We live in a world that feels very “go-go-go” all the time, so it’s totally natural to feel burnt out or energetically depleted from time to time. Whether we’re wearily facing the start of yet another workweek or we’ve been dealing with a slump in creativity or motivation, feeling low energy can be frustrating and demoralizing.
As humans, we feed off of positive energy and enthusiasm to keep going through tough times, and when our stores are running low, it can feel difficult to perform even the simplest of tasks. It’s reassuring to know that feeling uninspired is a universally relatable state of being: Throughout history, great thinkers have waxed poetic about the importance of finding our muses in the everyday, whether it’s a mentor, a friend, or even just the way the sun shines through a particular window in your home.
The important thing is to seek beauty and meaning in something outside ourselves — something or someone who reinvigorates us to try again, to be better, or to reframe our situation. Below, we’ve rounded up 14 quotes meant to help you feel energized and ready to tackle a new day.
When you pay attention to what feeds your energy, you move in the direction of the life for which you were intended.Oprah Winfrey
What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.Timothy Ferriss
How infinitely superior to our physical senses are those of the mind! … Indeed, the power of imagination makes us infinite.John Muir
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.Maya Angelou
The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.Stephen King
How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world! How wonderful it is that everyone, great and small, can immediately help bring about justice by giving of themselves!Anne Frank
Find out who you are and do it on purpose.Dolly Parton
One accomplishment in life adds another hope for further accomplishment. This hope pulls us through. It would not be wrong to say that hope is the cause of decision. We are then driven to action for our dreams to come true.Manjula Arora
Now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.John Steinbeck
Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities.William Bridges
The reason most people do not recognize an opportunity when they meet it is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like Hard Work.Anonymous
Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.Robert Kiyosaki
You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.Irish proverb
I hope … you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.Neil Gaiman
Featured image credit: Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
