Article image

11 Quotes To Read in the Midst of Big Life Changes

“Everything changes and nothing stands still” — so said Greek philosopher Heraclitus in 535 BCE. More than 2,500 years later, this statement still holds true. Whether we’re in the midst of changing jobs (or thinking about it), moving to a new city, getting married, deciding if homeownership or parenthood is for us, or trying to decide which hobbies to pursue in retirement, being an adult is basically making one big, life-changing decision after another. Oftentimes when the stakes are particularly high, it can feel impossible to make the “right” decision. With so many options for, say, where we want to retire, how do we even begin to prioritize which factors to take into account and which to ignore?

In the midst of any life-altering event, it’s important to remember that change is an inevitable part of life and it doesn’t always have to be daunting or devastating. In fact, change can allow us to get to know ourselves better, fortify our resolve, and recognize our strength in the face of uncertainty. If we think back to all the crossroads we’ve traversed to get where we are, haven’t they all allowed us to become more fully ourselves in the end? The 11 quotes below are meant to provide solace, humor, and wisdom as we navigate tough decisions. Think of them as companions for a new beginning.

To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.
Winston Churchill

Share Quote

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
James Baldwin

Share Quote

You have to start with the truth. The truth is the only way that we can get anywhere. Because any decision-making that is based upon lies or ignorance can't lead to a good conclusion.
Julian Assange

Share Quote

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Share Quote

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

Share Quote

They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
Andy Warhol

Share Quote

If you obsess over whether you are making the right decision, you are basically assuming that the universe will reward you for one thing and punish you for another. The universe has no fixed agenda. Once you make any decision, it works around that decision.
Deepak Chopra

Share Quote

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
John D. Rockefeller

Share Quote

Because the results are unpredictable, no effort of mine is doomed to failure.
Hugh Prather

Share Quote

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.
John C. Maxwell

Share Quote

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.
Marcus Aurelius

Share Quote

Featured image credit: WPA Pool/ Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Author image
About the Author
Joyce Chen
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.
Play more header background
Play more icon
Daily Question
Fill in the blank: "___ is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been." - David Bowie

More Inspiration

happiness theme icon

At the end of the day, you are enough exactly as you are.

separator icon
Meghan Markle
motivation theme icon

What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.

separator icon
Ellen Burstyn
hope theme icon

Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.

separator icon
Herb Brooks
love theme icon

The first time you do something only happens once.

separator icon
Chris Burden
wisdom theme icon

The struggle, like life itself, should be joyful.

separator icon
Miriam Miranda
happiness theme icon

The best advice I ever got when I was starting out: Never give up. And I never did.

separator icon
Rita Moreno
motivation theme icon

You must believe that your past is not your future.

separator icon
Gayle Carson
hope theme icon

Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?

separator icon
Friedrich Nietzsche
love theme icon

Once you realize that you can do something, it would be difficult to live with yourself if you didn’t do it.

separator icon
James Baldwin
wisdom theme icon

Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been.

separator icon
David Bowie
happiness theme icon

We all accept too easily that life has to be hard and forget to make sure we have the most fun we can.

separator icon
Amy Schumer