love On Her Arms | Tomorrow needs you. |  | 2018/09/12 | #MentalHealthAwareness #suicideprevention #suicidepreventionweek |
| #242 | "If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit." —Unknown | It can be so hard to rest sometimes, especially when your mind is constantly occupied by worries or obsessive thoughts. But whatever you do, please don't quit when you start to feel overwhelmed. Take some time away if you need it, even if it's just for a moment, and you will feel refreshed and more able to tackle things later. |  | 2018/09/11 | |
| #241 | "It is not necessary to react to everything you notice." —Unknown | Most things are meant to be let go. |  | 2018/09/10 | |
| #240 | "Maybe it goes well. Or maybe you don't push through the anxiety. Maybe you don't face it. But you love yourself anyway." —To Write Love On Her Arms | Overcoming anxiety is NOT an easy thing to do. In the moments when it's just too much, remember to love yourself first. Know that it is okay to struggle, to hurt, to mess up, to be less than perfect. Even in the moments when everything goes wrong, you are always worthy of love. |  | 2018/09/09 | |
| #239 | "Transformation has come from connecting with other people through our brokenness, not in spite of it." —To Write Love On Her Arms |  | 2018/09/08 | ||
| #238 | "Certainly I believe that God gave us life for happiness, not misery. Humanity, I am sure, will never be made lazy or indifferent by an excess of happiness. The order of nature will always necessitate pain, failure, separation, death; and these will probably become more menacing as the complexities and dangerous experiments of a vast world civilization increase. The delicate task will remain ours to ensure God’s gift—joy—to His children. Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. Happiness should be a means of accomplishment, like health, not an end in itself." —Helen Keller | Always remember these three things about your purpose: it is unique, it is God-given, and it is worthy. True happiness flows from true purpose. |  | 2018/09/07 | #I2Oimage |
| #237 | "The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you're made of, not the circumstances." —Unknown | Even when your circumstances are as volatile as boiling water, you have what it takes to endure. |  | 2018/09/06 | |
| #236 | "It is frustrating that I cannot explain to people what it feels like." —People with Mental or Chronic Health Conditions | It's always difficult for me when someone asks, "How are you?" or "How are you feeling?" There are simply no words to describe how I feel sometimes, even if I could find them at the moment. As much as I appreciate it when people take the time to ask me how I'm doing, I dread having to over-analyze my emotions and my day to provide an accurate description. Often, it's just easier to respond with the same generic statements, like "I'm okay," "I'm tired," or "I'm overwhelmed." Please know that when a person with a mental or chronic health condition like me says these things, it is not just the same as always. There is almost always more going on that we cannot explain. |  | 2018/09/05 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #235 | "The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow." —Unknown | A real rainbow can only be formed when the Sun shines through a storm. Be the rainbow. Shine with the light of the Sun, burst through the storm, and show your true colors for all to see. |  | 2018/09/04 | |
| #234 | "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." —C. S. Lewis | No matter where you are at right now, there still far better days ahead. |  | 2018/09/03 | #I2Oimage |
| #233 | "Push yourself because no one is going to do it for you." —Unknown | There are some things we can only face ourselves. |  | 2018/09/02 | |
| #232 | "H.O.P.E. — Hold On, Pain Ends" —Unknown | There is always hope. |  | 2018/09/01 | |
| #231 | "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." —C. S. Lewis | The purpose in the pain . . . |  | 2018/08/31 | |
| #230 | "Your worst battle is between what you know and what you feel." —Unknown | This is very often true for someone with anxiety or OCD. We usually know on some level that what we are worrying about is irrational, but the fear or anxiety is so powerful that it becomes seemingly impossible to reason with. Sometimes, the anxious thought patterns can become so frequent and distressing that we begin to question what we know. Uncertainty and anxiety makes us doubt everything—even who we are and what we believe in. Then, the lies of depression can set in, making us feel lonely and worthless, numb and hopeless. If you're in the midst of a battle with your feelings today, just know that they don't have to win, but that you don't have to fight them either. If you find what is true and right, then work on applying it, in time, those feelings will be defeated. |  | 2018/08/30 | |
| #229 | "Real hope is not merely wishful thinking or a primitive survival instinct. Real hope is not an irrational method of coping with adversity or the unknown. It is faith that something exists beyond what we can see and comprehend at the moment, and confidence in its potential to be good. Real hope exists, and it exists in you." —Inspiration to Overcome |  | 2018/08/02 | #HopeWeek #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
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| #228 | "My hope is that God will have changed people's lives through me for the better." —Joyce Meyer | I hope. |  | 2018/08/01 | #HopeWeek |
| #227 | "I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting." —Barack Obama, 2012 victory speech | Sorry about the interruption in #HopeWeek last week. I was in Washington, DC on vacation and attending the International OCD Conference, and I ran out of time to schedule the last three hope quotes. Day 5 is Barack Obama's definition of hope from his victory speech in 2012. I believe that this hope still exists today. Do you? |  | 2018/07/31 | #HopeWeek |
| #226 | "Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." —Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption | Even in the most dismal of circumstances, there is still hope. |  | 2018/07/25 | #HopeWeek |
| #225 | "Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up." —Anne Lamott |  | 2018/07/24 | #HopeWeek | |
| #224 | "Hope is not pretending that troubles don't exist. It is the trust that they will not last forever, that hurts will be healed and difficulties overcome. It is faith that a source of strength and renewal lies within to lead us through the dark into the sunshine." —Elizabeth Chase | Mental illness is real. But so is hope. |  | 2018/07/23 | #HopeWeek |
| #223 | "Hope is faith waiting for tomorrow." —John Ortberg, Know Doubt | True hope can be defined as the future tense of faith: a confident belief in an uncertain thing, with the expectation it will happen in the future. With faith, we trust in someone or something; with hope, we wait longingly for someone or something. Both require that we find meaning in an uncertain world. |  | 2018/07/22 | #HopeWeek #I2Oimage |
| #222 | "I think you always need to try your best, but at the same time you can only do what you can do. Don't beat yourself up about it." —Heidi Klum |  | 2018/07/21 | ||
| #221 | "Challenge the lies you've told yourself." —To Write Love on Her Arms | You are worth more. |  | 2018/07/19 | |
| #220 | "Sometimes the scariest thing isn't what I'm struggling with. It's what people will think about who I am and how they'll treat me as a result." —Unknown |  | 2018/07/18 | #MentalHealthAwareness | |
| #219 | "You can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will." —Stephen King | Remember, you are braver than you think. |  | 2018/07/17 | |
| #218 | "It is up to you to see the beauty of everyday things." —Unknown | In our world of constant chaos and looming problems, it can be hard to appreciate the wonder of life's everyday details. Take some time today to stop notice the goodness of the small things. |  | 2018/07/16 | |
| #217 | "The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself." —Maya Angelou | At times, we are our own harshest critic. It can be difficult sometimes to love and respect yourself when you have a mental health condition. Often society makes you feel like you aren't enough, or your own longing for something better makes you hate the way you are right now. It will get better, but until then, who you are today is enough. Don't let anyone, even yourself, tell you otherwise. |  | 2018/06/17 | |
| #216 | "You can choose to be brave today." —To Write Love on Her Arms | Yes you can, yes you will, and yes you have. |  | 2018/06/16 | |
| #215 | "Lord, lead me because I can't do this alone." —Unknown | We were never meant to do this on our own. Hope and help are always available to give, and to receive. |  | 2018/06/15 | |
| #214 | "In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety." —Abraham Maslow | Growth happens when we take a risk by stepping forward out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. |  | 2018/06/14 | |
| #213 | "The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are." —Unknown | Sounds easy enough, but it's not. Letting go of the familiarity of your present situation, no matter how painful it may be, often requires embracing a new kind of discomfort you may have seldom felt before: the uncertainty of truly living. The first, ongoing, and often most difficult step is resolving that you won't stay where you are. |  | 2018/06/13 | |
| #212 | "Motivation is what gets you started; habit is what keeps you going." —Unknown | True for all things, no matter what path you're on. It takes a lot of motivation and hard work to change unhealthy habits and to build new ones, but no matter how far down the path you are, it is never too late to turn around. |  | 2018/06/12 | |
| #211 | "I'm thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength." —Alex Elle | Isn't it remarkable how much our struggles can change and grow who we are as a person? Sometimes by experiencing something incredibly painful we develop strengths and a purpose in life we never could have imagined before. |  | 2018/06/11 | |
| #210 | "You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery." —Unknown | If all you did was choose to wake up today, that is brave. You are brave. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. |  | 2018/06/06 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #209 | "You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared, or anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a 'negative person.' It makes you human." —Lori Deschene | All of your feelings are valid and worthy of others’ respect. You should never have to hide how you really feel from people who truly care about you. While not everyone will understand or agree with you, you will only find people who do when you express yourself as you truly are. |  | 2018/06/04 | |
| #208 | "Don't miss out on something that could be amazing just because it could also be difficult." —TobyMac | Like recovery, most amazing outcomes are difficult to achieve. Growth is a result of change, and change often causes pain. But the amazing things to come in your life are worth more than any challenge you might encounter and more powerful than any uncertainty or pain you may experience. So when you feel like you just can't, remember that you can. And even if you don't believe it, commit to taking a step forward anyway and prepare to be amazed. |  | 2018/05/05 | #MentalHealthMonth |
| #207 | "Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy your life." —Joyce Meyer | If you've been putting off things that are enjoyable or meaningful to you until everything feels right or all of the broken pieces of your life have fallen into place: that will never happen. Life will never be perfect, but life can be great. The time to enjoy life is now, so take the first step and choose one small enjoyable thing to do today. |  | 2018/05/03 | #MentalHealthMonth |
| #206 | "Relapse is a part of recovery. Don't beat yourself up about it. What matters now is if you let it destroy you, or strengthen you." —Unknown | It's never too late to start again. |  | 2018/04/11 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #205 | "Opportunity is often delivered in a fog of uncertainty." —Unknown | Beyond the mist, beauty awaits. |  | 2018/04/10 | |
| #204 | "You didn't come this far to only come this far." —Unknown |  | 2018/04/05 | ||
| #203 | "You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering." —Ernest Hemingway |  | 2018/04/04 | #MentalHealthAwareness | |
| #202 | "Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but the ability to start over." —Unknown | Persistence is essential to recovery, but setbacks and failures are inevitable. Never be discouraged from taking a step back, evaluating, and starting over fresh when necessary. |  | 2018/04/03 | |
| #201 | "Sometimes you just need to talk about something—not to get sympathy or help, but just to kill its power by allowing the truth of things to hit the air." —Karen Salmansohn | Everyone expresses their pain in different ways. Some confide in trusted friends, others with total strangers. Some process their thoughts and emotions in writing that no one else will see or prayers that only God will hear, while others share their written and spoken art with the hope of inspiring others. No matter how we may choose to express our troubling thoughts and feelings, the most important thing is that we acknowledge them so that the truth (or lies) behind them can be brought out into the light. |  | 2018/04/02 | |
| #200 | "Do you want to get well?" —Jesus in John 5:6 | Mental illness is hard. Recovery is harder. Sometimes it is legitimately easier and more comforting to remain stuck in the same old cycle of fear and despair than it is to feel the pain and uncertainty of moving forward. I know because this is how I have felt for the past couple of years. Until now. Facing mental illness requires a willingness to feel terrible things, to feel them persistently, and to experience them without judgement or trying to change or avoid them. It requires that you reach a point at which you WANT to get WELL more than you want to feel safe. Of course no one wants to be suffering, but the real question is, what are you willing to chance to end that suffering? Are you willing to do YOUR part, to do whatever it takes, despite the risk? Because your life and your future are worth infinitely more than that risk. You are worth more than any pain or any obstacle you might encounter. You are worth getting well. |  | 2018/03/06 | #I2Oimage |
| #199 | "It takes great courage to admit you're feeling broken or to seek help." —To Write Love On Her Arms | Reaching out is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of courage and determination to get well. |  | 2018/03/03 | |
| #198 | "All behavioral or mood disorders—including depression, OCD, ADHD, and addiction—have some neurochemical components, but sufferers can still work to overcome them." —Jeffrey Kluger | Recovery takes persistent focus and effort, but it is possible. |  | 2018/01/31 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #197 | "Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty." —John Huston Finley | Maturity comes in many forms: physical, legal, intellectual, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and many more. However, they all require two things: change and experience. Change always brings uncertainty, and experiencing and enduring uncertainty builds maturity. |  | 2018/01/29 | |
| #196 | "We may define therapy as a search for value." —Abraham Maslow | The goal of therapy is to overcome the obstacles preventing you from realizing your full value and potential. |  | 2018/01/11 | |
| #195 | "Trauma is anything that overwhelms the brain's ability to cope." —Unknown | Any event that overwhelms a person's ability to cope (no matter your feelings about it) can be a precursor to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or another anxiety-related disorder. Every person is unique, and therefore every person responds to traumatic events and life stressors differently. |  | 2018/01/10 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #194 | "Bravery is not fearlessness. So no need to be so hard on yourself when your fears and apprehensions come up. It's feeling the fear that makes you brave. You keep going despite how bad you feel. That's the hero in you darling. Keep doing your thing." —S. C. Lourie |  | 2018/01/09 | ||
| #193 | "Celebrate your own victories, because no one else understands what it took to accomplish them." —Simple Reminders |  | 2017/12/17 | ||
| #192 | "Clutter is not just physical stuff. It's old ideas, toxic relationships, and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self." —Eleanor Brownn | Mental clutter (and mental hoarding) is something all too familiar for me. What kinds of "mental baggage" are you holding onto? |  | 2017/12/16 | |
| #191 | "It doesn't matter who said it's too late for you. You aren't on anyone's schedule but God's." —TobyMac |  | 2017/12/15 | ||
| #190 | "When we are more excited for the next step, we are more willing to get rid of clutter." —Sabrina Quairoli | Letting go of the old and familiar becomes easier when we realize that we have more to look forward to in the new. |  | 2017/12/14 | |
| #189 | "It's like a broken machine. Thoughts go in your head, get stuck and keep going around and around." —Megan Flynn (via The Mighty) | Thought--->anxiety--->compulsion--->thought--->anxiety--->somatic symptoms--->thoughts about somatic symptoms--->more anxiety--->more thoughts--->more compulsions--->thoughts about previous thoughts--->trigger--->anxiety--->avoidance--->even more thoughts--->unexplainable terrible feelings--->thoughts about terrible feelings... (repeat every minute, accompanied by depression) |  | 2017/12/13 | #MentalHealthAwareness #OCD |
| #188 | "To that one soul reading this, I know you're tired. You're fed up. You're so close to breaking but there's strength within you even when you feel weak. Keep fighting." —Unknown (via Simple Reminders) | When all seems lost, we discover our strength. |  | 2017/12/12 | |
| #187 | "The quieter you become, the more you can hear." —Unknown |  | 2017/12/11 | ||
| #186 | "Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong." —Unknown | Sorry for my exceptionally long hiatus from posting the Quote of the Day. I have been overwhelmed and discouraged with the progress of my recovery (or lack thereof) and the condition of my life recently. The pain caused by habitually finding ways around feeling the discomfort of resisting compulsions and the uncertainty of living life has become a greater torture than the anticipated discomfort and uncertainty itself. And so it is time to let go; it is time to break out; it is time for change. |  | 2017/12/07 | #I2Oimage |
| #185 | "There are aphorisms that, like airplanes, stay up only while they are in motion." —Vladimir Nabokov | Any truth condensed into a quotation is only as good as one's ability to practice it. Understanding the theory is essential, but putting what you know into practice is where the hard work begins. |  | 2017/11/16 | #I2Oimage |
| #184 | "One of our greatest tests is to see if we are able to bless someone else while we are going through our own storm." —Unknown |  | 2017/11/10 | ||
| #183 | "One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up, instead of what they have to gain." —Unknown | The paradox is that we must give up the false "comfort" of the status quo—habitually giving in to the compulsive urges—in order to experience the true comfort of taking control back from OCD (which also paradoxically requires giving up control over many things). This will feel painful and strange at first, but not nearly as painful as as the consequences of OCD controlling your life. |  | 2017/11/09 | |
| #182 | "I owe no explanations for my flaws. I don’t have to justify my mistakes, my past, or my insecurities. I am growing and learning. Let me live." —Unknown | You don't owe anyone an explanation for your suffering or justification for not winning the battle sometimes. You don't have to explain the unexplainable to people who are not even willing to understand or stand trial before voices who won't even listen. Not anybody, not even your own critical self. Each person has their own unique journey in life, so don't let your self-worth become defined by the expectations of others. Your life is yours to live alone. |  | 2017/11/08 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #181 | "There is no growth when there is no change." —Inspiration to Overcome | Every change in season is an opportunity to grow. |  | 2017/11/07 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #180 | "You are overthinking it." —Unknown | Just a friendly reminder: If you're causing yourself more trouble thinking about it than you would by actually doing it, it's probably the right time to move forward. |  | 2017/10/30 | |
| #179 | "We ignore seeing the truth for temporary happiness." —Unknown | Is there something you know is true but won't embrace because you're afraid of the pain it will cause? This is the everyday experience of a person with OCD. We know what is true and right, and that the compulsions make no sense, but it just doesn't feel and seem that way. Instead, we choose temporary comfort over what feels like death and destruction. The problem is, the comfort is just that—temporary. It will be here one moment, then gone the next, leaving us feeling worse than before. We can only ever find real, lasting comfort in one thing: living out the truth |  | 2017/10/26 | |
| #178 | "Be strong from the inside out. Small right actions are the way to change discomfort." —Michelle Maros | Remember, feeling right and being right are two separate qualities, and often they are directly opposed to each other. Whenever you are experiencing a thought or emotion that is telling you to do one thing, try pausing first to notice what is happening: Is this really the right thing to do? Is the thought true or important? Does this make me happy or serve me in any logical way? If the answer is yes, then do it. But if the answer is no, your best response is to accept the discomfort and do the next thing that really is right. And for those things you just cannot accept, you will only change them by doing the next small, right thing at a time. |  | 2017/10/24 | |
| #177 | "You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles." —C. JoyBell C. |  | 2017/10/16 | #I2Oimage | |
| #176 | "With knowledge comes power, but uncertainty brings the wisdom of humility." —Inspiration to Overcome | Sometimes our true power is not in knowing, but rather in trusting the knowledge of someone greater. |  | 2017/10/13 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #175 | "You are going to suffer any way. Either from engaging in the endless compulsions or from the anxiety that rises when you quit the compulsions. You might as well choose the option that gives you a chance on recovery." —Whole Thoughts on OCD | There comes a time when you must ask yourself this question: Which is worse, the harm that might result from uncertainty or the the harm my OCD is already causing in my life today? |  | 2017/10/10 | #OCDweek |
| #174 | "I CAN overcome; I WILL overcome; I HAVE overcome, so long as I know why." —Inspiration to Overcome | Find your why. |  | 2017/10/09 | #OCDweek #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #173 | "The key to overcoming OCD is being persistent in your commitment to feeling uncertain." —Inspiration to Overcome | Dear Self: The only way out when you are stuck in an endless cycle of fear and hopelessness is to take a leap of faith. Do the things you believe you cannot do and experience the feelings and situations you believe will harm you. Take a chance and make a change, for you have nothing left to lose. Live to see what happens if you face one thing, then another thing, and persistently commit to embracing uncertainty one moment at a time. Prove to yourself that your thoughts and feelings can’t harm you, and don’t give up when it starts to feel wrong or something gets in the way. If you HAVE done it once, you CAN and WILL do it again. |  | 2017/10/08 | #OCDweek #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #172 | "You can't change what's going on around you until you start changing what's going on with you." —Unknown | And even then, there are many things beyond our control which must be let go. But many of the problems we see around us would be a lot easier to handle if we worked to overcome our own problems first. Commentary #revised for #repost on 2018/09/19: Often we find our own struggles to be so insurmountable that it seems easier to try fixing other people's problems first. But the saying is true: you can't draw water from an empty well. The key word in today's quotation is "start." You don't have to be perfect to help people or create positive change in the world, but the change has to start with you. Focus on your own wellness first, and all else will flow from it. |  | 2017/10/03 | |
| #171 | "Is what I am doing right now moving me closer to the kind of life I want to live?" —Inspiration to Overcome |  | 2017/09/28 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage | |
| #170 | "Just because I can't explain the feelings causing my anxiety doesn't make them less valid." —Lauren Elizabeth | Understand that sometimes there are no words for what we are feeling. Sometimes it is just too burdensome to explain, sometimes we are not even sure ourselves. Just know that what we feel hurts, and that those feelings are real. |  | 2017/09/27 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #169 | "Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?" —Mary Manin Morrissey | In case you were not already aware, I choose most of the quotes I write about based on what speaks to me in my moments of suffering. Even when I write as if I am speaking to someone, often times the person who needs to hear it the most is me. I have trouble taking my own advice, and right now the advice I need is to let go of my constant struggle for control and certainty: of my thoughts, of my painful emotions, of the fallen world, of trying to make things right by imagining scenarios, doing compulsions, avoiding life, and reviewing the past. One moment at a time, I will strive to let go and have faith amidst the darkness. |  | 2017/09/26 | |
| #168 | "Friendly reminder your intrusive thoughts don't make you a bad person." —Unknown | On the contrary, learning how to let go of frightening thoughts makes you a stronger, better person. |  | 2017/09/23 | |
| #167 | "God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace. Taking this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will. So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen." —Serenity Prayer & Unknown | Because our lives in this world will never be perfect, but our lives in heaven always will be. |  | 2017/09/22 | #I2Oimage |
| #166 | "Wait patiently with your feelings, and they will leave you alone. Wait patiently with a person, and they will stay." —Inspiration to Overcome | When your first instinct is to control, confront, or run away, try instead to accept and wait. |  | 2017/09/21 | #I2Oquote #I2Oimage |
| #165 | "I don't mind the sadness; what I can't stand is the lack of motivation, lack of energy, and the inability to enjoy things the way I used to." —Unknown | Depression is much more than just sadness. One of the worst feelings is the dense mental fog of fatigue and discouragement surrounding every attempt you make to do something fulfilling. |  | 2017/09/20 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #164 | "Stay. Find what you were made for." —To Write Love on Her Arms' 2017 #suicideprevention campaign motto | #IWasMadeFor purposes greater than myself, greater than this world, greater than anyone could ever imagine. To love, to give, to enjoy, to experience, and to help others do the same. |  | 2017/09/16 | #suicideprevention #WSPD17 |
| #163 | "Don't burn your opportunities for a temporary comfort." —Unknown | Every time you experience an uncomfortable thought or feeling—that is another rung on your ladder. Don't burn them because you want to stay warm. Climb them so you can be free. |  | 2017/09/14 | |
| #162 | "Sometimes we need someone to simply be there. Not to fix anything, or to do anything in particular, but just to let us feel that we are cared for and supported." —Unknown | At many times during your struggle with any sort of illness you will encounter people who think they know something you don't about how to manage it. People might try to give you "advice" and "support" for many reasons: they might feel obligated (i.e., parent or spouse), they might be arrogant and judgmental, they might feel sorry for you and want to help, or they could just be experiencing cognitive dissonance between their beliefs, life experiences, and social norms and what they make of you and your experiences. When the latter occurs, it is often labeled as ignorance, or ableism (a form of prejudice) as it relates to illness and disability. This situation can be made even more difficult if you struggle with confronting people or explaining your feelings to them. As a result, you might feel like your struggles don't matter or aren't real (invalidated), you might be feel insecure and out of place somewhere you should feel at home, or you could feel hurt and rejected by people whom you love the most. The best kind of support that can be given to someone with an illness or disability is to let them know that their feelings matter and that you will stand behind them 100%. Let people know that what you need is not for them to try and change you, but rather accept you for the person that you are, and remain hopeful of the person you are fighting to become. |  | 2017/09/13 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #161 | "Learn how to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going." —Joyce Meyer | The most important part of your journey is always right now. The destination may be far off, and the road may be painful, but you can still try to appreciate the good in every moment along the way. |  | 2017/09/12 | |
| #160 | "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." —Jon Kabat-Zinn in "Wherever You Go, There You Are" | There is really no right or wrong way to practice mindfulness, as long as those three criteria are met. Whether it is sitting and noticing your breathing, grounding, guided meditation, or just mindfully noticing things for a time or practicing it throughout the day, do whatever works best for you. (Maybe you can try being mindful of the uncertainty you have about how to properly be mindful, like me.) |  | 2017/09/11 | |
| #159 | "You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved." —Unknown |  | 2017/09/09 | ||
| #158 | "God didn't give you the strength to get back on your feet so you could run back to the same thing that knocked you down." —Unknown | No, he didn't. He gave you that strength so that you could turn around and run to Him. |  | 2017/09/08 | |
| #157 | "When I hear somebody say, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'" —Sydney J. Harris | It can be hard sometimes, but there's nothing better than life. |  | 2017/08/31 | |
| #156 | "Please don't judge people. You don't know what it took someone to get out of bed, look and feel as presentable as possible and face the day. You never truly know the daily struggles of others." —Karen Salmansohn | Outward appearance often does not reflect inner turmoil. Some people have become experts at hiding the pain, while others may feel mentally exasperated, fatigued, or numb without showing a thing. Our emotional distress might seem to others at times like apathy, anger, frustration, disrespect, hatred, entitlement, selfishness, desire for control, or even happiness—but that is only the tip of the iceberg; in reality there is something entirely different going on beneath the surface. So, please don't judge people struggling with a mental illness, or anyone, for that matter. You never know how they might be hurting. |  | 2017/08/30 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #155 | "Out of your vulnerabilities will come strength." —Sigmund Freud | It's okay to be open up and be vulnerable sometimes. Why? It's the only way you can help people to empathize with you, develop relationships, and get help from a treatment professional. It is an act of courage to show your weaknesses to others, and each time we do we gain strength and self-confidence. |  | 2017/08/28 | |
| #154 | "If you're waiting for a sign, this is it." —God (for real, maybe?) | If you have been waiting for the "perfect moment" to take a difficult step forward, an "unmistakable sign" that things are going to get better, or a sign that it's time to cease striving for "just right" perfection and move on, this is it. Now is your time; anytime is your time. |  | 2017/08/27 | #I2Oimage |
| #153 | "You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine." —Unknown | What percentage of your time and energy is spent on doing the same things every single day? Chances are it is more than 50%; we are creatures of habit, after all. Sometimes our habits do not provide us with enough satisfaction and productivity to make them worthwhile, but we continue to do them because they are familiar to us and come more naturally than change. Many, like avoidance, are maladaptive coping strategies that seem to work in the moment, but only push us further and further away from achieving our goals and overcoming our fears. Changing our deeply ingrained habits can feel like trying to run up a mountain, but it can be done if we break down our routines and goals into small, manageable pieces and focus on tackling one at a time. By consistently replacing our unhealthy habits with healthy ones, we will slowly begin to change our lives. |  | 2017/08/26 | |
| #152 | "Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world's needs." —Frederick Buechner | And that place does exist; everyone has a purpose. It may be hidden at the moment, but you will find the right place if you are determined to keep searching. |  | 2017/08/02 | |
| #151 | "Have the courage to make the change, the strength to get through it, and faith that everything will turn out for the best." —Unknown, var. Serenity Prayer | The three requirements for change: courage, strength/endurance, and faith. |  | 2017/08/01 | |
| #150 | "Even though bad things will happen, we can still live." —To Write Love On Her Arms. | And live life joyfully. |  | 2017/07/31 | |
| #149 | "I have reached a point of no return. I will not put up with negativity from others in any shape or form. I cannot handle people bashing what they disagree with or hate. My empathetic nature and deep-seated anxiety absorbs the emotions around me—be they good or bad . . . and I can no longer handle anything that darkens my spirit. If it's on the radio or TV, it gets turned off. If it's on the Internet, I scroll past. If it's out of a human's mouth, I distance myself. I choose to promote what I love. To absorb love. To become love . . . and thereby project love." —Alfa | It may be a dark world, but we don't have to let that darkness inside. Sometimes it is more helpful to focus on expelling our own inner darkness before trying to handle that which comes from outside. |  | 2017/07/30 | |
| #148 | "By becoming this, all I want to do is be more like me and be less like you." —Linkin Park, "Numb" | (Verse 1) I'm tired of being what you want me to be Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface I don't know what you're expecting of me Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow Every step that I take is another mistake to you Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow (Chorus) I've become so numb, I can't feel you there Become so tired, so much more aware By becoming this all I want to do Is be more like me and be less like you (Verse 2) Can't you see that you're smothering me? Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control 'Cause everything that you thought I would be Has fallen apart right in front of you Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow Every step that I take is another mistake to you Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow And every second I waste is more than I can take! (Chorus) And I know I may end up failing too But I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you (Chorus) I've become so numb, I can't feel you there I'm tired of being what you want me to be I've become so numb, I can't feel you there I'm tired of being what you want me to be |  | 2017/07/29 | #I2Oimage |
| #147 | "Your dream doesn't have an expiration date. Take a deep breath and try again." —K.T. Witten | After letting the time and energy to work on Inspiration to Overcome be consumed by other things these past three weeks, I hope to get back to posting more frequently again starting today. Even when things don't go as planned (which is honestly most of the time), I must keep going and start again. |  | 2017/07/14 | |
| #146 | "People will meet you in your honesty. First you have to invite them in." —To Write Love On Her Arms | Some people will knock, but they can't come in unless you open the door. |  | 2017/06/23 | |
| #145 | "Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different: enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won't). —James Baraz | It's experiencing the present moment as it is, then letting it pass without undue judgement or rumination. It is not something that is easy to do, but rather a skill that must be learned through practice in conjunction with CBT. |  | 2017/06/22 | |
| #144 | "Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting. Have faith that things will work out, maybe not how you planned, but just how it's meant to be." —Unknown | When it all just seems like too much, sometimes your only hope is to let it all go. |  | 2017/06/17 | |
| #143 | "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. Please remember that your difficulties do not define you. They simply strengthen your ability to overcome." —Maya Angelou | Every defeat is a learning experience, not a defining life event. Our setbacks and failures only give us an indication of what we are doing wrong, and an opportunity to grow in the endurance we will need to face the next obstacle. |  | 2017/06/16 | |
| #142 | "The willingness to consider possibility requires a tolerance of uncertainty." —Rachel Naomi Remen | The best thing about not knowing is that all possibilities are still on the table. Try to focus on the ones that help you move forward, and let the ones that hold you back linger in the background. |  | 2017/06/15 | |
| #141 | "Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy." —Robert Tew | It could be the most difficult thing you've ever done, but it will be worth it. |  | 2017/06/09 | |
| #140 | "It is never too late. It is only too late when we never even gave it a chance." —Unknown | The point at which you are able to gather the courage to fight back is insignificant compared to the fact that you made the decision. Even when it feels like you've been stuck forever, and things just keep getting harder, it is never too late for change. |  | 2017/06/08 | |
| #139 | "I can't tell if it's killing me or it's making me stronger." —Unknown | The difference is endurance. Once you learn to feel, you shall endure, and once you endure, you shall overcome. |  | 2017/06/07 | |
| #138 | "You are important. You are loved. The world would not be better off without you. Life can feel hard, but you can get through it. Because things change. They get better. Because you matter, and we need you. Please, please don't ever give up." —Unknown | A reminder for all those struggling right now: this too shall pass. |  | 2017/06/06 | |
| #137 | "The greatest tragedy in life is to believe yourself a failure if you do not follow the path that society demands you march." —Daniel Walsh | Failing to meet the expectations of other people or conform to the standards of "normal" living does not translate into meaning you have failed. Neither is it helpful to believe that someone else or society at large has failed you. You cannot always change the way people see you, but you can always change the way you view yourself. Forge your own path in life and others will follow their own. |  | 2017/06/05 | |
| #136 | "To be at peace, we need not to be certain, but only to have faith in the uncertain." —Inspiration to Overcome |  | 2017/06/03 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote | |
| #135 | "You will not win the fight against uncertainty by becoming certain. You will not find your stability by trying to make the unstable, stable. Instead your certainty and stability will come as the result of decidedly embracing uncertainty." —Teal Swan | They say that ignorance is bliss. Well, when it comes to letting go of your exhaustive struggle to seek the comfort, security, and certainty which your OCD demands, it certainly is. **Tomorrow's Quote: "To be at peace, we need not to be certain, but only to have faith in the uncertain." —IOC* |  | 2017/06/02 | |
| #134 | "The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head." —Terry Pratchett | Sometimes the worst deception comes from within. To find truth, we must look beyond ourselves: beyond the realm of our thoughts and our feelings. I believe that truth is always there, hiding in plain sight. It's just a matter of having the faith and determination to follow it where it leads, down the uncertain and painful road to peace. |  | 2017/05/31 | |
| #133 | "I know I'm good for something, I just haven't found it yet." —Unknown | Someday, someday soon. |  | 2017/05/30 | |
| #132 | "You are already courageous; you are already brave. You've got to stop pretending that you are not afraid; you've got to stop feeling ashamed that you are afraid. Fear is the beginning of courage and bravery. You have got to sit with it . . . listen to it . . . talk to it . . . be with it, then you've got to look it square in the eye and say, 'Thank you for your opinion, but I am going to do this difficult, uncomfortable thing anyway.' That is courage; that is bravery." —Melody Ross | Courage and bravery are nothing more than the ability to tolerate an uncomfortable feeling, and the judgement that something else is more important than that feeling. |  | 2017/05/29 | |
| #131 | "For the present is the point at which time touches eternity." —C. S. Lewis | Now is everything. |  | 2017/05/27 | |
| #130 | "Maybe I can't stop the downpour, but I will always join you for a walk in the rain." —Unknown | Rain, rain, you're OK; we'll keep living anyway. |  | 2017/05/26 | |
| #129 | "Comparisons make you feel superior or inferior; neither serve a useful purpose." —Jane Travis | It's okay to be who you are, and where you are, right now. Your path is unique, and what others are doing right now doesn't matter. You are enough. |  | 2017/05/25 | |
| #128 | "Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." —Brian Tracy | Every struggle that we face and overcome is preparation for better things in the future. |  | 2017/05/23 | |
| #127 | "Yes, I overthink, but I also over-love . . ." —Unknown | I do. |  | 2017/05/22 | #MentalHealthAwareness |
| #126 | "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." —Unknown | In the midst of chaos, I find peace in knowing there is something eternal to hold onto, a reason to endure and experience the storm. |  | 2017/05/21 | |
| #125 | "Bloom where you're planted." —Unknown | My Mothers' Day gift to my mom. We have to grow in the soil we're given. |  | 2017/05/14 | #I2Oimage |
| #124 | "Although I cannot change the world, I can find peace by changing myself." —Inspiration to Overcome | There are many facts about life that we, despite our efforts and our ambitions, will never be able to change. There will always be illness; there will always be pain. There will be disagreements, arguments, fights, and wars; contempt, evil, injustice, and ignorance. It is only once we cease striving for perfection in this world that we can begin to experience real change, the kind of change that leads to inner peace and self-contentment. That kind of change starts not with others, nor with our circumstances, but rather with our own responses and actions. |  | 2017/05/20 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #123 | "The prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets; the brightest eyes have cried the most tears; the kindest hearts have felt the most pain." —Unknown | Sometimes our best qualities shine brightest through pain. |  | 2017/05/10 | |
| #122 | "Ignoring things won't make them go away. It only makes it harder to face them when they finally come around." —A. Meredith Walters | There are a lot of things I wish I could ignore or avoid: getting up in the morning, getting ready, doing work, facing triggers, getting exercise, encountering problems, or basically doing any task that, on account of hyperawareness OCD, expends large quantities of mental energy and produces copious amounts of anxiety. Whenever I do avoid these things, I do it because I perceive the amount of energy it requires (and anxiety it produces) to be greater than the amount I can handle. Postponing things until later (or not doing them at all) seems like the easiest way to make them go away. Aside from the emotional justification and lack of faith in my own abilities, this perspective is distorted because, in reality, ignoring things only makes them push back on you harder. The anxiety will continue to build and build, until eventually it collapses in on you. All you will be left with is wasted time, missed opportunities, and an overwhelming sense of defeat. Don't let your illness deprive you of things that could make your life meaningful just because they might be difficult; they will only become more difficult with time. And if they feel like too much, remember that they usually aren't, because you are capable of more than you know. |  | 2017/05/06 | |
| #121 | "If you want to find your purpose in life, find your wound." —Rick Warren | Sometimes our purpose can be found standing on the other side of a dark chasm of pain and fear, at the end of a long, narrow, rickety bridge shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty and doubt. Other times our purpose might simply be getting there. |  | 2017/05/05 | |
| #120 | "Be strong. You never know who you're inspiring." —Unknown | I will. |  | 2017/05/03 | |
| #119 | "I’m learning to accept things at face value. Not because I think they are worth that much, but because I can’t control their prices." —Inspiration to Overcome | We cannot control the way things (like our thoughts) make us feel, but we don't have to believe or agree with them either. Take them as they come, then let them go. |  | 2017/05/02 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #118 | "Can you endure your uncertainty until it shows you another way?" —Mark Nepo | And there IS another way. It it by no means easy or painless, but if you are able to gather the courage to endure it for long enough, your uncertainty will show you the truth. Truth is not found in the certainty of understanding, control, or rituals, but rather in the uncertainty of freedom and faith. |  | 2017/04/30 | |
| #117 | "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." —Albert Einstein | Wisdom comes from experience, and not all experiences are pleasant and trouble-free. Sometimes the most important things can only be learned through adversity. |  | 2017/04/29 | |
| #116 | "Failure keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only faith and determination keep you going." —Unknown | It is by faith that you can succeed and by determination that you choose not to concede. |  | 2017/04/25 | |
| #115 | "Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip-toe if you must, but take the step." —Unknown | If you feel like you're stuck and can't do anything to change the situation that you are in, even the smallest bit of progress is a huge accomplishment. The tiniest step forward might not seem like anything now, but if you look back on it later, you could see that it was the first step in the greatest change of your life. |  | 2017/04/24 | |
| #114 | "You have to find something. Something that anchors you; something that keeps you looking forward." —Unknown | I think this quote can be interpreted in several different ways. If you have depression, it could mean finding something to motivate and empower you to get out of bed today. If you live with an anxiety disorder, it could be grounding yourself in your surroundings or looking just ahead to the very next step. For someone who feels like giving in or giving up, or like all of the sorrow, hatred, wickedness, and trouble in the world is just too much, it could be a reason to keep feeling, doing, trying, fighting, and living. And for everyone, it is the thing that gets them through to the next day. What is your "something"? |  | 2017/04/18 | |
| #113 | "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." —Albert Schweitzer | Challenge yourself by doing something difficult or anxiety-provoking today. The more obstacles you overcome, the stronger you become. You don't have to start out feeling confident or strong to take a step forward; that will come later. The first step to overcoming adversity is always a determined leap of faith. |  | 2017/04/14 | |
| #112 | "One must have great faith, great doubt, and great determination." —Senora Roy | It's not always the absence of doubt or apprehension that motivates people. Often it is by realizing that those feelings may always be there, but choosing to embrace faith instead and finding a reason to make it happen. |  | 2017/04/13 | |
| #111 | "Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position, but certainty is an absurd one." —Voltaire | Philosophically speaking, there is nothing that can be known for certain. Our convictions and beliefs are not based on any one definite reality, but rather our limited understanding of the evidence we are presented with over the course of our lives. In the face of great doubt and great fear, we don't need to be certain that what we are doing is best or will not cause harm or trouble. Upon rationally considering the evidence, it simply isn't possible to say that something is 100% certain to be true or that a fear that something bad will happen is 100% false. We can only make a decision, in a leap of great faith, to embrace the uncertainty and commit to doing or believing in something anyway. Remember: it's not about knowing for sure that things will go right, it's about being unsure yet still determined to try something anyway. |  | 2017/04/12 | |
| #110 | "Just breathe in, breathe out, and remember that moving forward means taking it one step at a time." —Unknown | (See #109) |  | 2017/04/10 | |
| #109 | "When you finally accept that it's okay not to have answers and it's okay not to be perfect, you realize that being confused is a normal part of what it is to be a human being." —Winona Ryder | The past few days, weeks, months, and years have been undeniably, excruciatingly difficult for me. I have been grappling with debilitating mental fatigue, physical frailness, cognitive incompetence (or at least that's how it feels) and lack of motivation and strength, and often it feels like things are only getting worse. Once again I don't completely understand why I continue to experience these things, and it pains me to not have the answer. Yet, I am beginning to realize that I can experience things without understanding them completely, not just in theory, but in practice. I can find my way through this by accepting what comes, giving myself reason to keep moving forward, and focusing on one step at a time. |  | 2017/04/10 | |
| #108 | "The strongest people make time to help others, even if they are struggling with their own problems." —Unknown | I'm trying... |  | 2017/03/05 | |
| #107 | "Feel it. The thing you don't want to feel. Feel it and be free." —Nayirah Waheed | You will only be a slave to fear for as long as you refuse to feel it. You may not be able to control what makes you afraid, but you can choose whether or not to let it control you. The single greatest act of courage is to just feel. It is the the most difficult thing you will ever have to do, but the only way to freedom from irrational fear and uncertainty is to simply experience what scares you and let the feelings pass. One exposure and one moment at a time, you will get there. |  | 2017/03/04 | |
| #106 | "Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." —English Proverb |  | 2017/02/26 | ||
| #105 | "It's a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. These emotions are poison to any living goal." —Steve Maraboli | It can be challenging to adhere to your goals and make logical choices when your mind is clouded with fatigue, depression, anxiety, obsessions, or intrusive thoughts. However, it becomes far more difficult when you spend all of your time and energy trying to figure out things you don't understand and solve all of your problems at once. When you can find clarity in neither your head nor the path ahead of you, it is easy to become flustered and allow that chaos to slowly consume you and any hopes you may have had for the future. This is something with which I have been struggling a lot recently, but in some ways has persisted for many years. These emotions truly are "poison to any living goal," as they have been to my recovery. Yet, in my experience I am continuing to learn that there is a way to overcome overwhelming feelings and physical sensations—and it isn't by ruminating and obsessively trying to remove or neutralize them. It is by accepting them as they are and doing what you can, in the moment, one step at a time, to move forward. It is by learning to tolerate the distress and uncertainty these feelings create and by finding purpose and direction in the midst of the storm. Remember that you are not doomed to feel terrible for the rest of your life; OCD, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, and schizophrenia are all extremely treatable. Even if you have a disorder that isn't treatable, or treatment isn't working for you, you can still find peace in acceptance and purpose in Christ, if you so believe. Clarity might seem elusive right now, but triumph over your struggles is not. I believe that I can overcome, and I know you can too. |  | 2017/02/25 | |
| #104 | "Dear life: there is OCD . . . then there is ME." —Unknown | There is a distinction, even when it feels like there isn't. OCD is a major part of who I am, but it doesn't define me. I am greater than my obsessions and compulsions and more meaningful than my shortcomings and struggles. I can, I will, and I have overcome OCD, myself and every other person who lives with it. |  | 2017/02/22 | |
| #103 | "It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance." —Albert Einstein (most accurate English translation) | Ruminating on the past and over-analyzing the present (or future) situation will keep you stuck where you are and cause your future to pass you by. The only way to be successful in life with or without an anxiety disorder is by constantly accepting and moving forward. |  | 2017/02/21 | |
| #102 | "The voice in your head that says you can't do it is a liar." —Unknown | That voice doesn't come from you, it comes from your illness. |  | 2017/02/20 | |
| #101 | "Feelings are feelings, not facts. Thoughts are thoughts, not threats. Sensations are sensations, not mandates to act." —The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD | OCD is fundamentally a disorder in which your mind constantly assigns value to things that are inherently meaningless. Whether those are external stimuli (triggers) or internal processes, OCD causes you to interpret them as imminent threats as opposed to irrelevant, uncontrollable occurrences. When your mind cannot bring closure to the ensuing fear and uncertainty, you feel like you have to engage in compulsive behaviors or thoughts in order to neutralize the anxiety. In actuality, we cannot control the way we feel about things that happen inside or outside of our body any more than we can control the presence of the wind; light or strong, it just passes over us and changes direction as it pleases. Feelings often trigger thoughts, and thoughts in turn can trigger more feelings, but thoughts too are just automatic brain processes created by years of being conditioned to think that way. Thus, the best way to deal with them is simply to accept them as they are and let them pass. Thoughts won't do anything on their own unless you choose to think about them more; in fact, allowing them to simply exist without assigning value will eventually cause them to decrease due to a lack of reinforcement. The same is true of feelings and psychosomatic sensations: if you choose to let them pass, they will start to bother you less and less. |  | 2017/02/19 | #I2Oimage |
| #100 | "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage." —Seneca | Life can be many things, but easy is not one of them. The human condition is abound with uncertainty and fear, sadness and loss, death and destruction. For someone with an anxiety or mood disorder, these might seem like inescapable, undeniable reasons for which life is just not worth living. But beyond all of the chaos, there are good times and wonders, love and happiness, purpose and meaning. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to walk through the haze of negativity in your life in the hope that there are better things out there in the distance. But there are, and it is possible to get there. I can continue living my life in spite of my fear of the unknown, and so can you. |  | 2017/02/11 | |
| #99 | "A little progress each day adds up to big results." —Unknown | One small step at a time, or even two steps forward and one step back, is always better than not taking a step forward at all. Don't overwhelm yourself by ruminating on all of the things you have yet to overcome. You cannot overcome them all at once. Just start with one small goal and the rest will fall into place. You will get there in time. |  | 2017/02/10 | |
| #98 | "Understanding the challenges you face with your illness, and then planning a life despite them, may be one of the healthiest decisions you ever make." —Unknown | I am not going to tell you that if you try hard enough, all of your problems will go away. It simply isn't possible to live a problem-free life; mental illness will never "go away." Instead, you must first acknowledge the fact that you have a mental illness. There many things you can do to work toward "overcoming" that illness, but you will never be "cured." You have to be able to accept that there will always be things that scare you, things you feel like you can't do, and things that you can't control. Then, you have to decide to live your life in spite of these things. Overcoming mental illness is not about finding perfection, but rather finding acceptance. However, that doesn't mean you can't make progress. Your illness might be a part of who you are, but it doesn't define you. Once you understand what you are up against, you can take steps forward to improve the things you can change, and then accept the things you can't. It might not be possible to remove mental illness from your life, but it is possible to live a meaningful life with a mental illness. |  | 2017/02/04 | |
| #97 | "Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't. —Rikki Rogers | True strength has nothing to do with BEING strong, it's all about BECOMING strong. Whenever you have the opportunity to go one step further than you think you can—that is an opportunity to gain strength. Therefore, every obstacle we overcome, every fear we face, and every tiny accomplishment we make is a sign of strength. |  | 2017/01/26 | |
| #96 | "Remember that time you thought you couldn't do it . . . and then you did? Do that again." —Unknown | The evidence that proves you can do something you don't think you can do is the fact that you already have. |  | 2017/01/25 | |
| #95 | "Love is so powerful that it always wins. Truth is so powerful that it always wins. All it takes is time." —Cat Bauer | In this day, we are constantly bombarded with conflicting information from many different sources. For someone with a mental illness, that often includes their own mind. Truth, however, is elusive, and not as easy to believe and follow as the lies of your depression, the rules of your OCD, the hysteria of the media, or the words of aspiring dictators. Yet it can be found; it can be found where there is love. Love and truth go hand in hand, and if you subscribe to such beliefs, love and truth can only be found in God. Regardless, two things are for certain: truth CAN be found, and it will always win if you commit to following it. --Mental illness will not win. Truth trumps mental illness, and love trumps all.-- |  | 2017/01/23 | |
| #94 | "Accept what you cannot change; change what you cannot accept." —Unknown | Sometimes the best response isn’t the active one. Be proactive in guarding your thought patterns and actions, but let feelings and intrusive thoughts pass. In the face of uncertainty and fear, the best response is always to accept and let go. It may be easier to react, but it is by reacting that you give these feelings power. If you can’t accept something, the next best thing is to challenge it. Does it make sense? Does it really impact you? If it does, then do something to change it. And if you can’t do anything to change it, then you must accept it. |  | 2017/01/22 | |
| #93 | "Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow." —Carrie Fisher | This is my first post in a while. I was very busy over the holidays with some projects I have been unable to finish for three years—until now. Each time you accomplish something meaningful or achieve a goal, no matter how small, you improve your self-esteem and rebuke your fears and doubts. Confidence in your abilities is built upon action, and with mental illness, that action is doing something you are not sure you can do. You will always feel afraid and incapable until you have actually done it. |  | 2017/01/15 | |
| #92 | "Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life." —Thich Nhat Hanh | No amount of reviewing the past can bring you peace in the present; neither will worrying about the future add time or value to your life. Uncertainty surrounding things both done and undone need not override your present reality. Overthinking or doing compulsions now will not make things right or alleviate your feelings of discontent in the future. Don't let your desire to control and perfect everything interfere with your ability to experience life in the present moment. |  | 2016/12/29 | |
| #91 | "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." —Unknown | But only if you are persistent and courageous in your approach to traveling them. |  | 2016/12/20 | |
| #90 | "Never quit. If you stumble get back up. What happened yesterday no longer matters. Today's another day, so get back on track and move closer to your dreams and goals. You can do it." —Unknown | Remember this when you feel like you've failed... |  | 2016/12/18 | |
| #89 | "If you aren't willing to take a step forward, you move three steps back by default." —Inspiration to Overcome | Each and every time you let fear overrule your desire to do what you know is right, you give it increasingly more power to influence your next decision. Whenever you are afraid to take another step forward in treatment, remember that there is no such thing as "standing still" when it comes to anxiety disorders. As difficult as it is, you must find the courage to keep moving forward or your disorder will claw its way back into your life. Be willing to take a chance, make yourself uncomfortable, and see what happens next. |  | 2016/12/17 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #88 | "Fear is courage holding on a minute longer." —George S. Patton | Hmm... |  | 2016/12/16 | |
| #87 | "Never apologize for being sensitive or emotional. Let this be a sign that you've got a big heart and aren't afraid to let others see it. Showing your emotions is a sign of strength." —Brigitte Nicole | You never have to be afraid to feel. |  | 2016/12/15 | |
| #86 | "Determination is doing what needs to be done even when you don't feel like doing it." —Unknown | You don't overcome OCD, anxiety, or depression by doing things when you feel good. Treatment doesn't depend on what you feel you are able to do. The single most valuable skill to be learned in treatment, in my opinion, is the ability to feel terrible things—anxiety, fear, sadness, tiredness, grief, hopelessness, and futility—and still do what needs to be done in spite of them. Although you do have limitations, they are probably much higher than you perceive them to be. Be determined to do what you know will make you feel better in the long term, and use positive coping strategies and self-care to help in the short term. |  | 2016/12/14 | |
| #85 | "Just because you think you're worthless doesn't make it true." —Unknown | No, it means your thoughts are distorted; your illness is preventing you from seeing the good in yourself. It means you're struggling and can't see through the fog to realize that you are loved and cared for. It means you assume your current condition will never change and you can't see the meaningful things awaiting you in the future. You are not worthless; no one is worthless. What IS worthless is to doubt your own worth. |  | 2016/12/13 | |
| #84 | "Defy the voice that tells you that it won't get better." —Unknown | Don't believe the lies your illness is feeding you. That voice of hopelessness and catastrophic thinking leads ever further away from your goals. Focus on what you need to do and prove that voice wrong. |  | 2016/12/12 | |
| #83 | "Just because you're taking longer than others does not mean you're a failure. Keep going." —Simple Reminders | Your path in life is unique. |  | 2016/12/06 | |
| #82 | "Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." —Nido Qubein | Don't confuse your present reality with your full potential. Where you can go is a matter of having the right attitude, the right approach, and the determination to get there. |  | 2016/12/05 | |
| #81 | "When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal." —Unknown | If you feel like you're not making enough progress, it might be time to make some changes to your plans. |  | 2016/12/03 | |
| #80 | "Nothing terrifies me as much as staying precisely the same. This cannot be as far as I get to go, there is so much more to become." —Tyler Knott Gregson | In every moment you have to decide what scares you more: moving forward and facing your fears, or staying stuck in the same place letting them consume you for the rest of your life. OCD has an ironic way of completely destroying you in an attempt to prevent things from going wrong. The question is: what do you think is "wrong"? |  | 2016/12/02 | |
| #79 | "Faith is not something you just have. It is something you constantly have to work toward. Faith is not a feeling; it's a decision you have to make every day." —Al Carraway | FAITH IS NOT A FEELING. These are powerful words. Many people seem to believe that someone who has faith feels carefree and optimistic, joyful and confident that everything will be fine. And while these are feelings people with faith often have, they do not represent what it means to "have" true faith. Rather, people with faith are those who, in the face of doubt, suffering, challenges, and all other evidence to the contrary, make a recurring decision to accept these uncertainties when they arise and redirect their focus to what they believe in—what they know in their hearts is true. |  | 2016/12/01 | |
| #78 | "Your peace is more important than driving yourself crazy trying to understand why something happened the way it did. Let it go." —Mandy Hale | Even if you never understand why things went wrong, you can find peace by focusing on and building upon the things that went right. |  | 2016/11/22 | |
| #77 | "Be present in all things. Be thankful for all things." —Maya Angelou | Accept each moment as it comes. Take each thought, feeling, and situation for what it's worth. By being present in all of these things, you will often see that they are worth nothing to you. Every time, however, you will see that they are at least worth being thankful for. |  | 2016/11/20 | |
| #76 | "You may see me struggle, but you'll never see me quit." —Unknown | #nevergiveup |  | 2016/11/19 | |
| #75 | "I refuse to be a prisoner of my obsessive thoughts. I will not let lies and nonsense dictate my actions." —Inspiration to Overcome | Starting now and continuing forever. Refuse to let irrational thought and the resulting fear and anxiety control you. One day at a time, one step at a time. |  | 2016/11/17 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #74 | "There are three ‘C’s in life: choices, chances, changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change." —Unknown | Not just one choice, but the recurring willingness to do what makes you uncomfortable and the determination to see it through to change. |  | 2016/11/16 | |
| #73 | "You cannot find peace by avoiding life." —Unknown | You can try, but in my experience it has brought me nothing but sorrow. Peace can only be found by accepting life the way it is—no matter how flawed it may be—and finding a way to make the best of it. |  | 2016/11/15 | |
| #72 | "Don't let your past steal your present." —Cherrie L. Moraga | You cannot experience the past; it can only be experienced as thoughts in the present. Often these thoughts will generate feelings of regret, fear, guilt, hopelessness, or despair. Remember that these feelings have no power over what is happening in the present moment. (The same is true of anxious feelings stemming from future concerns.) Choose to respond with acceptance and and a focus on the present. |  | 2016/11/14 | |
| #71 | "The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others." —Unknown | It is far easier to know what to do and tell others to do it than to do it yourself. Trust me, I know. Know that it can be done, believe that you are capable of doing it, and then put that belief and knowledge into action. |  | 2016/11/12 | |
| #70 | "As someone with a mental illness, you have three choices: you can let it destroy you, let it define you, or you can let it strengthen you." —Inspiration to Overcome, variant of (var.) Unknown | The person strengthened by mental illness is the person who already has been destroyed and defined, but decided to fight back. |  | 2016/11/11 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #69 | "To move ahead you need to believe in yourself...have conviction in your beliefs and the confidence to execute those beliefs." —Adlin Sinclair | You always have the ability to take a step forward, if only you believe you can. |  | 2016/11/10 | |
| #68 | "I cannot control the circumstances I am given, but I can control how I respond to them." —Inspiration to Overcome | We were all born into an imperfect world. We may not be able to change the bad things that happen in this world and the bad things that happen to us, but we can decide to respond to them with faith, acceptance, and a desire to focus on what we can change: our own actions. ---If your candidate didn't win last night, don't lose hope. Commentary #revised for #FBF on 2018/07/20: We were all born into an imperfect world. We may never be able to prevent bad things from happening or completely erase the adversities we face, but we can decide how we respond to them. Choose to respond first with a degree of acceptance, and then courage to focus on what we can change: our own actions. ---Always try to stay hopeful and committed to doing your part. Things will get better. |  | 2016/11/09 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #67 | "True strength is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." —Unknown | Truly strong people are those who endure: not only physical challenges, but mental, emotional, and spiritual ones also. |  | 2016/11/08 | |
| #66 | "You can be stronger than even your deepest fears, but only if you refuse to let them be stronger than you." —Inspiration to Overcome | You have the strength to overcome them all, if only you are determined to fight against them. |  | 2016/11/07 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #65 | "Never confuse a single failure with a final defeat." —Unknown | "Failing" to achieve your treatment goals one day, month, or even year does not mean you have been defeated. Rather, it means you are still trying despite the fact that you are struggling. You have the opportunity to reflect upon your struggles and make any necessary changes to help you succeed in the future. Or, if it was just an off day, simply try again tomorrow. You are not defeated until you have given up. |  | 2016/11/06 | |
| #64 | "There's no need to be perfect to inspire others. Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfections." —Unknown | My goal. |  | 2016/11/04 | |
| #63 | "Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain." —Eckhart Tolle | Be mindful of who you really are, not what your illness is making you think you are. Take a step back and find the truth about the situation, not the lies OCD, depression, or anxiety is feeding you. Pointing out the flaws in its argument weakens its power. |  | 2016/11/03 | |
| #62 | "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." —Og Mandino |  | 2016/11/01 | ||
| #61 | "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." —Marilyn vos Savant | #defeatistemporary #dontgiveup |  | 2016/10/31 | |
| #60 | "I'm too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener." —Unknown | Don't compare and despair. |  | 2016/10/30 | |
| #59 | "Courage is nothing more than taking one step more than you think you can." —Holly Lisle | Push yourself beyond the limits of emotion and you will give yourself reason to believe you can. |  | 2016/10/29 | |
| #58 | "Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be." —Rick Warren | For when it's dark out and the road ahead of you is long and steep... |  | 2016/10/28 | |
| #57 | "Don't feel guilty for doing what's best for you." —Unknown | Just make sure you do what's really best for you, not what your illness is telling you is best. |  | 2016/10/27 | |
| #56 | "I will breathe. I will think of solutions. I will not let my worry control me. I will not let my stress level break me. I will simply breathe and it will be okay because I don't quit. —Shayne McClendon |  | 2016/10/26 | ||
| #55 | "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." —Jesse Owens |  | 2016/10/25 | ||
| #54 | "If their name isn't God, their opinion doesn't matter and their approval isn't needed." —Ritu Ghatourey | What other people think of you is irrelevant. But if their name is fear, worry, anxiety, OCD, depression, etc., they might require a stern "@#$% you, I'm doing it anyway." |  | 2016/10/25 | |
| #53 | "You don't have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you." —Unknown | Exactly. Take a step away from your thoughts and observe your environment. Is there an immediate threat? If not, allow yourself to rest in the serenity of the present. (If there is, react to it. But is it real or perceived?) Then focus on the relationship between your thoughts, your body, and what is around you right now. Do your thoughts make sense in this context? Do they affect what you are doing right now? |  | 2016/10/24 | |
| #52 | "Just because you're struggling doesn't mean you're failing." —Unknown | It means you're trying hard and not giving up. |  | 2016/10/22 | |
| #51 | "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." —John F. Kennedy | When you notice yourself expending lots of time and energy on something, ask yourself: "Is what I am doing helping me to achieve my overall goal? What can I commit to doing right now to help me achieve my overall goal?" |  | 2016/10/21 | |
| #50 | "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." —Lao Tzu | Very accurate, but if you have OCD, often you are living in the past and the future at the same time. |  | 2016/10/20 | |
| #49 | "Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow." —Unknown | What a powerful question. If the answer is "no," then what are the results of the things you are doing? Are these things helping you or keeping you stuck? Do they logically and truthfully make sense in the long term? Is there something you could do differently? |  | 2016/10/19 | |
| #48 | "Nothing can be done except little by little." —Charles Baudelaire |  | 2016/10/18 | ||
| #47 | "Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future." —Deepak Chopra | I don't know about you, but I want to be a pioneer of the present. |  | 2016/10/17 | #I2Oimage |
| #46 | "Don't look back. You're not going that way." —Unknown | The only way you can go is forward. |  | 2016/10/16 | |
| #45 | "One thing which I can't stress enough is that OCD is completely nonsensical and will not listen to reason. This is one of the most frightening things about having it. I knew that to anyone I told, there are Salvador Dali paintings that make more sense." —Unknown | OCD is 1% logic and 99% fear, but it feels 100% logical to the person who has it. |  | 2016/10/15 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 |
| #44 | "Isn't everyone a bit OCD? Doesn't everyone have a quirk? . . . Isn't everyone a bit cancer? Doesn't everyone have a set of rituals to do every two seconds?" —Inspiration to Overcome | Serious conditions deserve to be taken seriously. |  | 2016/10/14 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 #I2Oimage #I2Oquote |
| #43 | "Don't worry about walking a mile in my shoes, just try a day thinking in my head." —Unknown | Or, just don't judge. |  | 2016/10/13 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 #anxietyawareness |
| #42 | "It's like you have two brains—a rational brain and an irrational brain. And they're constantly fighting." —Emilie Ford |  | 2016/10/12 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 | |
| #41 | "(OCD) is like being controlled by a puppeteer." —Toni Neville |  | 2016/10/11 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 | |
| #40 | "No one knows what it's like. I have to do these things or something bad will happen." —Unknown |  | 2016/10/10 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 | |
| #39 | "OCD is not a disease that bothers; it is a disease that tortures." —J. J. Keeler | Take a moment to reflect on what the acronym "OCD" means to you. Does it mean neat? Cleaning-obsessed? Crazy? Weird? Is is the subject of a funny meme or a laughable remark? Does it describe someone you know, or even you? The truth is, "OCD" doesn't describe anything, because it isn't an adjective. OCD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, is the name of a serious psychological disorder that affects millions, each in a different way. Although cases vary in severity, OCD is one of the world's most debilitating diseases and certainly not something to be taken lightly. Sufferers are tortured constantly by disturbing thoughts and feelings and feel like they must engage in futile behaviors to prevent fears from being realized. As OCD Awareness Week begins today, see OCD for what it is: a disease that tortures. |  | 2016/10/09 | #OCDawareness #OCDweek2016 |
| #38 | "I can. I will. End of story." —Unknown | Simple enough. |  | 2016/10/08 | |
| #37 | "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." —Nelson Mandela |  | 2016/10/07 | ||
| #36 | "The only thing stronger than a terrible feeling is the decision to accept it." —Inspiration to Overcome | That’s the surest way to take away its power. |  | 2016/10/06 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote #added |
| #35 | "You have to believe in yourself. That's the secret to success." —Charles Chaplin | Believing doesn’t make things certain, it makes them possible. |  | 2016/10/05 | #added |
| #34 | "Thoughts are like clouds. They are formless, fleeting bodies, but they will form a shape if you stare at them for too long." —Inspiration to Overcome | The longer you overthink an intrusive thought, the scarier it becomes. Thoughts have no meaning besides the meaning we give them. |  | 2016/10/04 | #I2Oimage #I2Oquote #revised |
| #33 | "I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it." —Maya Angelou | Change is inevitable. Regression is unavoidable. Degradation is not. |  | 2016/10/03 | #revised |
| #32 | "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have." —Eckhart Tolle | Events of the past are not changeable; events of the future are not controllable. Neither can be experienced. Why? Because they don't exist. Everything you do and experience is in the present moment. |  | 2016/10/02 | |
| #31 | "Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it." —Unknown | Far better things await you. Let it go and move on. |  | 2016/10/01 | #added |
| #30 | "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." —Winston Churchill | Every person...Every situation...Every thought...Every feeling... |  | 2016/09/30 | |
| #29 | "Letting go of the things you can't change is one of the happiest moments of life." —Unknown | It is also one of the most difficult. However, letting things go is not something that happens in a single moment, but rather a recurring decision that must be made one moment at a time. |  | 2016/09/29 | |
| #28 | "We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and is worth saving." —J. K. Rowling | Salvation is here. |  | 2016/09/28 | #added |
| #27 | "Challenge yourself." —Inspiration to Overcome | ...to go above and beyond what you think you are capable of. ...by taking the next step forward. ...to accept, let go, and let be. ...and never give up. |  | 2016/09/28 | #I2Oquote |
| #26 | "Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey." —Unknown | Obstacles are just successes waiting to be made. |  | 2016/09/27 | |
| #25 | "I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me." —Unknown | What is your fire? |  | 2016/09/27 | |
| #24 | "Challenges are problems with solutions, if only you are determined to face and overcome them." —Moyo Adekoya | Determination is key. |  | 2016/09/26 | #revised |
| #23 | "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" —Mary Anne Radmacher | Courage is the decision to stay and fight again tomorrow. |  | 2016/09/23 | #added |
| #22 | "The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased; it can only be accepted." —Unknown | Actually, there are other options. The past can also be replayed, reviewed, worried about, ruminated on, regretted, resented, over-analyzed, criticized, hated, despised, and a source of constant anguish for the rest of your life. Choose instead to accept it, move forward and focus on the present. It is far easier said than done, but there is no other way to move forward. |  | 2016/09/22 | #revised (twice) |
| #21 | "It takes courage to let go of the familiar and embrace the new." —Unknown | Change requires many things: determination, acceptance, strength, faith, perseverance, and action to name a few. Two of the most important are the courage to face the things that make you uncomfortable and the courage to step out into the unknown. |  | 2016/09/21 | |
| #20 | "Don't create limitations." —Unknown | There are two kinds of limitations in life: the ones determined by the very nature of the universe and the ones determined by your own mind. |  | 2016/09/20 | |
| #19 | "A strong person is not the one who doesn’t cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again." —Unknown | There is neither strength nor weakness in those who have never cried, for they have never experienced trial. There is no weakness in those who have cried, because from their trials they gain strength. There is only weakness in those who give up. |  | 2016/09/19 | |
| #18 | "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." —Audrey Hepburn | Tomorrow we will reap a harvest that is infinitely more valuable than what was sown. |  | 2016/09/18 | #added |
| #17 | "Faith and determination is what keeps me going." —Unknown | I have faith that I can and the determination to do it. |  | 2016/09/17 | #added |
| #16 | "Don't try to overhaul your life overnight. Instead, focus on making one small change at a time. Over time, those small changes will add up to a big transformation. Don't give up!" —Unknown | Circumstances are changed one decision at a time. |  | 2016/09/16 | |
| #15 | "Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace." —Unknown, var. Corrie Ten Boom | A variation on a Corrie ten Boom quote. |  | 2016/09/15 | |
| #14 | "You will get there when you are meant to get there and not one moment sooner. So relax, breathe, and be patient." —Mandy Hale | All great things take time. Your recovery is no exception. |  | 2016/09/14 | #added |
| #13 | "You can't change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails to reach your destination." —Jimmy Dean | Sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor. |  | 2016/09/13 | #added |
| #12 | "Peace is the result of re-training your mind to process life as it is rather than as you think it should be." —Wayne W. Dyer | Life isn't perfect. In this world, "how it should be" does not translate into "how it is". Don't make yourself feel terrible by focusing on every negative aspect of life. Instead, focus on what you have the power to do next. Acceptance is the practice, peace is the result. |  | 2016/09/12 | |
| #11 | "Don't let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace." —Dalai Lama | You can't control what other people do, but you can control what you do in response. |  | 2016/09/11 | |
| #10 | "Fear is the brain's way of saying there is something important for you to overcome." —Rachel Huber | F.E.A.R. = Face Exposures and Resist |  | 2016/09/10 | #added |
| #9 | "Never giving up on yourself is what it takes to be your own hero." —Michael Bernard Beckwith | Have faith in yourself! |  | 2016/09/09 | |
| #8 | "Sometimes you just have to say: 'I am currently under construction. Thank you for your patience.'" —TobyMac | Are we ever really "finished"? |  | 2016/09/08 | |
| #7 | "Overthinking ruins you, ruins the situation, twists things around, makes you worry and just makes everything much worse than it actually is." —Unknown | Sometimes it’s best just to let thoughts go. |  | 2016/09/07 | |
| #6 | "Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same." —Unknown | Sometimes? When it comes to overcoming OCD, almost always. |  | 2016/09/06 | |
| #5 | "The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty." —Unknown | It is impossible to be certain of anything as a human being. Faith is acknowledging the existence of doubt but choosing to believe anyway. |  | 2016/09/05 | |
| #4 | "A.C.T. — Action Changes Things" —Unknown | S.I.T. — Stuck In Thought |  | 2016/09/04 | |
| #3 | "Accept how you feel, but don't let your feelings rule you. You are in control." —Unknown | We cannot control our feelings, but we can control how we deal with them. If we don't reinforce them with negative behaviors, they tend to go away on their own. |  | 2016/09/03 | |
| #2 | "Sometimes in tragedy we find our life's purpose." —Robert Brault | Often you come to realize things you never would have thought of before. |  | 2016/09/02 | |
| #1 | "You can find inspiration from others, but determination is solely your responsibility." —Dodinsky | As the #quoteoftheday begins today, this is something that is worth remembering. My goal is to inspire people with OCD/anxiety/depression to have faith and courage, but the ability to put words into action comes from within. Someone can tell you that engaging or not engaging in a particular behavior is a step toward overcoming your disorder. Advice and encouragement can help you along the way. But the decision to take a leap of faith and COMMIT to doing it, no matter how difficult—that is something only you can do. |  | 2016/09/01 |
Tags:
- #QuoteoftheMonth
- Special, longer reflection
- May be linked to a new blog post
- Posted monthly
- #I2Oquote
My original aphorism or saying. Attributed to “—Inspiration to Overcome.” Other quotes are attributed to their most commonly-cited author or “—Unknown.” I do check for authenticity, so please let me know if you see an error or omission. - #I2Oimage
My original image design. The I2O logo and @inspirationtoovercome are embedded (handle may be absent in posts from before 2021). Other images are downloaded from various Internet sources, and they are the property of their respective owners. - #revised
The caption was rewritten or edited after the original post date, or a new one was added for repost. - #added
The quote was originally posted without a caption. My comments were added later. - #MentalHealthAwareness