Eating Disorders: Inspirational Recovery Quotes #3

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget about everything except what you're going to do now - and do it.
-William Durant-

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
- Thomas Edison-

It does not matter how deep you fall, what matters is how high you bounce back.
- unknown-

You don't have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.
-Dan Millman-

Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.
-Og Mandino-

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
- Ambrose Redmoon-

Determination, patience and courage are the only things needed to improve any situation.
- Peter Sinclair-

Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese proverb-

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.
-Martin Luther King -

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
- Dr. Dale Turner-

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
- Anatole France-

He who has hope has everything.
-Arabian Proverb-

If you share your pain, you cut it in half, if you don't, you double it.
-unknown-

People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.
-Earl Nightingale-

We will either find a way, or make one.
-Hannibal-

I am always doing things I can't do, that's how I get to do them.
- Pablo Picasso-

Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and sits softly on your shoulder.
-Anonymous-

Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you are living?
-Bob Marley- Exodus.-

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite well that just to be alive is a grand thing.
-Agatha Christie-

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
-W. Somerset Maugham-

It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-George Eliot-

The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.
-Emily Dickinson-

Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite.
-Kahlil Gibran-

See also Using Affirmations

See sidebar for more inspirational quotes and quotes of the week.

sources: http://www.realmentalhealth.com/inspiration/inspirational_quotes_recovery.asp
http://www.something-fishy.org
picture source: MrsMenopausal

What I Gained In Recovery From Anorexia

A recovery video by Holdingon

Holdingon says in her intro to the video, "... I'm still recovering and I'm not perfect, I slip up now and then. But I have already gained so much from recovery and from deciding that I'd had enough of anorexia. Life is too short to waste like that."



Song: More than fine by Switchfood
Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7mYmEhh2fY&feature=related

Eating Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa

Key characteristics of Bulimia include: “ binging (the intake of large quantities of food) and purging (elimination of the food through artificial means such as forced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives, periods of fasting, or excessive exercise),” and is most common in young adult and adolescent women. Common in those with bulimia is a feeling of loss of control and guilt over their eating. In contrast to those suffering from Anorexia, Bulimics are often of normal weight.

According to emedicinehealth.com the exact cause of bulimia is not known though a number of factors may influence its development:

* “Studies have shown eating disorders occur more frequently in relatives of people with bulimia than in others. This frequency appears to be related to genetics, but family influences may also be important.”

* “Researchers have suggested that altered levels of the chemical serotonin in the brain play a role. Serotonin levels can be related to the development of clinical depression.”

* “Experts agree that cultural factors are very important in the development of eating disorders. Modern society's emphasis on health, in particular thinness, can greatly influence those who seek the acceptance of others.”

Side Effects as listed on Bulimiasideeffects.com
Physical Side Effects:

• Esophageal problems
• Vocal chord damage
• Stomach ulcers
• Osteoporosis
• Hair loss
• Digestive problems
• Decreased body temperature
• Irregular heart beat
• Elimination problems
• Dental Damage
• Organ damage
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Enlarged salivary glands
• Dry skin
• Decreased bone density
• Menstrual dysfunction
• Hormone irregularities
• Insomnia
• Low red blood cell levels
• Weak muscles
• Immune system damage

Psychological:

• Out of control feelings
• Mood changes
• Avoidance of others
• Constantly thinking about food
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Unable to eat with others
• Poor body-image

Other bulimia side effects include difficulty conceiving a child, a larger risk of miscarriage and premature birth after conception. Some theorize that nature requires humans and animals to be healthy themselves in order to continue to propagate a species that is capable of surviving—theory of natural selection. Bulimia side effects damage a woman’s body which can physically inhibit her from having healthy children in the future.

Laxative and Diuretic Use:

It is estimated that one third of people struggling with bulimia use laxatives, and roughly 10% take diuretics. Various effects include:

Laxative Abuse:

• Chronic intestinal inflammation
• Chronic constipation
• Irregular bowel function
• Systemic toxicity

Diuretic abuse:

• Kidney damage
• Body fluid stagnation
• Blood pressure complication

Bulimics are more likely to admit that a problem exists “when interviewed by an understanding professional.” An evaluation should be done to determine if a serious medical complication exists, requiring immediate care.

Symptoms that require urgent treatment:

* “Severe weakness or abdominal pain should be evaluated as soon as possible.

* Vomiting blood could indicate a tear of the esophagus or stomach.

* Many people with bulimia also suffer from clinical depression, and any behavior or statements from someone that suggests that the person may be contemplating suicide is reason to bring that person in for evaluation at once.”Bulimics may be malnourished which can cause anemia, poor healing, and increase the risk of periodontal disease."Laboratory tests may show low blood sugar, electrolyte changes, low potassium (caused by laxative use). These, and other side effects, can cause “life-threatening disturbances of the heart rhythm.”

More on Oral Effects
"The dental changes seen in many people with bulimia are often recognizable," according to Frequent vomiting may cause your salivary glands to swell and the tissues of your mouth and tongue to become dry, red and sore. People with bulimia may have chronic sore throat and small hemorrhages under the skin of the palate.
Frequent vomiting can erode your tooth enamel, especially on the tongue side of the upper front teeth. This sharply increases the risk for decay in these areas and can make these teeth sensitive to temperature. Severe erosion can lead to changes in your bite, or the way your upper and lower teeth come together. Your back teeth can be reduced in size and some teeth can even be lost eventually."
The earlier treatment is sought, the greater the chance of recovery. Treatment methods for bulimia include counseling, behavioral therapy, group therapy, family therapy, antidepressant medication, medical monitoring by a physician, and hospitalization in the case of physical complications.

“Most eating disorders are not about food but about self-esteem and self-perception. Therapy is most effective when it concentrates on the issues that cause the behavior, rather than on the behavior itself.”

For More Information: Warning Signs of Bulimia
Laxative Abuse For Weight Loss
Diuretic Abuse For Weight Loss

*See sidebar menus for Self-Assessment Tests, Tools, Hotlines, Resources, and Recovery.
Sources:
http://allpsych.com/disorders/eating/bulimia.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/bulimia/article_em.htm
DSM-IV-TR
http://www.bulimiasideeffects.com/
http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Information/OralHealthBasics/MedCondOralHealth/AnorexiaBulimia/Bulimia.cvsp

Our Body – Our Sacrificial Self: Redefining What Healthy Means

Massachusetts: Two Hingham high school students, Jasmine Benger and Alex Shabo, hosted an open forum "Our Body-Our Sacrificial Self," reaching out to others suffering from eating disorders.

"Their presentation was strongly rooted in the belief that many girls and women are unhappy with their physical selves and spend a great deal of time, effort, and money in seemingly endless attempts to attain the perfection that the media portrays as necessary to achieve happiness and success," states the article Winning The Battle Against Eating Disorders. written by Carol Britton Meyer

“Women’s bodies have become material objects, and both men and women have begun to treat them as such,” Shabo and Benger agree. “Self-awareness can be lost beneath overwhelming, restrictive societal values and attitudes – which can lead to a distorted image of body, loss of self, and eating disorders.”
“It is not a choice. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” Jasmine Benger told Carol Britton Meyer concerning the the misconception that people choose to have eating disorders. “It engulfs your life. You lose the capacity to think reasonably and rationally."

"Eating disorders 'creep up on you,' Shabo said. 'In our society, everything’s about 100 calorie packs. You hear beautiful people saying terrible things about themselves.” This is due in large part to low-esteem resulting from the media blitz to be thin and 'perfect.”

"The key, Shabo said, is to 'find out who you really are, to accept the imperfections that you have and give yourself some leeway. Find the beauty in yourself.”

Read this article in full here.
source:http://www.wickedlocal.com/hingham/news/education/x836875779
written by: Carol Britton Meyer
picture of White Lady by Anna Williams
picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrkbeta/2256309044/

Recovering From Anorexia: Fighting, Facing--and Finally Embracing--Food

"In the wild ride that is life, some of us seek to find control in food. We use it to make ourselves feel better or worse. We restrict. We binge. We purge. We deprive. We use. Why food? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?"

"There were times in my life I fasted for days, consuming nothing but water or diet Coke ... Sometimes, as I went between wanting to recover and wanting to wallow in my disease, I’d eat one meal a day—dinner—which was not nearly enough to satisfy my deprived body and mind. I remember summers of living on rice cakes at night after a 12 hour day of work. I did not have a good relationship with food." These are the words of Arielle Lee Becker, a young woman who's blog is an inspiring testament to her recovery from Anorexia .

"I came to a crossroads," she says in her blog entry, Fighting, Facing--and Finally Embracing--Food. "I really wanted to recover. Really wanted to be all right. Really really wanted it. Wasn’t just wishing, wasn’t just hoping—I was willing to do something about it. I was willing to work, to learn, to try."

"I got good at just saying 'No. ... When I’d feel that familiar grip of anorexia, I’d say, 'No.' Figuratively, literally, whatever it took. I was bold with myself—with my disease. I did not take shit ... It takes a lot of willpower. More willpower than it takes to starve."

"I wrote. Daily. I used my writing to help me, to save me, to direct me. ... In the process I learned about myself, sought to love myself, wrote about my pain and my feelings, wrote about my struggles. I began to feel better. I began to stop counting. This was tough—to forget about sizes, forget about calories, forget about a number on a scale."

Arielle writes about giving up her scale, "...you have to work at it. You have to be strong and not allow yourself to give in. And in time you will be okay. You won’t be a slave to a device that conquers your mood and your sense of well-being. And let me tell you, without a number to dictate your daily mood, you begin to listen to yourself and to how you feel without that number. You know yourself as you never knew her before. You feel good. You feel free. You begin to finally see that you feel so good that there is no way you’d ever want to go back to that dark, horrible place you were before."

"I gained weight, but instead of being horrified by the way I looked, I appreciated the curves that were slowly showing themselves. The mirror was—strangely, I thought—more of a friend to me when I had put on some pounds than it was when I was sickly thin and longing to be thinner."

"The right path is never the easiest one, you know," she writes, "And the more you struggle, the better you will feel when you’ve overcome what it is that is bringing you down. In essence, everything worth fighting for starts with a struggle. And believe me, your health and your happiness are definitely worth fighting for."

"Listen to your soul...................... It's all about empowerment!"

To read the above in full, plus more of Arielle's inspiring writings and poetry, visit her blog: Actively Arielle: A voice with a Commitment.

Sources: http://tearstowords.blogspot.com/

Eating Disorders: Inspirational Recovery Quotes #2

Health is not merely the absence of disease, it is the balance of mind, body and soul.
Hippocrates

Finish each day and be done with it ... You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Voltaire

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men (sic) - true nobility is being superior to your former self.
Author Unknown

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created --- created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.
John Schaar

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
William James

Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind is bearing me across the sky.
Ojibwa saying

The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside. And only a person who listens can speak.
Dag Hammarskjold

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
Lao-Tzu

When I began to listen to poetry is when I began to listen to stones, and I began to listen to what the clouds had to say, and I began to listen to others. And what is most important for all of us, is to learn to listen to the soul, the soul of yourself, in here, but which is also the soul of everyone else.
The Native American poet Joy Harjo on PBS

When you do things from the soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
Jelaluddin Rumi

There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.
Martha Graham

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle

Don't ask yourself what the world needs ... Ask yourself what makes you alive because what the world needs are people who have come alive.
Ranier Maria Rilke

Common sense is not so common.
Voltaire

And the day came when the risk to remain tight inside the bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom.
Anais Nin

It's Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been. George Eliot

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
Alexander Graham Bell

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
Frank Loyd Wright

Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration.
Evan Esar

There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you.
David Burns

Happiness is not a matter of events, it depends upon the tides of the mind.
Alice Meynell

Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.
Brian Tracy

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.
Elbert Hubbard

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

We are still masters of our fate.
We are still captains of our souls.
Winston Churchill

Constant dripping hollows out a stone.
Lucretius

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
Plutarch

Press on! A better fate awaits thee.
Victor Hugo

See also Using Affirmations

See sidebar for more inspirational quotes and quotes of the week.

sources: http://www.overeaters.net/inspirations.html
http://www.freewebs.com/rayneonthemoon/inspiration.htm
http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/
Picture source: MrsMenopausal

Eating Disorder Bloggers Wanted For Survey

F-word.org is doing a study and is looking for bloggers who have eating disorders who blog about their experiences. The survey is to help determine "the role blogging plays in eating disorder recovery."

"I want to hear from any active blogger - male or female - who suffers from any eating disorder and who are in any stage of recovery," Rachel says.

"This study is done in partnership with Dr. Susie Mendelsohn, a clinical psychological specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, for publication and research purposes. The survey consists of 40 questions and may take some time to complete, depending on how detailed you are in your answers. Your participation in this study would be immensely helpful in our research. Thank you in advance."

You can read more and/or participate here.

sources:
http://the-f-word.org/blog
picture: MrsMenopausal

USING AFFIRMATIONS: Eating Disorder Recovery

Affirmations are things we tell ourselves, either negative; I'm not worthy of love, or positive; I am a worthwhile person deserving of love. Using positive affirmations repeatedly throughout the day will bring about positive change. Repetitiveness is key.

Choose positive statements set in the "now." Example: I am a worthwhile person and I am a valuable asset to those around me, instead of, I will become a worthwhile person who will be a valuable asset to those around me. If your affirmation isn't in the now then it is kept constantly in the future tense. The more positive statements we tell ourselves as if they are a current reality of our present lives the more those statements become our reality, replacing prior negative statements. Our minds react and begin to bring about change.

Suggestions:
Work on a few affirmations at a time. Once you see change in those areas, add new affirmations.

Start your day by writing down some positive affirmations several times on a piece of paper and then do it again in the evening before retiring for the night. The process of writing them down actually speeds up the minds acceptance.

Write several affirmations on index cards, carry them with you, take them out and read them several times a day.

When you find yourself having a negative thought, stop and replace it with a positive affirmation.

Write down a favorite affirmation and tape it to a mirror that you look into every day. Read it each time you use that mirror. Say it out loud, several times. Seeing your reflection while you read/say aloud your affirmation can be powerful.

Place your written affirmations (one per piece of paper or index card) in other places where you will see them often.

Meditate on your affirmations. Take a few minutes to close your eyes and concentrate on what your affirmation means to you. Repeat an affirmation over and over again. Use it as your mantra.

Visualize your old, negative affirmation disappearing and the new one taking form and taking it's place. A couple of ways to do this: visualize the old one fading as the new one comes into focus, growing in clarity or see yourself throwing the old one into the trash (or burning it) and hugging the new one to yourself.

Some Affirmations for Eating Disorder Recovery:

"I will persist until I succeed."
"I deserve love and respect as I am."

Do you have a favorite affirmation(s), a favorite way in which you use affirmations, or a story of how affirmations have helped you? Please leave a comment and share them with us all.

For more Affirmations and the ones listed above:
Something Fishy
Poppink


Also see sidebar for:
Inspirational Recovery Quotes
Quotes of the Week
Resources
Tools




sources:
http://www.something-fishy.org/reach/affirmations.php
http://poppink.com/guide/edcgaffrm.html
http://www.self-help-and-self-development.com/affirmations.html
picture source: MrsMenopausal

What I Gained From Giving Up My Eating Disorder: One Woman's Recovery

A youtube video by theicanc

I came across this video on youtube and love how positive it is. Though theicanc states she recovered without therapy or family support, I believe that therapy is an important part of recovery and increases success and enhances the recovery process. I also believe that being secretive can be counterproductive as it's all too familiar ground for those with eating disorders. Still, the video shows a wonderful celebration of recovery with a positive feeling that's contagious.


source: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HeOzxhPa__Y

Conversations With Claudia: The Voice Of An Eating Disorder

I was very fortunate to come across the blog of Angela Minard recently: Here and Now ~*~4 Angel~*~, "Poetry and thoughts on my journey toward healing and unlocking the silence within. Words are magic. Words have the power to heal, so find your voice, and fly!"Angela's blog feels like a comforting embrace with it's music, art, poetry, and honest, open disclosure about her recovery. She describes herself as "Living in the here and now. I can't change the past, but I am in control of my destiny. I'm taking back my life, taking back my power, and learning to spread my wings and take flight."

Her journey is so inspiring and well worth reading for yourself.

Conversations With Claudia/How Writing Has Saved Me
"Who is Claudia? She is not my friend, but she has been a part of my life for a very long time. She is the voice of my eating disorder. A voice that over time, has crowded out my own thoughts and beliefs. I'm hoping that someday I will leave her behind," began the first entry of Angela's myspace blog entry almost a year ago.

"I have an amazing therapist and also a nutritionist who thought it would be a good idea to give my eating disorder a separate identity from myself. It would be a way to delineate between my own voice and the voice of the eating disorder. I'm finally beginning to see how often Claudia talks to me. She is bossy, demanding, snide, snotty, and degrading. She is also the one with the control most of the time, but I know that needs to change if I am to survive." "I remember the first time she spoke to me. I was seven years old, sitting in church, and looking down at my thighs as I sat in the pew. "Your legs are so fat,"! She said." "Why did she choose that moment to begin her torment? I'm not really sure. My mom, grandma, and two aunts were constantly dieting and discussing their weight. I'm sure that their conversations wormed their way into what I began to also believe about myself."

"Being raped at the age of eleven was the real beginning of my self loathing and hatred. A secret that I held inside, suffocating my voice, and letting the shame eat me alive. Puberty began soon after, and with it, the ultimate betrayal of my own body." "I'm hoping that writing down some of the conversations that I have with Claudia will help me to find my own voice, and hopefully, someday, my voice will be louder than hers."

"It feels wonderful to read this again, just to see how far I have come," she says. "Is my voice louder than the voice of Claudia's? Yes, I think it is, and damn, it feels good! I believe that the writing saved me. I began writing blogs, writing poetry, writing in my journal, writing my thoughts in e-mails to my therapist. I couldn't seem to stop writing and more than that, I felt such a strong desire to share what I had written. First with my therapist, who encouraged me with compliments on the poetry that I would share and then I started blogging; Sharing with strangers about things that I had kept secret for most of my life. Through writing, I found the freedom to unlock the silence, and begin the process of healing." By Angela Minard

Blog: http://hereandnow4angel.blogspot.com/
Article source: http://hereandnow4angel.blogspot.com/2008/03/conversations-with-claudia-how-writing.htmlPicture source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86272503@N00/6414710805/

PSA From Your Body

Bamagal posted about this at her blog, Kimkins Scam and I had to share it. It's a video from Michelle at Mouthfeel. Your body has a message for you that is absolutely wonderful. Check it out.

A Public Service Announcement From Your Body




Sources: http://peggynature.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/a-public-service-announcement-fromyour-body/#comment-312 http://kimkinsscam.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/need-a-good-boost-today/ picture:http://www.flickr.com/photos/altemark/337248947/

Eating Disorders: Inspirational Recovery Quotes

"A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost."
Jean-Paul Sartre

I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it."
Rita Mae Brown

"When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it." The House at Pooh Corner
A.A. Milne

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self."
Aristotle

"When you love your body, you are most able to share its pleasures with those who light your heart."
Huitaco

"Life itself is the proper binge."
Julia Child

"If one is a Greyhound, why try to look like a Pekingese?"
Edith Sitwell

"It matters more what's in a woman's face than what's on it."
Claudette Colbert

"Trouble is part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the [people] who love you enough chance to love you enough."
Dinah Shore

"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, [but] it is impossible to find it elsewhere."
Agnes Repplier

"It is time for every one of us to roll up our sleeves and put ourselves at the top of our commitment list."
Marian Wright Edelman

"Go within everyday and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out."
Katherine Dunham

"By very slow degrees, and with frequent relapses, that alarmed and grieved my friend, I recovered."
Mary Shelley (from Frankenstein)

"When all is said and done,
it is persistence that is the antidote to powerlessness....
The sight of goodness undeterred
has more power than all the forces on earth arrayed against it."
Joan Chittister

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."
Paul Vale'ry

"Try.
Fail.
Try Again.
Fail Better."
Samuel Beckett

"Remember: Only one thing registers on the subconscious mind: repetitive application - practice. What you practice is what you manifest."
Grace Speare

"It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities."
Sir Josiah Charles Stamp, an English Economist

"If you live your life with a shield up, even the good things in life will pass you by."
Anonymous

"The attainment of wholeness requires one to stake one's whole being. Nothing less will do; there can be no easier conditions, no substitutes, no compromises."
C. G. Jung

"What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so. " Mark Twain

"Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow."
Alice M. Swaim

"Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them." Aristotle

"The only journey is the journey within."
Rainer Maria Rilke

"Yes, know thyself: in great concerns or small, Be this thy care, for this, my friend, is all."
Juvenal

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow."
Doug Firebaugh

"Insist on yourself. Never imitate."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
Theodore Roosevelt

"Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
Oliver Goldsmith

"Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul."
Democritus

"There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you."
David Burns, Intimate Connections

"The rose is fairest when 'tis budding new, and hope is brightest when it dawns from fears."
Walter Scott

See also Using Affirmations

See sidebar for more inspirational quotes and quotes of the week.

Quotes compiled from the following sites:
http://www.poppink.com/inspirations.html
http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/growth.html
http://eatingdisorders.suite101.com/article.cfm/more_quotes
http://www.swedauk.org/poems/quotes.htm

picture source: MrsMenopausal