
The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
In the 1998 Disney movie, Mulan, the Emperor of China describes Mulan as a flower that blooms in adversity, making her the most rare and beautiful of all. For some background, Mulan went to war in her father’s place to protect him from potential harm. She ends up becoming the hero of her country. When offered to work at the palace for the emperor, she turns him down because she wants to go home

The ones that love us never really leave us.
What is love? Love is the most fundamental yet nebulous feeling that makes us human. It’s the fabric of our existence. We all crave love because that is what we are made of. However, in our humanness, we can begin to fear that the love we have will leave us. What if our loved ones leave or pass away? What if their love runs out? This quote is one that was spoken by Sirius Black

What cannot be said will be wept.
There are times in life when it’s wiser to hold back on speaking your mind, especially if it could get you into trouble or hurt someone you care about. This is especially true during those moments when sharing your thoughts and opinions would only escalate a conflict or argument, rather than promoting peace and harmony. However, even if you choose not to speak your thoughts aloud at certain times, it’s still important to validate them

It doesn’t matter what we want. Once we get it, then we want something else.
In Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish says these words in Season 3. And it begs the question: When does one truly feel satisfied? Have you noticed that we humans always want more? First, we want a job that pays us X. Then, we want an apartment of our own. When we get an apartment, we want a bigger one. We constantly want more and bigger. The same goes with salaries, jobs, cars, and our phones!

Nobody dies a virgin. Life fucks us all.
I love this quote from Kurt Cobain. As detailed in many books and documentaries, Cobain dealt with a lot of stuff growing up and as a young adult. These things inspired his creativity. While he died young at age 27, Cobain was wise beyond his years and was truly an old soul. Life is hard for all of us. We all go through hardships and unimaginable things. While we may feel like we are alone

The truths that matter most to us come always half spoken.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone said something, but you knew they meant something else? Maybe when you asked your parents for a car – they said, “maybe later”, but you know they didn’t take it seriously. Or perhaps when you asked someone how they are and they say “I’m fine” but you know they are not feeling their best. Often times, what someone says only scratches the surface of what is

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The heart is the center of every human being. It symbolizes everything we are and everything that makes us who we are. It is our soul, our life force, and “the moral, emotional, spiritual and even the intellectual substance of a person” (Ancient Symbols). Unfortunately, we can become distracted and influenced by others which can steer us away from our true selves. The quote, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
As we all know, not everything in life goes how we want it to go. We all experience suffering, some more than others. But we also all know that suffering can be overcome, and if we hang on to this important piece of the puzzle, we can prevent ourselves from wallowing in self-pity and handle our suffering in a more productive way. Remember, even when it doesn’t feel like it, nothing is so bad that