Inspirational quotes from the books that have helped me on my personal development journey. Find tips and tricks on utilizing and implementing them throughout your day!
The path of personal development is paved with ah-ha moments. You know the ones: they’re sentences in a book that well up inside your throat, they’re the lightning-bolt realizations that strike, just as you’re falling asleep, they’re the random tangents that start as one thought, then turn into 3 pages in your journal.
We love these moments and they provide us little glimmers of hope that one day, we’ll have it all figured out. But it’s what we do with these little epiphanies that lead to real growth and change. Sorry, but highlighting those favorite quotes from a book isn’t gonna do it for ya once that book is back up on the shelf.
So how can we integrate these little lessons into our lives in a way that promotes our evolution? We’ve got to use those ah-ha moments as tools. Whether they uncover hidden desires, prompt major realizations, or just remind us of simple truths, inspirational quotes can help us focus our intentions wherever we want.
How Inspirational Quotes Work
The Law of Manifestation. In her book, the Psychology of Motivation, Lois Brown discusses how the mere act of reading an inspirational quote gives us the same feeling of actually doing the thing. Yup, our brain reacts in the same way when we read a quote that it does when accomplishing something we’ve strived for. Reading those little quotes gives you a taste of what those goals feel like when reached, which gives our body a clear roadmap of the path we need to take to get there.
The Coaching Effect. This phenomenon works exactly the way you’d think. When we see a quote from someone we admire, it speaks to us personally, because we already have respect for who they are and what they’re all about. For example, when Michael Scott said “You should never settle for who you are.” I felt like he was speaking directly to me 😝
Self Validation. This term tends to get a bad rap, but self-validation is actually awesome in boosting our confidence, worth, and sense of self! Sometimes we don’t get external validation when we need it (we all like to be seen and appreciated, right?!). But when we read a quote that resonates with us and speaks to the type of person that we identify with, it can affect us in the same way.
So, without further adieu, here are some quotes (and books!) that have helped me on my spiritual journey, with some tips and tricks on utilizing and implementing them throughout your day!
How to Use Spiritual Quotes for Personal Development
Save Quotes as Your Phone Background. I’ve saved some examples in this post, but you can easily make your own by downloading the free Canva app. Find a pretty photo that makes you happy, pick a quote to slap over it, and save! I like this option because it adds two visual elements together, making it more memorable and “vibey”.
Create a Pinterest Widget. I created one of these at the beginning of the year to remind me of all I want to accomplish, how I want to feel, and even the places I want to visit. Just create a Pinterest board and fill it with pins of your favorite quotes, places, and what-have-you, then create your widget, and voila! Impactful quotes every time you open your phone! I’ve created some square images for the spiritual quotes below. Just check my Spiritual Quotes Pinterest board to steal them for yourself!
Write it on a Good Ole-Fashioned Sticky Note. Stick it on your fridge, your bathroom mirror, or your monitor at work–that’s the beauty of a sticky note! Imagine the call to presence if you read “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” every morning while you’re doing your makeup. Powerful.
Phone Alarm. If waking up is the hardest part of your day, think about re-naming your morning alarm to something motivational. “Our practiced thoughts become our truth.” would work well, or even Ram Dass’ famous “Be Here Now”. Find something that's short and to the point to make it easier on your 6 am-self.
Use Them As Journal Prompts. Transcribe the quote into your journal, then write everything down that comes up for you. EVERYTHING.
Related: 5 Books for Self-Discovery
6 Inspirational Quotes for Your Personal Development Journey
“It's only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of this paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.”
– Ram Dass, Be Here Now
“There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind - you are the one who hears it.”
― Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.”
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
“Our practiced thoughts become our truth.”
― Nicole LePera, How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self
“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re on the path of spiritual enlightenment, gunning for that big promotion, or just trying to bring a little more mindfulness into your day, it’s important to receive consistent reminders to stay on track. So next time you have one of those little ah-ha moments, please, write it down, put it in your phone! Do something to integrate that lesson into your day-to-day life. Your future self will thank you.
Looking for a little less science and a lot more “woo”? Check out The 7-Day Soul Reset. This 66-page guide is a journey through the chakras, teaching you the basics of each energy center. Daily readings, guided meditations, and journal prompts will help you learn more about yourself, release limiting beliefs, and grow into the person you want to become.
So much love,
Haley
