25 inspirational stories of people going from rags to riches

03/28/2025 by

Inspirational stories can be so uplifting. Their message always says, “If other people can be successful, then you can too.“

Did you have a tough start in life?

Then perhaps you feel that your difficult past will prevent you from enjoying a successful future.

Well, let me tell you, a tough past doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a tough future.

A friend of mine had a very difficult start in life, and yet he’s now a millionaire. People do succeed, and so can you.

The past is the past, of course, and it can’t be changed. It serves only as a series of lessons to be learned. Remember, the past was simply part of your education. It was not a life sentence.

The future is different. The future has yet to be written, and the good news is, you’ve got the pen.

You can create any future you want, as long as you’re determined, focused, and prepared to put in plenty of hard work. You won’t get anywhere without those ingredients, I’m afraid.

Nevertheless, in the future there will be a constant stream of opportunities to be seized, just waiting for the fleet-footed and enterprising to grab and exploit them. One person’s problem is another person’s opportunity to provide a solution for a profit.

Success can be yours if you’re prepared to make the effort and take a few calculated risks.

Don’t just accept my word for it; look around for people who’ve done it.

There are plenty of inspirational stories if you’ll just look for them. Today I offer you a video with 25 inspirational stories. It’s well worth a few minutes of your time.

25 Inspirational Stories:

In the video included here, there are 25 excellent examples of people who had a tough start in life but went on to enjoy considerable financial success.

These are all inspirational stories of people going from rags to riches. And if they can do it, why not you?

And remember this: you’re never too old.

Colonel Sanders started KFC at the grand old age of 65.

And Ray Kroc began building the business empire we now know as McDonald’s at 52.

Believe you can and you will.

Please share this post on social media:

Did you find this post and the video interesting? If so, then please share it on social media with your friends.

When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share this blog post now. If you do, I will be ever so grateful, and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you for your support.

© Mann Island Media Limited 2024. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

15 Quotes by Aristotle that will inspire you

03/27/2025 by

Today I am exploring some quotes by Aristotle.

Do you have your own personal philosophy, dear reader? Perhaps you have a sense of what’s important to you and what isn’t.

Maybe you have a set of values by which you live your life. Then again, perhaps this is something on which you continue to reflect.

That’s fine. However, if that is the case, I believe listening to the words of the great philosophers will help you.

There are many great philosophers, of course, but one man’s words worthy of your time would be those of Aristotle.

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist believed to have been born around 384 BC.

I think the wisdom of the ancients offers us a lot in terms of the development of our own personal philosophy. All those quotes attributed to Aristotle provide us with much about which we can contemplate and reflect in relation to our own lives.

Here are 15 quotes by Aristotle to help you reflect and further develop your philosophy.

Quotes by Aristotle:

  1. Happiness depends upon ourselves. ~Aristotle
  2. Friendship is essentially a partnership. ~Aristotle
  3. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. ~Aristotle
  4. Quality is not an act, it’s a habit. ~Aristotle
  5. Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. ~Aristotle
  6. There is no great genius without some touch of madness. ~Aristotle
  7. A friend to all is a friend to none. ~Aristotle
  8. Good habits formed in youth make all the difference. ~Aristotle
  9. Man is by nature a political animal. ~Aristotle
  10. The roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet. ~Aristotle
  11. He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled. ~Aristotle
  12. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ~Aristotle
  13. The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. ~Aristotle
  14. At his best man is the noblest of all animals but separated from law and justice he is the worst. ~Aristotle
  15. The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control and outnumbers both of the other classes. ~Aristotle

Please share this post with your friends:

If you enjoyed these quotes by Aristotle, then please share them with your friends on social media because when you share, everyone wins.

If you could share this post now, I would appreciate it. You’d be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

I appreciate your support, dear reader.

Thank you.

Articles you might enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

40 Quotes on New Beginnings: Embrace Change Positively

03/25/2025 by

Today I am exploring some quotes on new beginnings and the importance of embracing change positively.

If you’re embarking on a new chapter, dear reader, dive deep into the wisdom of the ages.

Whether you’re turning a fresh page in your personal story or seeking inspiration as you reshape your destiny, these timeless quotes on new beginnings can be your guiding light.

These are handpicked by your author from some of the great minds and thinkers from the modern era to antiquity.

Each quote provides a dose of encouragement that might just be the catalyst for your next big leap. So, read them all and arm yourself with the motivation you need to embrace change and seize the power of starting anew.

Enjoy them all and, please, feel free to pass them on.

QUOTES ON NEW BEGINNINGS

Quotes on New Beginnings (1-10):

  1. It is always good to make new friends. ~Jose Feliciano
  2. The thrill of life lies beyond your comfort zone. ~Joseph Crosby
  3. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. ~Seneca
  4. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
  5. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. ~Albert Einstein
  6. If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success. ~John D. Rockefeller
  7. There’s a lot to be said for new beginnings. Going boldly in the direction of new adventures and taking that tiger for a ride. ~Lucius B. Wack
  8. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. ~Walt Disney
  9. Don’t let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don’t like them. ~Stacy London
  10. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. ~Christopher McCandless

Quotes on New Beginnings (11-20):

  1. Think not the new beginning but the chance to re-energise your life. ~Philomena Mangan
  2. You’ll never get to second base if you’re afraid to take your foot off first. ~Albert Moreton
  3. The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. ~John Maynard Keynes
  4. It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure. ~Ernie Harwell
  5. When hardships come into your life it breaks you for a while, but when it is done with you evolve into a new person. ~Madalsa Sharma
  6. Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. ~Brian Tracy
  7. I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. ~J.B. Priestley
  8. There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. ~Niccolo Machiavelli
  9. We’re shaped by the challenges we face and our experiences good and bad. Every new experience is a chance to build our character and become the person we were always destined to be. ~Tom Irwell
  10. Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is. ~Bob Feller

Quotes on New Beginnings (21-30):

  1. I shall create a new world for myself. ~Frederic Chopin
  2. Every team you play for, you meet new friends. ~Jonas Valanciunas
  3. There’s always a new challenge to keep you motivated. ~Sean Connery
  4. Each new day has a different shape to it. You just roll with it. ~Ben Zobrist
  5. Every day is a new day, and you’ll never be able to find happiness if you don’t move on. ~Carrie Underwood
  6. Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful. ~Prince
  7. True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  8. The hallmark of successful people is that they are always stretching themselves to learn new things. ~Carol S. Dweck
  9. The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny!’ ~Isaac Asimov
  10. Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunities – to learn new things, to rethink tired processes, and to improve the way we work. ~Klaus Schwab

Quotes on New Beginnings (31-40):

  1. Every moment is a fresh beginning. ~T.S. Eliot
  2. The beginning is the most important part of the work. ~Plato
  3. There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. ~C.S. Lewis
  4. Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over. ~Guy Finley
  5. Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. ~Alan Cohen
  6. The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. ~J.P. Morgan
  7. Let go of yesterday. Let today be a new beginning and be the best that you can, and you’ll get to where God wants you to be. ~Joel Osteen
  8. Begin today. Declare out loud to the universe that you are willing to let go of struggle and eager to learn through joy. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach
  9. It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald
  10. Starting over can be the scariest thing in the entire world, whether it’s leaving a lover, a school, a team, a friend or anything else that feels like a core part of our identity but when your gut tells you to do it, you listen. ~Jennifer DeLucy

Please share this post with your friends:

If you were inspired by any of these quotes on new beginnings, then please share this post with your friends on social media.

When you share, everyone wins.

Please share this post now. I’d be eternally grateful if you could do that for me.

Thank you, dear reader.

Articles you might enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

27 Quotes by Groucho Marx to amuse you

03/25/2025 by

Groucho Marx, born Julius Henry Marx, was an American comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star and part of the successful and immensely popular comedy act known as The Marx Brothers.

Groucho was known for his quick wit and he is widely considered one of the best comedians of the modern era.

With his siblings, the Marx Brothers, Groucho Marx made 13 feature films, but he also had a successful solo career in radio and television.

Here are 27 quotes by Groucho Marx which illustrate his quick wit.

Quotes by Groucho Marx (1-10):

  1. I intend to live forever or die trying.
  2. Either he’s dead or my watch has stopped.
  3. A man’s only as old as the woman he feels.
  4. Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse.
  5. Marry me and I’ll never look at another horse!
  6. Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you.
  7. Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?
  8. A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running.
  9. I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
  10. She got her looks from her father. He’s a plastic surgeon.

Quotes by Groucho Marx (11-20):

  1. I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
  2. No man goes before his time unless the boss leaves early.
  3. I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.
  4. Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
  5. Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.
  6. Behind every successful man is a woman, and behind her is his wife.
  7. Why should I care about posterity? What’s posterity ever done for me?
  8. Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them, well, I have others.
  9. Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.
  10. If you’ve heard this story before, don’t stop me, because I’d like to hear it again.

Quotes by Groucho Marx (21-27):

  1. Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
  2. The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that you’ve got it made.
  3. A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.
  4. There’s one way to find out if a man is honest, ask him. If he says, yes, you know he’s a crook.
  5. One morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got into my pyjamas I’ll never know.
  6. Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.
  7. I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book.

Please share this post:

Did you find these quotes by Groucho Marx as interesting and amusing as you’d hoped dear reader?

You did? I hope so anyway.

If that is the case, then please share them with your friends because when you share everyone wins.

So share them now on social media. If you can do that for me then it will be truly appreciated. Thank you.

Articles you might also enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2024. All rights reserved.Quotes by Groucho Marx,

Quotes by Groucho Marx, Quotes by Groucho Marx, Quotes by Groucho Marx,

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

15 Quotes by Tina Fey that’ll make you think

03/24/2025 by

Today I’m exploring quotes by Tina Fey.

Tina Fey is one of the funniest women in show business, and she’s also a very smart lady.

Not only is she a comedian, but she’s also an actress, writer, and producer.

She’s best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live and for creating the acclaimed situation comedy 30 Rock.

It’s always worth listening to successful people. Whatever worked for them might work for you.

So here are 15 quotes by Tina Fey to inspire you.

Quotes by Tina Fey

Quotes by Tina Fey:

  1. Say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards. ~Tina Fey
  2. Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion. ~Tina Fey
  3. It will never be perfect but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring on live TV. ~Tina Fey
  4. Sometimes if you have a difficult decision to make, just stall until the answer presents itself. ~Tina Fey
  5. Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions. Do your thing and don’t care if they like it. ~Tina Fey
  6. Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. ~Tina Fey
  7. Stop calling each other sluts and whores; that makes it OK for guys to call you sluts and whores. ~Tina Fey
  8. Somewhere around the fifth or seventh grade, I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to make them like me. But after a while, it became part of my identity. ~Tina Fey
  9. For my first show at SNL, I wrote a Bill Clinton sketch, and during our read-through, it wasn’t getting any laughs. This weight of embarrassment came over me, and I felt like I was sweating from my spine out. But I realized, ‘Okay, that happened, and I did not die.’ You’ve got to experience failure to understand that you can survive it. ~Tina Fey
  10. If you want to be a screenwriter, take an acting class to get a sense of what you’re asking actors to do. Learning other skills will help you communicate with people and respect what they do. ~Tina Fey
  11. Trying to be a leader in a sort of very atypical workplace like Saturday Night Live forces you to realize that no one wants you to be their leader. If you can help them get their thing on TV or whatever, they want that. But no adult is looking for a role model. ~Tina Fey
  12. If you’re an actor and you don’t get cast in stuff a lot, then put together a show or hold play-reading nights at your apartment. Make your own opportunities. ~Tina Fey
  13. After college, I knew I wanted to work in comedy, so the first thing I did was go to where the comedy was. I moved from Charlottesville to Chicago, because that’s where The Second City and Improv Olympics are. You have to go wherever you need to go to study what interests you. ~Tina Fey
  14. It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist. ~Tina Fey
  15. This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you. To make you feel that you are in competition with one another. “You’re up for a promotion. If they go for a woman, it’ll be between you and Barbara.” Don’t be fooled. You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone. ~Tina Fey

Please share this post with your friends:

If you enjoyed these quotes by Tina Fey, please share this post with your friends on social media.

When you share, everyone wins.

Please share this post now. I’d be eternally grateful if you could do that for me.

Thank you.

Articles you might enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved.

quotes by Tina Fey, quotes by Tina Fey, quotes by Tina Fey, quotes by Tina Fey,

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Guy in the Glass and why he really matters

03/24/2025 by

If you’re unfamiliar with the poem “The Guy in the Glass,” dear reader, I recommend you spend a few moments reflecting on it now.

I’m sure you’ll know that life’s not a rehearsal. Whether we like it or not, we’ll live it only once.

It seems obvious to me that we must make the most of our time and try to enjoy every moment. That’s a healthy personal philosophy by which I certainly try to live, most of the time, at least.

Enjoying every single moment is not possible, of course.

There will always be good times, but, inevitably, there will be bad times too.

Let’s face it, you couldn’t appreciate the good times without experiencing a few bad times along the way, could you?

Now, I am a firm believer in the notion that you only get out of life what you put in.

If you drift along with little effort and a lot of unwise choices, then your future is likely to be unexciting at best, unless you get very, very lucky.

Whereas making some effort to realise your full potential; deciding what you want and pursuing your dreams with hard work and determination; this approach is more likely to lead to better life experiences.

Ask yourself this question:

When I’m old and frail and reflecting on years gone by, how will I feel if I’ve wasted those years?

The problem with time is that once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t get it back. So, surely time is our most precious resource?

The answers to the above questions matter only to you.

You’re the one who must look at yourself in the mirror each day. You’re the one who must look yourself in the eye.

You may fool other people with tales of what might have been, but you can’t fool yourself.

Deep down, you’ll know whether you tried or not. You’ll know whether you made a lot of choices you wish you hadn’t made. You’ll know whether you cheated yourself. And let’s face it, regret lies at the heart of cheating yourself.

So my advice would be, don’t do it.

When you look in the mirror each day, ask yourself some searching questions:

Are you making the most of your natural talent, whatever that might be?

Are you looking after your body and your mind?

Are you developing habits that will be detrimental to your well-being?

Are you looking after those who matter most to you?

Can you reflect on your life so far with at least some degree of pride and satisfaction?

If you’re getting too many negative answers, then perhaps it’s time for some changes in your life, don’t you think?

Reflecting on today’s idea is what got me thinking about the poem The Guy in the Glass, mentioned above.

This poem is included as part of the process Alcoholics Anonymous uses to help its client base.

However, I think it’s relevant to us all, regardless of whether we’re alcoholics or not. The underlying message is that your behaviour should be consistent with the need we all have to be able to look ourselves in the eye.

It is a thought-provoking verse, and, despite its title, the message applies equally to men and women. The glass is, of course, the mirror on your wall. The poem was written by the late Dale Wimbrow in 1934 for publication in The American Magazine:

Poem: The Guy in the Glass

Please share this post with your friends:

If you found this article useful, then please share it on social media with your friends.

When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share this post right now. If you do, I’ll be ever so grateful. You’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience, and that’ll be your good deed for the day.

Thank you for your support.

Other articles that might appeal to you:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2024. All rights reserved.

The Guy in the Glass, The Guy in the Glass, The Guy in the Glass, The Guy in the Glass

Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why your personal philosophy for life really matters

03/23/2025 by

Let’s talk about philosophy for life and what it matters.

An article relating to philosophy sounds like it might prove to be a little heavy, doesn’t it, dear reader? You might think I’ll be debating the merits of Plato, Socrates, and other thought-leading philosophers. Not today, that’s for sure. My aim today is to consider the idea of your personal philosophy for life and why it matters.

Personal philosophy explained:

What do I mean by ‘your personal philosophy‘?

In this case, I’m not referring to the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence, and philosophical thinkers, past and present.

By philosophy, I’m referring to your mindset, whether it’s positive or negative, and how you choose to see the world around you.

I believe personal philosophy really does matter.

I think how you choose to look at life and the world around you will influence your life experiences to a greater degree than you might expect. It’ll also influence how happy you’ll be.

A simple philosophy:

My own personal philosophy for life is simple.

Firstly I accept the world around me is the world around me. It is what it is. Stuff happens and I have little or no control over most of what happens. That’s just life.

Politicians will come and politicians will go. They’ll promise much but deliver very little, usually.

Philosophically I accept that which I cannot influence directly. I see little point in worrying about any of it. Why worry about stuff you can’t change?

In my experience, people will always look after their own interests first.

That’s fair enough if you think about it because why would they do otherwise? If people don’t look after their own interests then no one else will that’s for sure.

The underlying point here is that most of what’s happening around us is all just noise really. All we can do is work around it.

And basically, that’s what I try to do.

Work on improving what you have to offer:

I focus on my own interests and those of my family and I always do my best to protect what’s mine.

My family will always come first and I will do anything for them. Well, anything that’s legal, at least.

To do the best for my family I recognise that I have to be the best that I can be. To have skills and knowledge that will allow me to add as much value to my work as I possibly can.

So I take personal development seriously. That way the more value I can add the greater will be my income.

I’m a reader and a keen learner and I’m constantly working to add to my skill set and knowledge. Learning for me is a lifelong process, it never stops, and I will keep learning until I no longer have the energy to pick up a book.

Learning is an investment in yourself.

I believe that the better-informed you are then the better prepared you’ll be to excel in your chosen field of work. You’ll also be better prepared to seize any opportunities that come your way too.

Income comes from serving other people:

Let’s face it, dear reader, work is just doing stuff for other people in exchange for money. Through our work, we serve other people.

We work to generate income. And we generate income to put bread on the table and a roof over ourselves and the heads of our loved ones.

While work gives us a sense of purpose and adds value to our lives, we should not live just to work. The idea should be to work to live. Well, I think so anyway.

Become financially independent:

We must work hard when we’re at work, of course, but we must enjoy life with the family as much as possible too. As they say, where I come from, we’ll be a long time dead.

My aim in life is to be financially independent with multiple income streams.

With multiple income streams, there’s a reduced risk of not having any income at all. Not having all your eggs in one basket makes a lot of sense to me.

Master the game of life:

Essentially, I see life as a game. And I aim to become a master of the game of life.

We must look after our own interests because no one else will.

We must be prepared to be ruthless when necessary. By that, I don’t mean being nasty or mean to people. However, if you don’t push hard sometimes, chances are you’ll lose out to those who are willing to make good use of their elbows.

My point is that we can’t afford to be overly sentimental, and on occasions, in making the right decisions for us it may prove to be less favourable for someone else.

If that happens, that’s life, I’m afraid. We must make decisions that are right for us.

Never lose sight of your own interests:

Sometimes you really have got to be prepared to use your elbows if you’re going to grab your fair share of life’s pie. Don’t be too willing to let other people go first. You might find there’s nothing left for you.

As always there’s a balance to be struck of course but never lose sight of your own interests and never do anything which works against your own interests.

There is no utopian place where all’s well and the sun shines every day. Life’s life. Some of it’s good and some of it’s not quite so good.

However in the end it’s what we make of it that counts. We get out what we put in. There’s no free ride for anyone. On Spaceship Earth we’re all crew.

Don’t let life steal your joy:

All you can do with life is deal with it as best you can.

Enjoy the summers but make sure you’re prepared for the winters too. There will always be winters. Winters always follow summers, so be prepared.

Enjoy the good times and when life gets difficult all you can do is take it on the chin and move on.

Worrying about anything you cannot control just steals your joy and spoils your day.

Life’s too short.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are and most of all enjoy every minute because the years all go by in the blink of an eye. So don’t die before you’ve lived.

And always make time for friends and loved ones. Without them, you have nothing at all.

Please share this post with your friends:

Did you find this article interesting and useful?

If you did, please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share it now. If you do I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you.

Other articles you might find interesting:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

13 tips for improving your personal happiness

03/23/2025 by

You’ll be as happy as you choose to be. You might not think so, but that is a fact.

Yes, life can be challenging. Yes, life can be full of frustrations and disappointments. And yes, other people can drive you nuts at times.

No one’s life is perfect and everyone has problems. They’re facts too.

However, your level of personal happiness will be dictated by how you choose to look at life.

You can let life’s challenges make you feel miserable or you can refuse to let anything get you down.

Just say to yourself, I’m going to be happy and nothing is going to stop me.

You’ll find that being happy isn’t as hard as it appears to be at times.

Here are 13 ways that will help you increase your sense of personal happiness and improve your life too:-

Tips for improving your personal happiness

1. Talk to yourself positively:

One of the greatest contributors to unhappiness is what’s going on in our heads.

Everyone is prone to self-doubt and feelings of not being quite good enough.

Everyone worries about being found out in their job.

It’s easy to assume that in some way you’re not very good at what you do and you think eventually someone will notice. Have you had that experience dear reader?

We all struggle to appreciate that we’re actually better than we think we are and that if we really couldn’t do the work for which we are paid, someone would have noticed already and they would have said something.

Negative self-talk can grind you down. So, stop it now.

Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk.

Tell yourself constantly that you’re better than you think you are and that you have every reason to like yourself.

And adopt this saying as your mantra:

I’m as good as anyone and I will show them all that I’m better than most!

Repeat it to yourself frequently and whenever even the slightest hint of doubt pops into your mind.

2. Value people:

Your social network, i.e. the people with whom you interact, and your relationships are essential to your happiness.

Human beings are social animals. We’re not solitary creatures like cats. We need other people, frustrating as some of them can be at times.

Remember we’re all different. We’re all individuals. So accept people for who they are and what they are. Everyone has many sides to their personalities. No one is perfect.

So look for the good in people and don’t judge their less flattering sides too harshly. Never forget, we all have a less flattering side.

However, keep away from personality clashes and arguments. Let go of any resentment you may feel towards individuals. Just remember they’re not perfect, just like you.

If an argument seems inevitable, seek first to understand and then to be understood.

By understanding the other person’s point of view and why they feel the way they feel, you just might find you get along with them so much better.

And even if after you’ve listened carefully, if you still think they’re wrong, so what?

You can always agree to disagree.

You don’t have to prove you’re right and they’re wrong.

It doesn’t have to be about you proving you’re right all the time.

Peace and harmony are of much greater value to your happiness than being proved right.

So just let it go. 

3. Be grateful:

Being grateful for whatever you have, is an important part of your happiness.

Being thankful is a great attitude to develop.

If you think about it, I’m sure there will be at least as few things for which you can be truly thankful. Simple things like having a laugh with a friend whilst having a coffee or a meal.

They don’t have to be big things.

Little things that put a smile on your face are far more important to your personal happiness than any amount of material possessions.

In fact, material possessions don’t make you happy at all. Mostly the resulting clutter they create is just a source of stress and extra work.

Take the time to thank those people who provide you with even the smallest things. Making a point of saying thank you will help you realize just how abundant your life is in reality. 

4. Avoid doom and gloom:

The media tends to focus on bad news.

Unfortunately, bad news attracts more attention than good news and media channels are focused on ratings. They make money from eyeballs watching and ears listening.

They’re in the business of making money not cheering you up, so they’ll focus on bad news always.

It is a fact that most news is depressing and stressful.

With 24-hour rolling news channels, our lives are filled with a lot of stuff that can fill us with doom and gloom, if we’re not careful.

Watching, listening to, or reading the news will detract from your personal happiness.

So, if the news is just a source of doom and gloom then it’s a good idea to get less of it, don’t you think?

Switch it off and find something else to do that will cheer you up.

5. Manage your time wisely:

Your time is precious and it should be used and managed wisely.

Just because someone expects a piece of your time doesn’t mean they’re entitled to it.

Only you can judge whether they’re worthy of your time. And it’s perfectly reasonable to say “No!” if you think that’s appropriate.

No one has an unlimited amount of time. We all have just 168 hours per week. So we all must make the most of our time because time is far too important to waste.

If someone requests a piece of your time then make sure they have a very good reason to justify it. Otherwise, just say No politely but very firmly.

It’s your life, so live it your way. 

6. Find something to make you laugh:

Let’s face it, life is far too short to be serious all the time.

Occasionally we need to laugh to alleviate our stress levels.

Laughter is the best medicine, or so they say. And I think it’s true. A good laugh can cheer you up.

So make sure you enjoy a good laugh at least once a day. It may be watching a sitcom you love or a funny animal video on YouTube. Whatever puts a smile on your face then that’s fine. You need to smile because it will help you relax.

It may be a funny joke that makes you laugh.

And if that happens, remember to share the joke with family and friends. That way you get to laugh twice. Once when you hear the joke and again when you share it.

Laugh and laugh vigorously every single day. 

7. Say how you feel:

If people matter to you then be sure to let them know occasionally.

Don’t be afraid to communicate your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you.

Being open about your feelings is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.

It’s a sign that you’re confident enough in yourself to let people know what they mean to you.

It’s a sign that you recognize how important it is for people to know that they matter to you. They’ll appreciate it and that will enhance the bond between you. 

8. Avoid negative emotions:

Pent-up feelings of anger and frustration are bad for your health.

Yes, we all feel angry occasionally but suppressing it is counter-productive.

If you’re not happy about something it’s better to say so.

Occasionally you may need to say so forcefully too. However, never say it in a way that’s mean and hurtful. That’s just being unpleasant.

And if you do say something which you later recognize as mean and hurtful then apologize. Never be afraid, or too proud, to apologize.

You won’t be the first person to say something you later regret but don’t compound the offence but failing to offer a sincere apology.

At the very least that will show you’re big enough to recognize when you’re in the wrong.

If you can learn to express your anger and frustration in a way that will not cause injury or hurt to anyone then you’ll be on the road to being a very decent human being. 

9. Have a sense of purpose:

It’s important to have a sense of purpose.

To work each day at something in which you excel and which gets you out of bed in the morning.

Working hard at something you love can bring you great personal contentment.

Your work is your contribution to society and potentially the legacy you leave behind.

For instance, John Lennon left a wonderful collection of songs that we still listen to today almost 40 years after his death. That’s a fantastic legacy.

Work gives you a sense that you can finish tasks.

Work is a source of satisfaction when you take on a challenge and use your skills and know-how to complete it. In this way, you grow in character.

Through your work, you use your time profitably and when the working day is done you feel you’ve earned your rest and recreation.

Work well done, with a sense of purpose, will make you feel good about yourself. 

10. Never stop learning:

Learning does not finish when you leave school or college. Learning is a lifelong process. And it does not necessarily involve formal tuition.

You can be self-taught and learn by doing.

You can read books and watch instructional DVDs or video tutorials on YouTube.

You can listen to audiobooks and podcasts in your car or whilst travelling on public transport.

So be a committed student and work constantly on being a master of your craft.

Working constantly on achieving mastery will increase the value you can offer in the workplace and it will make you a very attractive proposition in the job market.

Learning is a joyful exercise, particularly if it’s a subject you love.

The more you learn, the greater will be the number of skills you can offer. The more skills you have the more value you add. So, learn something new every day.

And remember; learning will also broaden your horizons. Learning is a positive experience, so never stop learning. 

11. The power of faith:

Faith can be a great comfort in times of trial. Believing there is some higher power helps us to appreciate our place within the universe. We are nothing more than specs of dust in a great cosmic cloud, or at least that’s the way it seems.

Faith adds discipline to your life. Whichever faith you choose is not important. Well, I don’t think so anyway. However being part of a spiritual group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations encourages inner peace and personal well-being.

It also encourages the idea of service and putting others first.

Never underestimate the power of faith. 

12. Minimise your exposure to pollution:

Pollution comes in many forms but it all takes its toll on your happiness and well-being.

Life is full of toxins, hazardous places, loud noises, light pollution and much more.

Minimize your exposure to these negative elements because they’re an assault on your senses and they’re not good for you if you’re over-exposed to them. 

13. Take regular exercise:

A sedentary lifestyle is not healthy for anyone.

Our bodies were built for movement. So exercise daily.

That doesn’t mean you must go to the gym. Neither does it mean you must participate in formal sports teams or clubs.

You can exercise in simple ways like running, jogging, a brisk walk or even an informal game of football or tennis with friends in the local park.

Even if you’re just taking your dog for a walk then that’s exercise too.

Alternatively, perhaps you could walk to and from work, if possible, rather than using your car or public transport.

Just do what your body was made for and you will feel a bit more alive. Regular exercise improves your health and well-being.

Conclusion:

Today’s underlying message is that you can choose to be happy or not. It all depends on how you choose to look at life and the slings and arrows that life sends your way.

There’s nothing to be gained by being miserable and a sense of personal happiness is better for your health and well-being.

So choose to be happy and develop habits that will lead you to a state of personal happiness.

It’s not easy of course, and it does take some work but it’s well worth the effort.

Please share this post with your friends:

If you found this blog post interesting and useful then please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

Please share it now and I’ll be ever so grateful. You’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you for your support.

Other articles you might also find interesting:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

101 best mottos for life to inspire you

03/22/2025 by

If you’ve been searching for the best mottos for life, then there are some really good ones here for you today, dear reader.

Take a few moments to be inspired by them all and see how many of them you can work into conversations over the next week or two.

My favourite is the first one. It was actually the motto of the high school I attended (well a version in Latin, “Ingenio Vivimus”). I live by this memorable motto to this day.

Do you have a favourite from the list?

Either way, if you find them interesting, please feel free to quote them and share them too.

Best mottos for life (1-20):

  1. We live by our ingenuity. 
  2. Someday never comes.
  3. Act in haste; repent at leisure. 
  4. Character is forged in adversity.
  5. Loneliness is the ultimate poverty.
  6. Life will be as good as you make it. 
  7. Nothing will change unless you do.
  8. If it’s in the past, leave it there.
  9. It’s not death we fear, it’s suffering.
  10. You never know who’s watching you.
  11. To survive we must all sell something. 
  12. Prejudice is the ugly side of insecurity. 
  13. Never be afraid to sing your own song.
  14. Calm waters don’t make skilled sailors.
  15. Never underestimate the power of fear. 
  16. Reward without effort is not sustainable.
  17. It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep.
  18. You’ll be a long time dead, so live life now.
  19. The price of fame is the erosion of freedom.
  20. If you can serve the many, riches will follow.

Best mottos for life (21-40):

  1. The once unthinkable can become thinkable.
  2. When you see crazy coming, cross the street.
  3. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
  4. A sense of purpose is intrinsic to our happiness.
  5. Prosperity results from enterprise and hard work. 
  6. Judge people by what they do, not what they say.
  7. Businesses don’t provide great service, people do.
  8. Being busy is not the same thing as adding value. 
  9. It’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape. 
  10. Be the right person, and you’ll find the right person. 
  11. Ignore what others think, for they rarely think at all.
  12. Enjoy today because tomorrow’s promised to no one. 
  13. Politics is guided more by pragmatism than principle.
  14. You don’t need to be an expert to make a difference.
  15. Mistakes serve as invaluable lessons we don’t forget. 
  16. Wealth comes from what you do with what you earn. 
  17. The clutter that now fills your home was once money.
  18. When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. 
  19. Who will watch the Watchmen? We must do it ourselves. 
  20. The future has yet to be written but you’ve got the pen.

 Best mottos for life (41-60):

  1. We must all work to live but we must never live to work.  
  2. Being imperfect is the one thing we all have in common.
  3. Don’t treat yourself as an afterthought. You matter too.
  4. You cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. 
  5. Good intentions mean nothing if we fail to deliver results.
  6. Just because they seem nice, doesn’t mean they are nice.
  7. Silenced voices are not the same as hearts and minds won. 
  8. No amount of negative thinking will ever make you happier. 
  9. I’ll decide who I am. I won’t be pigeonholed by other people.
  10. To conquer and subdue a people, first, you must divide them.
  11. Every day can be a good day if you choose to see it that way. 
  12. Everyone sees things within the limits of their own perception. 
  13. Don’t settle for anything less than what you really want in life. 
  14. If you’ve got skills that are in demand, you’ll always have work. 
  15. No two people experience exactly the same journey through life.
  16. Follow your heart for none of us know what tomorrow may bring.
  17. Never judge anyone until you’ve walked two miles in their shoes.
  18. Our deepest fear is that we’re inadequate and we’ll be found out. 
  19. The only part of your life that really matters is between now and dead. 
  20. What’s obvious to you is not necessarily obvious to someone else. 

Best mottos for life (61-80):

  1. You’ll never please everyone, so you might as well please yourself.
  2. You’re not what you’ve done; you’re what you’ve had to overcome. 
  3. Don’t settle for a life you’re given. Work hard for the life you want.
  4. We have to deal with the world as it is and not as we’d like it to be. 
  5. Don’t do unto others that which you wouldn’t want done unto you. 
  6. Life’s real priorities are a roof over your head and food on the table.
  7. No politician has the power to improve your life. That’s for you to do. 
  8. Government debt is simply a form of taxation on future generations. 
  9. If you want to succeed then first you must believe you can succeed. 
  10. In a crowded market, fitting in is not an option. You must stand out. 
  11. If the price of anything is your peace of mind then it’s too expensive. 
  12. What you’re paid right now is not the limit of your earning potential. 
  13. You don’t need qualifications or a college degree to make an impact. 
  14. Take a look at your job and ask yourself, “What am I becoming here?”
  15. The uncritical embrace of fashionable dogma is the folly of our times.
  16. Humour and charm are potent assets if you’re lucky enough to have them. 
  17. What you nearly did means nothing. It’s what you’ve done that counts. 
  18. If change is to happen, you must first decide that change is necessary. 
  19. Your life experiences will be dictated by what you’re willing to settle for.  
  20. You’ll never get rich unless you master the art of paying yourself first. 

Best mottos for life (81-101):

  1. Do what you do best. Add real value and over time you’ll get noticed. 
  2. Never, ever think you’re not good enough. You’re as good as anyone.
  3. When it comes to temptation, the easiest one to resist is the first one. 
  4. For everything, there’s a price and that price must always be paid first. 
  5. Money’s not important but it’s up there with oxygen for sustaining life.
  6. Your attention is valuable, so it has a price. Don’t give it away cheaply.
  7. You’ll never get anywhere unless you’re determined to get somewhere. 
  8. The best way to learn is on the job. Nothing beats hands-on experience. 
  9. Never let anyone dull your sparkle. You were put on this earth to shine.
  10. No lesson’s more powerful than lessons learned from mistakes we make.
  11. Once you recognise you’re being used, you’re a fool if you let it carry on.
  12. Your circumstances do not dictate your life experiences, your choices do. 
  13. If you want your kids to be happy, presence matters more than presents.
  14. Life’s too short to waste any of it arguing with strangers on social media. 
  15. There are people who get off on being deeply unpleasant to other people. 
  16. Time is our most precious resource, yet we often give it away so cheaply. 
  17. You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
  18. A good relationship requires compromise but never requires self-sacrifice. 
  19. People will always have problems needing solutions. That’s an opportunity.
  20. You’re younger today than you’ll ever be again. Make the most of life now.
  21. Don’t let your mouth overload your back. It’s perfectly reasonable to say no.

Please share this post with your friends:

If you found this article on best mottos for life useful then please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share it now. If you can do that for me, I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

And you’ll be helping your friends too. So you really can make a difference in the lives of others.

Thank you for your support, dear reader.

Articles you might enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

21 brilliant tree quotes for people seeking inspiration

03/21/2025 by

Here are some truly brilliant tree quotes for people seeking inspiration today.

These are some of my favourite quotes.

Enjoy them all and see whether you can use one or two of these to reinforce a point today.

Tree quotes to inspire (1-12):

  1. By the fruits which it bears is the tree known. ~Jan Hus
  2. One that would have the fruit must climb the tree. ~Thomas Fuller
  3. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. ~William Blake
  4. Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. ~Khalil Gibran
  5. Until you learn to play what you want to hear, you’re barking up the wrong tree. ~Billy Gibbons
  6. Nothing on this earth is standing still. It’s either growing or it’s dying. No matter if it’s a tree or a human being. ~Lou Holtz
  7. You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree. ~Michael Portillo
  8. Success is carved out of a hard tree. It doesn’t just happen. It’s the people who stick to it that succeed. ~Jaclyn Smith
  9. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. ~Abraham Lincoln
  10. Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. ~Warren Buffett
  11. A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. ~Alexander Smith
  12. People don’t remember each tree in a park but all of us benefit from the trees. And in a way, artists are like trees in a park. ~Yoko Ono

Tree quotes to inspire (13-21):

  1. People who reach the top of the tree are only those who haven’t got the qualifications to detain them at the bottom. ~Peter Ustinov
  2. Taste every fruit of every tree in the garden at least once. It is an insult to creation not to experience it fully. ~Stephen Fry
  3. What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree? ~Logan Pearsall Smith
  4. He that climbs the tall tree has won right to the fruit. He that leaps the wide gulf should prevail in his suit. ~Walter Scott
  5. Surely man was not created to be an idle fellow; he was not set in this universal orchard to stand still as a tree. ~Thomas Dekker
  6. Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. ~Martin Luther
  7. Unless a tree has borne blossoms in spring, you will vainly look for fruit on it in autumn. ~Walter Scott
  8. Until you dig a hole; you plant a tree; you water it and make it survive; you haven’t done a thing. You’re just talking. ~Wangari Maathai
  9. Consider a tree for a moment. As beautiful as trees are to look at, we don’t see what goes on underground – as they grow roots. Trees must develop deep roots in order to grow strong and produce their beauty. But we don’t see the roots. We just see and enjoy the beauty. In much the same way, what goes on inside of us is like the roots of a tree. ~Joyce Meyer

Please share this post with your friends:

Were these tree quotes inspiring to you dear reader? I hope so.

If they were then perhaps they might interest others you know too.

Please share this post with your friends on social media because when you share, everyone wins. If you could share this post now I would be ever so grateful.

Like every blogger, I can only keep doing what I do if there are readers viewing my blog posts. So you really can help me, dear reader.

Thank you for your support, dear reader.

Articles you might enjoy:

© Mann Island Media Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

tree quotes, tree quotes, tree quotes, tree quotes, tree quotes, tree quotes,

Filed Under: Quotes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »