Good Quotes to Live by: Wise Words on Personal Growth

Picture: Small, delicate plant in the sunlight. Good quotes to live by about personal development and personal growth.

– By Birgitte Coste og Søren Lauritzen, an article in the ‘Consciousness Snacks’ series.

Do you know the feeling when, sometimes, just a few words can bring all your feelings and subconscious conclusions into sharp, precise insights, confirming, ‘Yes, that’s exactly how the world works. That’s exactly how I feel.’

Boiling down the essence of life into small, digestible bites of truth is what really good, inspiring quotes can do. Such quotes become really good quotes to live by.

Here on this page, you’ll be served plenty of delicious little truth delicacies, which you can either devour all at once or savor bit by bit. It’s entirely up to you. These quotes are a delightful mix of à la carte quotes from famous people and homemade ones created by us, Søren and Birgitte.

In this ever-growing collection of inspirational and motivational quotes, the focus is primarily on awareness, personal development, and authentic growth. We hope they will bring you benefit, joy, and inspiration 😊

We begin with a series of sharp and great quotes from some extraordinary people:

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
~ Abraham Maslow ~

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
~ Aristotle ~

Believe you can and you’re halfway there.
~ Theodore Roosevelt ~

Life is from the inside out. When you shift on the inside, life shifts on the outside.
~ Kamal Ravikant ~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~ Mark Twain ~

Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.
~ Steve Maraboli ~

It is never too late to be who you might have been.
~ George Eliot ~

More Wise Words and Good Quotes to Live by About Life, the Universe and Everything

Er du stadig sulten efter flere sandheds-snacks – denne gang med lækker topping i form af flotte billeder med citater – så kør endelig videre ned på siden.

If you’re still hungry for more truth snacks – this time with a delicious topping in the form of beautiful images quotes – then please, by all means, continue reading. 😉

Always Do Your Best

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. Quote about doing your best by Maya Angelou. Drawing of cats climbing up a ladder.

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.
~ Maya Angelou ~

DOING OUR BEST WILL ALWAYS LIFT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE
We are all on a journey where we stumble and fumble, but at the same time, we learn and grow. When we start this journey, we have neither knowledge nor experience. But if we choose to collect all the different resources we encounter along the way, we’ve done our best.

And if we choose to always do our best, no matter what situation we find ourselves in, we’ll discover that not only do we become better at what we do, we also get a better life experience and, therefore, a better life.

Doing our best = a better life experience = a better life

~ Birgitte Coste ~

Choose Growth over Fear

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again. Quote about fear and personal growth by Abraham Maslow. Image of a man cutting the string of a balloon held down by an anchor. Partially AI-generated.

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
~ Abraham Maslow ~

THE TEMTPING GRIP OF SAFETY AND COMFORT
Safety and comfort is always tempting when we need to make a decision. We all know the choice between the familiar or change, and often, the safety of the familiar (even if it’s not necessarily pleasant) is just not uncomfortable enough for the uncertainty of change to feel worth the risk.

Therefore, if we want change and possible improvement, it’s a choice. And because the choice is ‘uncomfortable’ due to uncertainty and insecurity, it’s something we must actively address all the time, so we don’t fall asleep in our ‘non-choice’ of comfort and inertia.

So change, growth, and improvement are continuous choices! ❤️✨

~ Birgitte Coste ~

Let Go of the Pursuit of a ‘Better’ Self

You are and already have all that you see and don't have to chase it. Good inspiring quotes: picture of a cow with its tail in its mouth. Good Conscious Life.

Many of us are searching for ourselves. A better self. But like the dog chasing its own tail in vain, we will never find it.

Why?

Because we already have (are) everything we need!

Why don’t we experience this?

Because we are too busy searching!

~ Birgitte Coste ~

Yes, this is quite a paradox: Many of us sense that we are not our ‘best’ selves and are not living up to our highest potential, so naturally, we seek it. If only I meditated more, if only I learned all the techniques properly, if only I got rid of my ego, if only … if only …

Unfortunately, as long as we have the idea that our ‘better’ self, our higher self, or our greatest potential is ‘out there’, often somewhere in the future – away from ourselves here and now – we will never be able to realize that everything we are seeking is already here – right here, right now.

For the spiritually inclined, the ‘search’ itself is often the greatest obstacle, which is quite paradoxical. (Additionally, it should be noted that there may be things that can ‘obscure’ your experience of a ‘greater’ self, such as traumas, beliefs, etc., but those are just shadows. The point is that you are already at a point where you have EVERYTHING. You don’t need to go anywhere else.)

Reality is like the cow in the picture. You already have the tail in your mouth. When you realize this on a deep level, you will also be able to feel it.

~ Birgitte Coste ~

Do You Want to See Reality as It Really Is?

Deep inspirational quotes about life by Søren Lauritzen: How to know who you are and realize your full potential? Just let go of who and what you believe yourself to be. Picture of sand and the sea.

How to know who you are and realize your full potential? Just let go of who and what you believe yourself to be.
~ Søren Lauritzen ~

Does this mean that our beliefs actually stand in the way of our experience of reality?

Yep, that’s exactly what it means. The more beliefs we let go of – about life, others, and ourselves – the more clearly we see that-which-is: reality as it truly is.
~ Søren Lauritzen ~

Is the Sun Shining or Is It Cloudy?

Beautiful photo of a sun behind a cloud. Inspirational images and quotes: Reality is something we create ourselves. Is the sun shining or is it cloudy? The choice is yours! Always!

Reality is something we create ourselves.
Is the sun shining or is it cloudy?
The choice is yours!
Always!
❤️

~ Birgitte Coste ~

Reality is something we create and experience ourselves! The way we view the world reveals more about what’s going on inside our heads than what’s happening out there in the world. It says more about our mindset than about the world itself. Do you see the possibilities or the limitations? ☀️ Joy or fear? ❤️

What do you want to be characteristic of your worldview and your reality?

Even Just a Quick Dip in Gratitude Washes Away the Fear

Picture of a woman lying on her back in the water. Good quotes to live by by Good Conscious Life: Gratitude and fear are experientially incompatible. Just a quick dip in gratitude, and fear is washed away.

Gratitude and fear are experientially incompatible. Just a quick dip in gratitude, and fear is washed away.
~ Birgitte Coste

Have you noticed that when you actively experience gratitude, there is no fear? It turns out that there’s a good reason for that – neurologically, it is actually supposed to be impossible for us to experience gratitude and fear at the same time. Fear and gratitude apparently cannot coexist.

Try it! Test it! ❤️

The Truth About Wasting Your Time

Picture of funny, green monsters. Short inspiring quotes by Bertrand Russel: The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
~ Bertrand Russel ~

This insightful quote is quite true, and it can help us to NOT beat ourselves up just because we’re not “productive” around the clock. And the truth is, none of us can be truly effective without also enjoying our lives.

What do you think?

~ Søren Lauritzen ~

Check in with Yourself Before You Speak

Picture of pink flowers in the spring. Good famous quotes by Rumi: Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates:

Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?

~ Rumi ~

Sometimes, when we need to say something that is difficult but important to us, it can be a really good idea to follow the Persian poet and mystic Rumi’s advice by testing our words with three simple questions:

1) Is it true?
2) Is it necessary?
3) Is it kind?

These wise questions can soften even the toughest messages without compromising what you want to say. ❤️

~ Birgitte Coste ~