What Is Life? Favorite Inspirational Quotes About Life

Life Living Young Youth Kids Playing“Life is but a brief moment. The years go by quickly and old age arrives suddenly before we have an inkling. People desire so many things and waste their days in vain. Some yearn for gold, others for power, yet others for glory and a higher station. But when death’s moment nears and they look back at their lives they’ve lived, they realize they’ve been happy only during those moments when they’ve loved.”
-Borje Vahamaki

“Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved.”
– D.H. Lawrence

“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.”
– George Bernard Shaw

“For a long time it seemed to me that real life was about to begin, but there was always some obstacle in the way. Something had to be got through first, some unfinished business; time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
-Bette Howland

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
– John Lennon

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
– Oprah Winfrey

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Dude This Entry Is Weird – This Is  Not Like Your Normal Articles. What Gives?

Quotes Paper Scraps Brown SquaresFor years ago I have collected quotes that have in some way affected me and changed my life.  I collect them in random places – a professor opening a lecture with one, books and those irritating spam forwards from friends.  I have literally kept some scraps for years in physical folders – clipping from magazines and printed copies.

I have occasionally used these quotes to illustrate my articles.  For a long time, I have saved them, hoping for the right article to insert them into.    When Ali Hale offered to write about motivation when your passion fades, I dug up a quote from a Reader’s Digest scrap I’d ripped out over 15 years ago to help drive the point home.

I have now realized that six months have gone by, and due to my hardly using quotes in my writing, I have not shared many of these inspirational quotes about life.  It struck me as I drew a parallel between what I was doing, and another quote I really enjoy:

“Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion.”
– Mary Manin Morrissey

I do not know when the right time will be for many of my favorite quotes.  If I find an appropriate article I will reuse the quotes to illustrate a apoint – but even if I can’t, I still want to share them, else I do a great disservice to you, my readers.  Enjoy, and there will be more to come, perhaps once every couple weeks.

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  • Sid, great post! I like those quotes, they allow you to put your daily life in perspective and actually look for a greater meaning to life itself and what you do with it

    My favorite from your list is "Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”, by John Lennon, beacuse it's so true! Thank you for this inspiring post Sid, thank you so much!

    Anthony
  • Hi Anthony,
    Thanks for your kind words and all your support! I appreciate it =)
  • This is awesome, Sid! Wow, who knew you'd been saving inspirational quotes all this time?! You know, my grandmother always did this, too (I mean that comparison in a most complimentary way.) :-)

    I love saving stuff, too. Looking back and reading inspiring quotes, poems, stories--anything--really helps us be inspired during difficult times and helps us smile as we reflect on the good times.

    Great job, Sid, and I'm looking forward to more posts like this!

    *smiles*
    Michele

    P.S. I'm giving this a stumble so others can enjoy it as well! :-)
  • Hi Michele,
    Would you believe I used to clip coupons too? ;)

    I have so many little things saved up - and it amazes me when I google for
    things sometimes and find that they're not online. It makes me wonder how
    much other knowledge there is out there that I don't know about =)
  • Hi Sid,

    I really enjoyed this post and the quotes about life. I've heard most of them before but to see them all on one page is brilliant. I'm also glad you wrote a post just to post the quotes!
  • Hi Daphne,
    Thanks! I'll try to find one to surprise you with next time ;)
  • I am also a quote collector - there are so many good ones! I really like the D.H. Lawrence one you have above.
  • Hi Amanda,
    Thanks! I don't collect stamps or coins - but I love quotes!
  • I have a huge collection of quotes (a good number of them are on a separate Quotes page on my blog) I I've collected them for years. You've included some great ones here, and I especially like the D.H. Lawrence.
  • Hi Jennifer,
    Thanks!

    I loved your site when I stopped by earlier! I'll have to check out the
    quotes page, I'm sure it's awesome ;)
  • Nice quotes Sid, thanks for sharing!

    "My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?"
    - Charles M. Schulz
  • metrophage
    “A life Jimmy. It’s the shit that happens while you wait for moments that never come.”

    from "'The Wire"
  • Hehe. Nice one, I'll have to add that to my list =)
  • im gonna share mine :

    1. “A man exists for a generation, but his name lasts to the end of time.” -Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

    2. “No man shall witness the Day of Judgment without being asked about four: His life and how he spent his time, his youth and how he took advantage of it, his knowledge and how he disposed of, and his money, from where he had earned and for what he had spent it.” -Reported by Al-Tabarani and Al-Bazar, Majma’ Al-Dhawa `d, vol. 10; p.346

    :)
  • fight life till the last moment of your life, ... I remember this quote from one of our teacher and has never given up on it ..
  • Love the one by Borje Vahamaki!!! Oh you are good at selecting well!!
  • I enjoy all those quotes from Alexander the Great to Zig Zigler and I collect them as well. I appreciate you sharing with other people and I'm sure what goes around comes around! You will be blessed! Keep up the good work.