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Our Virtual Family: Quotes We Love and Quotes We Live By

Quotes We Love: Finding Out Favorite Quotes

I love quotes and famous sayings.  It amazes me how just a few words can be so powerful. I believe a good quote/saying can provide guidance when feeling lost. It can provide strength and courage during difficult times and reassurance when questioning a decision or action. It can even bring a smile when it is needed most.

Three of my favorite quotes are:  Martin Luther King’s, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”,  Prof. Dumbledore from the first Harry Potter movie, “….It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” and finally John Wooden’s: “sports do not build character they reveal it”.

So I wonder is there any quote/saying that guides  you or that is special to you?


One quote that I always live by is “embrace each moment.”  I try to take any opportunity that is available to me, I will try anything once. Because of this I feel like I’ve done many things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise and will never regret.  One example is my decision to study ancient greek as a language at OSU. It was a big responsibility and took a very long time to figure it out.  But now that I have finished my language requirement I feel accomplished in something that not many people would choose to do.

Another quote that I particularly like and keep in my phone is from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet… “These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.” I don’t quite know how this one applies to my life yet. But I just have always loved that one.


There are many famous quotes that are fantastic phrases to guide your life. In my opinion, the least known quotes are the best. One quote  that I find really means a lot to me is the phrase “Good enough, just isn’t good enough.” This quote is one I remember for two reasons. The first reason is this quote reminds me of questions that have no answer. For example, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” The question doesn’t have an answer that can be proven. This quote is similar because it contradicts itself completely in just six words. It reminds me of the types of questions that don’t have answers because neither the quote nor the question, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” make much sense.

The second reason I like this quote is because it tells me that I can’t always stop when I want to. In order to succeed, I need to be better than those around me. “Good enough” will get you nowhere. “Good enough” is a C on a paper. “Good enough” is the 13th player to make a team with 13 athletes. “Good enough” just  is not good enough.


Unfortunately I find good quotes to be very much like good jokes. I love them when I hear them. I try my best to remember them so I can retell them. But 5 minutes later they are completely gone.

I’ve spent the last week trying to remember something inspirational without much success. Finally I’m going to have to rely on a quote I used for a college essay (about a million years ago). President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said “the only limits to the realization of tomorrow, are the doubts of today”.

Shoot for your dreams kids. Don’t be afraid of failure, otherwise you’ll never accomplish what you truly can.


I believe strongly in the power of quotes, even though I don’t have a favorite one. I feel that the appropriate quote presents itself when the time is right, so I don’t carry them around in the back of my mind. There has to be a harmony between the context of the situation and what is being said. When I was working as a lifeguard, I witnessed the immediate relationship between man-hours and an hourly payment. In that case, the significance of the quote “Time is money” made perfect sense and felt good to think about. There have been milestones in my life when parents and friends gave me new freedoms, respect, and responsibilities. And as I experienced the heavier burdens that followed them, I could hear Uncle Ben saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.”  That’s from Spiderman.

So it really depends on my state of mind and whether I can hear/think of the quote when the time is right. When I listen to music though this happens a lot! For some reason the conditions are perfect – the music sets the right mood and then – if it’s a good song – the words have the most incredible impact. The effect is almost therapeutic 🙂

Mindy Gallagher is the Social Media Manager for Your Teen Magazine. She is the assistant coach for the girls’ lacrosse team for Solon High School in Ohio.

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