40 Quotes to Soothe Your Soul

They say that when you are ready, the Universe will send you just the teacher you need.  Some of the most cherished teachers are long gone, but quotes from their work remain to guide us.  To offer us hope and courage.  To reminder us of our inner strength.

From my collection of quotes, I’ve chosen 40 that I invite you to consider.  Each one is a nugget of wisdom, a ray of light, an insight on the pathway to joy.  Each one offers you a little gift to soothe you soul.

1 - “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” — Julian of Norwich

2 - “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius

3 - “Everyday we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”  — Thich Nhat Hanh

4 - “I have been a seeker and I still am, but I stopped asking the books and the stars. I started listening to the teaching of my Soul.” — Rumi

5 - “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” — John Muir

6 - “No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?” ― Shams of Tabriz

7 - “Never mind what is. Imagine it the way you want it to be so that your vibration is a match to your desire. When your vibration is a match to your desire, all things in your experience will gravitate to meet that match every time.” — Abraham Hicks

8 - “Everything is energy. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.  It can be no other way.  This is not philosophy.  This is physics.” — Albert Einstein

9 - “Note that this journey is uniquely yours, no one else's. So the path has to be your own. You cannot imitate somebody else's journey and still be true to yourself. Are you prepared to honor your uniqueness in this way?” — Jon Kabat Zinn

10 - “Instead of resisting changes, surrender. Let life be with you, not against you. If you think ‘My life will be upside down’, don’t worry. How do you know down is not better than upside?”  ― Shams of Tabriz

11 - “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”   — Joseph Campbell

12 - “At its heart, the journey of each life is a pilgrimage through unforeseen sacred places that enlarge and enrich the soul.” — John O’Donohue

13 - “Two roads diverged in the wood and I…I took the road less travelled and that has made all the difference.“ — Robert Frost

14 - “Still round the corner, there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

15 - “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle

16 - “You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” — Oprah Winfrey

17 - “At the centre of your being you have the answers.  You know who you are and you know what you want.” — Lao Tzu

18 - “I am not my thoughts, emotions, sense perceptions, and experiences. I am not the content of my life. I am Life. I am the space in which all things happen. I am consciousness. I am the Now. I Am.” — Eckhart Tolle

19 - “The lotus flower is a reminder of the beauty that comes from change, the magic that a new beginning brings, and the seed of potential that’s buried in the most unlikely places.”  — Jennifer Williamson

20 - “If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.” — Masaru Emoto

21 - “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” — Patanjali

22 - “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” — Amelia Earhart

23 - “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” — Harriet Tubman

24 - “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”  ― Henry David Thoreau

25 - “Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence. The great Sufi poet Rumi wrote: Only let the moving waters calm down, and the sun and moon will be reflected on the surface of your being.” — Deepak Chopra

26 - “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”  ― Sharon Salzberg

27 - “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” — Marianne Williamson

28 - “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” — Mother Teresa

29 - “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

30 - “Unless you fill yourself up first, you have nothing to give anybody. Therefore, it is imperative that you tend to your joy first. People are responsible for their own joy. When you tend to your joy and do what makes you feel good, you are a joy to be around and you are a shining example to every child and every person in your life. When you are feeling joy, you don’t even have to think about giving. It is a natural overflow.” — Rhonda Byrne

31 - “Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.” — Pema Chodron

32 - “This is my simple religion.  There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy.  Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” — Dalai Lama

33 - “Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” — Pema Chodron

34 - “The way of peace is the way of love.  Love is the greatest power on earth.  It conquers all things.” — Peace Pilgrim

35 - “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” — Mother Teresa

36 - “Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” — Kahlil Gibran

37 - “Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, And you will be filled with joy.” — Buddha

38 - “No person, no place, and no thing has any power over us, for 'we' are the only thinkers in our mind. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.” — Louise L. Hay

39 - “The inward journey is about finding your own fullness, something that no one else can take away.” — Deepak Chopra

40 - “In today's rush, we all think too much--seek too much--want too much--and forget about the joy of just being."  — Eckhart Tolle