Why Empowering Quotes Are So Powerful
If you’ve ever spent time thinking about how far you still have to go in life, or how many times things haven’t worked out the way you wanted, or why success seems to sit there, just out of reach, or whether what you think truly matters or not…listen up.
A performance coach for twenty some years says this about top performing athletes.
“The way they think is crucial and it’s the core element of a champion. Who they are, and what actions they take, fundamentally stem from how they think. It’s vital to their success.”
As it is for all of us. To operate at our peak the thoughts we choose and mentally repeat create our beliefs. Positive and negative.
Every thought we have has energy and whether we’re athletes or not, focusing that energy is an absolute must if we’re to have peak experiences in our life.
Why You Need To Empower Yourself
Who hasn’t felt those feelings of self-doubt, of lack of confidence and uncertainty? It’s too easy to get stuck there and live that life we dream of as opposed to sitting on the sidelines, because we’re overwhelmed.
This isn’t the story you want for your life. “Sorry life – I was too busy sitting on the sidelines because you seemed overwhelming.”
Getting back on track next time you’re feeling less-than is why empowerment matters and you can do this by using an underestimated skill. Storytelling.
Part of the reason we get ourselves into miserable disempowered states is because of our rotten storytelling abilities.
Find your inner power by telling yourself better stories about who you are.
I remember hearing the tale of a little boy who, every night before he fell asleep was given empowering words about himself.
His daddy as he tucked him into bed would tell him he was a shining star, his little hero, his brilliant boy. One night daddy was in a hurry and gave his little boy a quick kiss goodnight and got ready to leave the room.
His son called out after him “Daddy you forgot to tell me who I am.”
As a grown up you get to tell yourself your own stories about who you are.
So each night before falling asleep imagine and feel as though you are the person you now choose to be in life. Speak words over your life that empower you. You’ll be amazed at how this can improve your life.
My personal rotten storytelling ability
Some years ago I had read and heard a lot about banks.
How terrible they were. How people were getting ripped off.
You know the sort of things we read everyday about one thing or another.
I’d never had any trouble with my bank.
They’d always been available and helpful when I needed it. Until suddenly they weren’t.
I started to have all sorts of challenges with them.
Mistakes in my accounts begin to show up frequently.
Then challenges in contacting the bank to resolve the issues.
It was becoming a real headache until the penny dropped and I became aware of how I had allowed outside influences to take hold in my inner creative world.
Woah. I knew I had to change the stories that had been slowly overtaking anything I had previously thought of or experienced with my bank.
So I began affirming how great my banking experiences were. I had plenty of good memories to draw upon, so I used them.
I thought about the times they’d helped me out. Times when they were easy to contact. Times when they made my life easier, not harder.
And I began to use the phrase ‘not my my world’ each time I heard or read about how awful banks were.
These changed thoughts and the feelings that went with them became part of my revised stories and soon turned my recent banking experiences back to where they had been.
The way they were before I started creating stories to tell myself, based not on my own truth’s, but those of others.
And believe me, I know it isn’t easy to base our stories on what we want instead of what’s ‘out there.’ But it is doable, as I learned for myself.
So if you’re experiencing a struggle right now based on things you’ve heard or read, that you don’t want in your world, here’s some empowering quotes that might help you align with better experiences.
Quotes that I hope will help in creating little shifts in thinking that can bring more happiness, fulfillment and vitality into your world.
23 incredibly empowering quotes using better stories
1.Most of us are totally unaware that our inner conversations are the causes of the circumstances of our life. ~ Neville Goddard
2.The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak. ~ Ralph Charell
3.The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large. ~ Confucius
4.It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. ~ Unknown
5.You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition. ~ W. Clement Stone.
6.You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. ~ James Allen
7.Remember happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have: it depends solely upon what you think. ~ Dale Carnegie
8.Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself. ~ Plato
9.Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week. ~ George Bernard Shaw
10.The most important conversation you will ever have is the one you have with yourself. ~ Unknown
11.You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend or not. ~ Isabel Allende
12.If you don’t program yourself, life will program you. ~ Les Brown
13.Relentless, repetitive self talk is what changes our self-image. ~ Denis Waitley
14.Guess who’s the number one person you communicate with on a daily basis? It’s you! Our internal conversations characterize how we view the world and influence every part of our lives- relationships, achievements, attitude and ultimately our degree of happiness. ~ Todd Smith
15.If you want to change your life, begin by changing your words. Start speaking the words of your dreams, of who you want to become, not the words of fear and failure. ~ Robert Kiyosaki
16.Inner talking is the beginning, the sowing of the seeds of future action. To determine the action, you must consciously initiate and control your inner talking. ~ Neville
17.Words are also seeds and when dropped into the invisible spiritual substance they grow and bring forth after their kind. ~ Charles Fillmore
18.All that we are is the result of what we have thought… If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him… If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. ~ Buddha
19.All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
20.Always remember within you is the creative power of the universe. It might not be enough to create a whole new universe, but it’s enough to manifest a whole new life for yourself. ~ Elle Sommer
21.Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
22.Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thought that is forever flowing through one’s head. ~ Mark Twain
23.Your possible future…and there are literally thousands of possible futures…is being formed by what you think and believe today. ~ John Kehoe
Final Thoughts on Empowering Quotes
So there we have it, the great thinkers and philosophers throughout the ages couldn’t have made it any clearer.
We need to fill our minds with the the greatest thoughts we can conjure up in the direction of where we truly want to go.
The best, most consistent thoughts that we have will keep us moving in the best, most harmonious direction.
Repetition of high quality thoughts is key.
We need to deliberately choose and guide our thoughts.
We are the master gardeners of our life, forever planting seed thoughts that bloom as our successes or failures, our joys or woes our love and abundance.
Knowing that each thought gives us a chance to reset our aim towards the most joyous, loving, compassionate and thrilling life imaginable is a huge incentive to pay attention to our inner conversations. Those stories we consistently tell ourselves.
How do you deal with negative self talk? Maintaining focus can be such a challenge — so tell me, in the comments below…what’s your secret?
Your thoughts could really be helpful to our global community, not to mention me!
Thank you, as always, for stopping by and reading, and bless you for sharing. You most definitely rock.
Encourage one another.
Love Elle
xox
48 Comments
“Remember happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have: it depends solely upon what you think.”
Damn. Take some time and let that soak in. Remember that there are people that would kill to be you, and do your utmost to make the best of your current situation! I really needed this.. time to stop moping around and make some changes!
Thank you.
I wish I’d written some of these quotes Ragnar – they really tell a great story don’t they? Appreciate you taking the time to stop by and leave your thoughts and am really glad you’re inspired to make changes. 😀
Hi Elle
Some awesome quotes. I have been collecting quotes for quite awhile and I call it “quotes to live by”.
I try to remember them when things are not going so hot. Remembering that this is only a temporary situation. I can always adjust my thinking. The inner talk seems to get us in a lot of trouble, filling our heads with self doubt. Would we ever put up with such nonsense from a friend.
We can be or do whatever we want if we just do and believe.
Mary
That’s so true Mary, about putting up with the stuff we tell ourselves, which is why I think finding methods to support us in keeping our attention in the direction we want out life to go is so vital for our wellbeing. We’ve heard the same things over the centuries, but hearing and doing…well a different kettle of fish.
Do you have a favourite one or two that you absolutely must use each day? 🙂
When things are not going so well I try to remember this one:
“Happiness depends upon ourselves. Aristotle”
Elle,
You know how much I love quotes! I’m going to go back through and read them all thoroughly now! Thanks for the inspiration!
We do like our quotes Betsy. I’d be interested in knowing which ones, if any, on this list spoke to you? 😀
Hi Elle,
Love these quotes! My favorite is “Your possible future…and there are literally thousands of possible futures…is being formed by what you think and believe today.” ~ John Kehoe. I think that says it all. This one is definitely a keeper!
You’re so right Cathy – it totally it sums it up in a nutshell. Now all we need is to practice forming great thoughts. 😀
Elle, I love your site header. You look so radiant:-)
My all time favorite empowering quote…I’m AWESOME! (The Fitocracy robot tells me this every time I log a workout so I know it’s true. 😉 )
Hello Nneka – you touch my heart with your kind words. Thank you. That quote is awesome and what a wonderful assumption, yep, it must be true because you keep being told it. Do you use it at any other times in the day? 😀
Elle,
I love number 12. I always enjoy seeing lists of quotes like this, because it’s like “power inspiration!” I know we haven’t talked much lately, but I hope all is well with you. Keeping busy here, good things coming, and it’s always a pleasure to stop by your site and get some refreshment for the soul. 🙂 Take care.
-Victor
Victor…how lovely to see you again. It’s great that you stopped by to say hello. And I’m happy to hear of the ‘power inspiration’ – I think I should print these out and keep them on my desk so I can remind myself on a regular basis. It’s so easy to forget. Here’s a question for you: You’ve been really busy lately, and I’m sure you’re having a fun time…do you have a quote or a dominant thought of any kind that help support you in living your life in balance? 🙂
Hi Elle,
Well, I would say it’s more of a process to make sure that I squeeze as much production out of the time allied to do the work. However, I also do try to keep things in perspective. If I have the opportunity to read a book with my children or spend time with my family, I always pick family. The work will always be there waiting for me. The family time won’t. So, I guess you could say that I really do have a saying in my mind – “Family first, because you never get these years back.” 🙂
So important Victor…and love the point you make about never getting those years back. Looking at our ‘little sprites’ of 5 and 7 I can see how quickly things change and like you I want to stay focused on the joy and fun they bring into our world. Family first – so true. As always you rock. 😀
Hi Elie; quotes have a special place in my heart and soul as I feel they speak to me. I loved all you have in this article. I came up with one myself at a young age as I was trying to seek for inner growth.,, “whatever the mind of man can conceive; it can achieve” I kept the piece of paper I originally wrote it on for decades. Thank you so much for sharing ?
Hi Jennifer – that is a great quote to keep on hand to remind you that you are a partner in the creation of your life. Thank you for sharing with us.
Why yes I do:-) Every time I remember. At least 10 other times in the day. I do a fist pump too!
That’s fabulous Nneka – especially the fist pump. Yay you. 🙂
Hi Elle,
I suppose the most telling impact is of this quote”Guess who’s the number one person you communicate with on a daily basis? It’s you! Our internal conversations characterize how we view the world and influence every part of our lives- relationships, achievements, attitude and ultimately our degree of happiness.”by Todd Smith
The other quote I always love is what Napoleon Hill said “every adversity carries equal or greater benefit” he was certainly not being flippant.Every adversity does carry the potential of bringing advantage to the table .The advantage of confidence in surmounting obstacles.
Thanks
mona
That’s a super quote Mona, I had to put it in because it’s so telling and a powerful statement in how to support ourselves in living our greatest life.
It’s fascinating the different quotes that resonate with whatever our current state of consciousness is. It seems to boil down to perspective really including the Napoleon Hill quote (love him by the way). Do you think how we choose to see adversity as a challenge or opportunity means we’ll tackle it in differing ways? 😀
Good question Elle.One that I personally like to keep mulling over.And my surmise,from personal experience,is in the affirmative .Yes,when we consider adversity as an opportunity things do pan out differently.One reason is that our vibes change instantly when we change our approach.We are,for that situation,in a state of balance,and on the lookout for extracting some constructive dividend.That might materialise in the material,intellectual,or spiritual realm.Sometimes on all three.
Yet it needs to be acknowledged that our energies,frequencies,vibrations make a phenomenal difference to the outcome.
Thanks
Mona
I think trying and testing is key Mona. It’s an experiential thing. No matter how much we study it’s only by the practice that we discover what works best for us, given that we’re all incredibly, magnificent unique beings. Super point about the vibrations. Feeling good as much as possible in the day, expecting something good and great to be our experience opens the door for us to at least receive happier outcomes. Then comes the receiving part, which can be problematic for some.
Absolutely fabulous as always Mona. 🙂
Thank you for all of the inspiring quotes 🙂
As for your question, well, I am not sure we are at a place yet where we can be aware of even a fraction of our thoughts, even when we are in the present moment, because they run on so many levels and many run in such subtle ways.
What I do is focus on how I am feeling and when I notice tension in my body and emotions, I try to relax and breathe while focusing on the tension and allowing it to be there. This helps to let go of those stuck energies and feel the positive side of things again, and I know that more positive thoughts are also flowing through my mind then.
Welcome to the conversation Gavriel and sooo appreciate your perspective. Feeling has always been the secret for me and the easiest place to start. Our thoughts, even those we’re unaware of induce feelings. Have you ever noticed that you suddenly have a feeling of doom, or joylessness from apparently nowhere? That’s what I mean…we never noticed the thought…but the feeling tells us we had it.
And that’s a great point you made when you begin to feel more positive feelings, more positive thoughts join in.
Thank you Elle! I have definitely felt that many times. I use a combination of breathing with the Sedona Method, sometimes also EFT but not as often. I can then feel the confidence and faith surging back in. It isn’t always easy when the emotions are strong, but we are learning after all 🙂
So true Gavriel, we’re all learning…I find as my awareness grows, the practice gets easier. Notice I didn’t say easy…just easier. 🙂
Excellent post, Gotta love quotes. Number 23 I love, I am a great believer of your future being made by how you think and believe. Thanks for Sharing
Thanks for participating in the conversation Frank. Isn’t it amazing how often throughout the ages we’ve been told this, in such a variety of ways, that you’d have thought by now we’d have got the message! 🙂
Elle this is a wonderful collection that I am going to print and put in my journal for those moments when I need a positive reminder. One way I use is EFT I find that lifts me, a walk on the beach is another way. Love Ragnars quote too
Love and hugs xx
Didn’t these people write such great things Suzie…when I was compiling it I was struck by how many sages, over the centuries have told us the same thing. And here we are still missing out on one of the the greatest gifts we have. Course I know you’re a wonderful practitioner of guiding your thoughts. Look at what you’ve done with your life. Your exuberance and joy come across with every piece of art and every word. I’ve loved your site from the first moment I clapped eyes on it. 🙂
All of the quotes are so empowering with my favorite being this one – The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak. Thank you for the wonderful inspiration, Elle!
As you can tell I love quotes too Cher. They motivate me when I’m stuck, inspire me when I’m in the doldrums and just generally lift my spirits. I’m so happy to be able to compile a list that do the same for you. 🙂
My favorite quote on this list? “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. ~ Unknown” – I love that!
Hi Jessica, isn’t that a great quote. And so true. We forget about the spark of the divine in us all, how can we be anything less than great! 🙂
I stumble on your site today, maybe it was an invisible force that led me here. Going through some challenging times at the moment. The following quote stood out and yell at me for some reason.
You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you
I will read some of your articles maybe my thoughts brought me here to have better thoughts tomorrow
Hello James. Welcome aboard. So sorry to hear about life being challenging right now. I think we can all sympathize with those days. For myself, when a challenge pops up and hits me over the head (sometimes it feels like a ton or bricks!) I usually have an aim from which to think. For instance my aim for today is hearing good news and happy outcomes. And I visit that thought as much as possible throughout the day. If you give something like this a whirl, I’d love to hear if it helped at all? 🙂
Elle,
Thank you for responding and the suggestions. I will give it a try. Its a relationship problem i am having and I think i am trying too hard to resolve the problem. I am sure everything will be it I just let it be
Hi James…the best and easiest thing I personally do is just to keep an image in my mind and feeling in my heart that everyone is happy! So I see smiles all around. May it all work out perfectly for you. 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful words…………..
I have read your article; it is very informative and helpful for me. I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it.
Hi Robin, thanks for your kind words.
I liked all of the quotes! I suffer with high anxiety and I am trying to work on myself!
Again, good read!
Thank you.
Patti
So sorry about the anxiety Becky. I have found to have some quotes to hang my hat on when days are tough has proven to be a handy tool over the years. May some of these quotes do the same for you.
I read a lot of empowering quotes. They help me to keep motivated. Thanks for sharing this post. ”As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has – or ever will have – something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.” Fred Rogers
Hi Annette, what a great quote. I wholeheartedly agree with it and appreciate you for sharing it with us.
What a wonderful introduction. I love the quotes and I especially like the phrase “no my world.” I will keep that one at my fingertips for sure.
So glad you enjoyed the article Sandra. “Not in my world” is definitely one I keep to hand also. 🙂