Today we’re paying it forward – take a kind word and pass it on

Quotes are one of life’s pick me ups. Sometimes they provide the words we can’t seem to form on our own, they can inspire a change or simply explain a situation. Below are three of my favourite quotes and the reasons why. Welcome to my mind ladies and gents, as always, I hope you enjoy your stay.

1. “Fall down seven times, stand up eight”

This particular quote was my very first tattoo, just after my eighteenth birthday I took the plunge and had this quote tattooed across my ribs on my right hand side. This quote held a lot of meaning to me and to this day, still does. One of these days I’ll share my chronically fabulous battle with you. But for now, I hope to help you understand why this quote became to mean such a great deal to me. It was, in a way, an acceptance of a time in my life I was working so hard to forget. It was the understanding of a new chapter, a new version of myself. It represented a love for the life I realised I was strong enough to handle. It was the belief in myself that I’d lost along the way. It was a new beginning. I was knocked on my ass more times than I can count, I became a human welcome mat as I was trampled on over and over again. I thought I’d never stand again. But never one to be defeated, I got up. No matter how many times I fell down, I picked myself back up again, I dusted myself off and carried on because I knew this life was waiting for me. I knew there was a world beyond this struggle.

2. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world”

This quote, again, became a tattoo. You’re sensing a theme here, right? I’m a passionate girl, what can I say. I love this quote. I adore its meaning and it really does hit home because this is my plan. Little by little I hope to change the world. I’m not looking to storm into the UN or lambast the government about changes that I know are not going to happen overnight. That’s not the plan and honestly? That’s not my style. My plan is to gently shake the world, I figure if I teach one child how to read, if I feed one stomach, if I influence one mind, then little by little these small changes become bigger and bigger until they transform families and communities, they shake the balance gradually and before your eyes the world moulds itself into a more loving, nurturing, accepting environment. I know this is a fairy tale, I know the reality is that I can’t save everyone, I can’t eliminate all the cruelty in the world even if I live to be 100. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try. In the world I dream of there is no discrimination, there is no cruelty, only acceptance and love. People are embraced because of who they are, they are no longer placed under degrading and demoralising stereotypes because of where they’re from or what religion they follow or who they choose to love. Honestly? The way I look at it, is you could paint yourself blue and call yourself an avatar and I don’t see why it’s anyone else’s business. Fall in love with whoever makes you happy, do whatever makes your heart sing because no one is better at being you than you. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, the only person you have to answer to is yourself, you are entitled to happiness and you are more than entitled to live your life how you see best fit. In my ideal world we become one race. We become the human race. It may never happen, with the way things are going just now it certainly doesn’t look likely, but if everyone gives up on the hope of a better tomorrow, then what have we got left to fight for? It’s okay if you’re disappointed with the world right now, what I’m asking you to do is keep on believing. Don’t give up on a world as wonderful as this.

3. “Throw kindness around like confetti”

To be kind is one of the most important things you can do with your life. I don’t have a big spiel about why this quote is one of my favourites, nor do I really have the words to explain why I find it so important. It just is. Being kind is a quality I am proud to have. Being kind is a rush like no other, the ability to make someone smile with a word or a gesture is wonderful to me. No matter what has happened in my life, no matter how many times I’ve been trampled on, I’ve never lost my ability to be kind. I could spend my whole life thinking back on those who have done me wrong, or thinking about situations that I can’t change, I could be angry and bitter and I could scream at the world that things didn’t happen the way I thought they would, but to what end? I look back now and feel no remorse, no bitterness, no animosity. I was faced with the ultimate test of character and I remained true to myself. No one can take my kindness from, no one can take the good in my heart because it’s what makes me who I am. I’m not perfect but I’m perfectly me.

I’ve been reading a lot of your blog posts recently and I’m taken aback by the talent and passion out there, it’s amazing all these people with such a wonderful flare for writing. These quotes mean something to me for my own reasons, so I guess I’m curious, what are your personal favourite quotes?