Top Ten Tuesday #58

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is...

Top Ten Inspiring Quotes From Books

So I just want to be clear on a few things before I start. First of all I cannot guarantee these are 100% accurate as they appear in the books they come from. I really should have gone through and double checked if they're worded right but I just couldn't be bothered to do that much work today. As it is I just went through my liked quotes section on Goodreads and found a bunch that I liked. And second, if you're here thinking you'll find these deep, philosophical, poetic quotes...you should probably back out now. While the meaning I personally take from them may, and I do stress may, be some of those things, the quotes themselves probably won't be. So let's get on with it shall we? 

The Quote:

Death is easy. Living is the hard part.

--Making Faces by Amy Harmon

What I take from it:

This one is pretty simple. Life is hard, it's hard for everyone. It kind of makes me feel like it's saying "Just suck it up! Life isn't meant to be easy and the only part of life that IS easy is death."

The Quote:

You're stronger than you believe. Don't let your fear own you. Own yourself.

--The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

What I take from it:

If you allow it, your fears will consume you. You have the strength within you to overcome anything if you try hard enough. Don't become your fear.

The Quote:

It's smart to end relationships that are poisonous. It's a good thing. Sometimes you have to cut people out of your life to make things better. So you can move forward.

--Left Drowning by Jessica Park

What I take from it:

People will come along in your life that will only end up dragging you down. You shouldn't be afraid to let those people go. The only way you can move forward and be better is to cut them loose. I kind of wish everyone had the courage to live this quote. It's unbelievably hard but so freaking true.

The Quote:

Sometimes an understanding silence was better than a bunch of meaningless words.

--Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

What I take from it:

Sometimes you just need someone to listen, let you vent, be a sounding board and let you get whatever is on your mind out without trying to fix it or placate you with words or phrases that have no meaning and/or make you feel like your feelings aren't valid.

The Quote:

...not all great acts of courage are obvious to those looking in from the outside.

--Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

What I take from it:

Courage comes in all shapes and forms. What may look easy to you may take a great deal of effort for someone else to do. Don't be so easy to dismiss someone's accomplishments. Bravery comes in lots of different forms.

The Quote:

Relationships are not tailor-made and people are flawed. You have to work around that and love the other person anyway. Our flaws are what makes us unique.

--Rome by Jay Crownover

What I take from it:

You would think with the hopeless romantic that I am that I believed in things like fate and destiny but I don't. I feel like this is pretty much saying just that. We are not perfect and relationships, hell every kind of relationship boyfriend/girlfriend, mother/daughter, father/son, all of them and all the combinations take work. Loving someone takes work. And putting in that effort and loving someone in spite of what you view as flaws is what love truly is about.

The Quote:

"Because terrible things happen to everyone, Brosey. We're all just so caught up in our own crap that we don't see the shit everyone else is wading through."

--Making Faces by Amy Harmon

What I take from it:

We don't have the slightest clue what could really be going on behind someone's smile or bad attitude for that matter. Most of the time we're too absorbed in all of our own problems and pain that we don't stop to think about what could be affecting others we just steamroll ahead trying to find a quick fix for ourselves. Maybe take a closer look at the people around you every once in a while. 

I used to be a cashier at a convenience store for a few years and I cannot tell you how many people I would come across who seemed like someone had peed in their Cheerios and I learned quickly that killing them with kindness really does work. I ended up with people who would only come in and deal with me and one guy who everyone else was afraid of and always had this permanent scowl on his face yet he'd come in and call me sunshine and I'd even get him to laugh. When my coworkers asked me how in the hell I'd accomplished it I'd just shrug and say I smile and I make conversation. Maybe he's had a crappy day by the time he gets here or has a crappy job or just any kind of crap going on and it just takes one person to be nice and turn it around. I should have made this quote my number one because it seems like I feel it the most haha.

The Quote:

It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.

--Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

What I take from it:

I feel like when you're at that low point and everything has fallen completely apart, it can sometimes feel like things will never fit back together again. Don't give up, it may take time, but eventually things will get better.

The Quote:

"We can't pick our families or where we come from, Jet. All we can choose is who we want to become in spite of them, and because of them."

--Jet by Jay Crownover

What I take from it:

We're not all surrounded by loving and supportive people. Instead of dwelling on what your stuck with and wishing for that greener patch of grass on the other side of the fence, turn the hand you've been dealt with into a positive. If you come from a crappy situation, rise above it! If the people around you are full of inspiration and goodness then follow in their footsteps and inspire others.

The Quote:

I guess there were two types of people in the world, those who sat around a fire, staring into the flames, and those who started the fire. Seth and I started the fire, and then we danced around it.

--Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What I take from it:

Though really in the book I feel like this was more of a crazy pants situation I still feel you can take something else from it. There are people in the world who sit on the sidelines and watch life pass them by and reach for nothing. Then there are others who go out there and make things happen. I tend to be a sidelines person but really...I want to dance around that fire too!

Honorable Mention:

"Why, Noah, do you know the word for vagina in every language?"

"Because I'm European, and therefore more cultured than you."

Ha! Okay that one's not inspirational but the rest of this post is so serious and this part of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer just cracks me up whenever I see it so I figured I'd throw it up for a laugh ;)

I'd love to see what inspirational quotes you all came up with this week! :)