Bigstockphoto.com

25 Inspirational Quotes That You Must Read:

1. He that will not reflect is a ruined man. –Asian Proverb

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

3. Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still. –Chinese Proverb

4. The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can. –Robert Cushing

5. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear. –Socrates

6. Go back a little to leap further. –John Clarke

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

8. I failed my way to success. –Thomas Edison

9. Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. –William Shakespeare

10. Failure teaches success. –Japanese Saying

11. Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. –Will Rogers

12. Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. –Earl Nightingale

13. Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action. –Benjamin Disraeli

14. Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

15. It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you. –Zig Ziglar

16. At least eighty percent of millionaires are self-made. That is, they started with nothing but ambition and energy, the same way most of us start. –Brian Tracy

17. When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word “succeed,” you find that it simply means to follow through.” –F. W. Nichol

18. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. –Albert Einstein

19. The truth is you can acquire any quality you want by acting as though you already have it. –Joseph Murphy

20. You must get good at one of two things; planting in the spring or begging in the fall. –Jim Rohn

21. The searching-out and thorough investigation of truth ought to be the primary study of man. –Cicero

22. The only journey is the journey within. –Rainer Maria Rilke

23. Know thyself means this, that you get acquainted with what you know, and what you can do. –Menander

24. Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous. –Abd-el-Kadar

25. If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old. –Lord Chesterfield

If you have an inspirational  life-changing quote that you want to share, please add it below.

  50 Lessons from Albert Einstein: 

1. A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.
2. It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
3. Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
4. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
5. It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.
6. It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
7. A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem.
8. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.
9. Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.
10. No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
11. Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.
12. As far as I’m concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.
13. I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
14. I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.
15. Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems, in my opinion, to characterize our age.
16. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
17. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
18. Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.
19. Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.
20. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
21. Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
22. Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler.
23. Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
24. In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
25. Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.
26. Force always attracts men of low morality.
27. Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
28. He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
29. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.
30. I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.
31. I want to know all Gods thoughts; all the rest are just details.
32. If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.
33. If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?
34. If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
35. Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
36. Imagination is more important than knowledge.
37. Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.
38. Never lose a holy curiosity.
39. Isn’t it strange that I who have written only unpopular books should be such a popular fellow?
40. It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
41. It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
42. Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.
43. Knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be.
44. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
45. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
46. Love is a better teacher than duty.
47. Memory is deceptive because it is colored by today’s events.
48. Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.
49. Information is not knowledge.
50. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Thanks for reading, please pass along!

“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice.

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get,” said the Cat.

“I really don’t care where” replied Alice.

“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

- Quote from the Alice in Wonderland Movie

My brother called me the other day and asked me for some advice?  He was trying to decide between two job offers:

Job 1 – The first job was your typical 40 hour a week “office” job.

Job 2 – The second job was more of a career in the insurance industry, where he would start at the bottom, and after many years and many long hours eventually rise to the top (if he was good).  The second job did not pay as well as the first job (initially), but the potential pay-off of the second job was much greater than the first job.

So which job should my brother take?  Well the answer is…it depends.

Just like the Cat was trying to tell Alice, which road you take depends a great deal on where you want to end up.

Begin with the End in Mind

I asked my brother what was his life’s purpose.  He said his purpose is to “teach,” but he wants to make a lot of money first.

I told my brother to forget about the money, and I advised him to focus on his purpose.

I then asked him which job best supports his end result of “teaching.”  He said the first job best supports his goal because he would only have to work 40 hours a week, which would give him spare time to teach.

He continued on to say, but if I take job number two, I can work hard and make more money, then I can retire early and “teach” later in life. I again advised him to “focus” on his purpose, not money.

I cautioned him to think this process through carefully because things don’t end wrong, they begin wrong!

You Can’t Ride Two Horses Well

It would be very difficult to have a successful teaching career while you’re working 70-80 hours a week in the insurance business; no one can ride two horses well.  As they say, you can do anything, but not everything.

I recommended to my brother that he dedicate his time to achieving his life’s purpose, and I advised him to get started today by choosing the job that best supports that decision.

Tomorrow Never Comes

My brother was thinking that he could always start teaching later in life, but the reality is, tomorrow never comes.

Unless you decide right now to pursue your passions, they will probably never be fulfilled.  They will always be postponed until some nebulous time in the future.  You will eventually “miss out” in the one area where you could have had the greatest impact on the world.

You only live once, don’t go to your grave with one regret; don’t postpone your purpose.

The Money Will Come

My brother seemed to be overly concerned with making money.  I told him not to be anxious about making money.  The fear of not making money is the quickest way not to make it.

You will always have greater money making potential when you’re doing what you love.

In conclusion, whenever you’re at a cross-road, be sure to make the decision that best supports the overall mission and goal of your life.  If you do, then you will be well on your way.

Thank you for reading, please be sure to pass this article along!

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

The New Year is the perfect time to make changes in our lives. We can set new goals and try to improve our situations. Today let’s take a look at some common areas of self improvement people pursue as New Year’s resolutions and some ways you can make real changes in your own life.

Here are five potential paths to self improvement you could pursue in the New Year and some tips and examples to point you in the right direction.

1. Get a new job or a promotion.

Maybe you aren’t earning enough money. Perhaps you just don’t like your current employer or line of work. Here are some things to consider if this year feels like the right time for a change in your career.

• Consider going back to school if you want to change your entire career path.
• Focus on building confidence, either to ask for a raise or succeed in interviews.
• Express an interest in a new position at work — you may be looked over if no one knows you’re interested.

2. Start a business.

Maybe you’re just tired of the 9-to-5 grind as a whole and you’d like to start working for yourself in the New Year. Here are a few tips if you want to make that happen.

• Ideally, save to cover six months of expenses before quitting your current job.
• Visit your local SCORE chapter or another mentoring program for advice early on.
• Come up with a thorough business plan, especially if you’ll seek financing.

3. Improve your health.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Self improvement is about more than financial changes. Your health is a major factor in living a happy life too. So why not work to become healthier in the New Year? Here are a few ways you can do that.

• If you’re a smoker, stop smoking even if it means taking things slowly.
• Start a new exercise regimen, even if it’s just a daily stroll to get you started.
• Look for ways to make your favorite recipes healthier, and carry those tactics into your everyday cooking without having to sacrifice flavor or go on a fad diet.

4. Improve your relationships.

Self improvement is as much about how you relate to others as what you do for yourself. So this year see if there are things you can do to improve your relationships in your daily life. For example, you might do one of the following.

• Start spending time with the kids in the evening, such as reading to them before bed.
• Get in touch with friends or family members you haven’t talked to in a while.
• Plan date nights with your spouse, where you’ll get a baby sitter once in a while to enjoy some time alone.

5. Cut down on stress.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Stress can wear you down over time. It can affect your health and your mood. Some of the things we’ve already talked about might help you decrease stress as a side effect, but here are some things you can do to more directly address the problem.

• Write down your top three causes of negative stress, and vow to deal with them.
• Try a new relaxation technique — yoga, deep breathing, meditation, etc.
• If you’re trying to do too much, cut back on your commitments — it’s okay to say “no.”

Everyone’s self improvement will be different because we all have different areas of our lives that we feel could be better. What are yours? What can you do about them as you ease into the New Year? Share your own self-improvement tips and ideas in the comments below or tell us how you plan to improve your life in coming months.

Credit: Fotolia.com

Do you wish you could earn an undergraduate or graduate degree online? It isn’t always possible for us to take time off of work to pursue further education and sometimes on-campus courses just don’t fit within our schedules. Whether you need more time to work at your own pace or you’re so motivated that you want to complete courses faster than usual, an online degree program might be a good option for you.

If you’re thinking about distance learning and pursuing an online degree, here are ten respectedU.S.colleges and universities offering these programs. Some examples of degree programs offered are also included below.

1. Arizona State University

• BS in Communication
• BS in Film and Media Studies
• BA in History
• BAS in Internet and Web Development
• BS in Nursing
• BS in Political Science
• Master of Engineering
• Master of Arts: Criminal Justice
• Master of Education
• Master of Business Administration

2. Boston University

• Master of Criminal Justice
• Masters of Music, Music Education
• Master of Science in Computer Information Systems
• Master of Social Work
• Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Education
• Doctor of Occupational Therapy

3. The City University of New York (CUNY)

• BA in Communication and Culture
• BS in Business
• BS in Health Information Management
• BA in Sociology

4. Drexel University

• BS in Health Services Administration
• BS in Business Administration
• BS in Communication
• BS in Psychology
• BS in Computing and Security Technology
• Online MBA
• MS in Sport Management
• MS in Hospitality Management
• MS in Information Systems
• MS in Computer Science
• MS in Electrical Engineering

5. Kent State University

• Computer Technology
• Master of Library and Information Science
• Master of Public Administration
• MA for Journalism Educators
• MS in Knowledge Management

6. Rutgers University

• Master of Library and Information Science

7. Stanford University

• Master of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Master of Chemical Engineering
• Master of Management Science and Engineering
• Master of Computer Science
• Master of Mechanical Engineering

8. UCLA

• Master of Science in Engineering

9. University of Massachusetts

• Isenberg Online MBA
• Bachelor of Business Administration
• BA Psychology
• BA Women’s Studies
• BS Hospitality and Tourism Management
• BS Information Technology
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Master of Education
• MS in Family Therapy
• Master of Applied Linguistics

10. Virginia Tech

• Master of Aerospace Engineering
• Master of Information Technology
• Master of Political Science
• Master of Ocean Engineering
• Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences

It’s important to note that even online degrees can sometimes have residency or campus visit requirements (although not all do). Others based around hands-on careers will often require internships to get you the hands-on experience you need. Make sure you thoroughly review the requirements of any online degree program before applying.

Have you taken online courses for college credits? Have you earned your entire degree online? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

I’m a freelance writer. I’m a business owner. I set my rates, I decide what services to offer, and I decide which clients to work with and what projects to take on. I’m not an employee. Neither are you if you freelance — in writing, design, consulting, or any other area. Yet I see freelancer after freelancer still using resumes to try to land gigs. What’s worse is that I see clients occasionally demand them in job ads, making it clear they don’t quite grasp the difference between working with employees and contractors.

My advice for freelancers is to bury that resume. Stop sending it out and start acting like the business owner you are. You can land better gigs and get more respect as an independent professional when you stop starting business relationships giving people the impression that they can treat you like a traditional employee. Why are resumes a potential problem? Let’s talk about it.

Why Resumes Aren’t the Best Option for Freelance Professionals

As a freelancer, you are not an employee. You should not be treated like one. You’re a business owner. You have freedom and flexibility employees don’t have. And in exchange for that you take on added responsibilities like paying more taxes and business expenses which saves clients money. Clients also can’t treat you the same way they treat employees. For example (in the U.S. specifically) clients of freelancers generally can’t determine basic things like when or how you’ll work or what tools you’ll use. You’re the business owner. Those things are up to you.

When you start that relationship with something like a resume, you put yourself in line with employees. That’s not the image you should start out with. All a client needs to know to make a hiring decision is that you’re qualified to do the job and what you plan to charge for it. They can get that information in other places without insisting on kicking off the relationship in employer-employee style.

Benefits of Focusing on Portfolios Instead of Resumes

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Your professional website and portfolio are pretty typical ways to handle things as a freelancer. Your portfolio can be either online or offline. Here are some of the main benefits of focusing on portfolios instead of resumes:

• You focus on what matters — samples of past work or case studies for those offering consulting services — rather than often-irrelevant things like where you worked as an employee ten years ago or what your GPA was in school. Resumes are more for people and jobs where real results aren’t easily shared and where it’s more about long-term commitment to an employer than specific projects and results. As a freelancer, you’re generally being hired for the latter and samples in a portfolio establish more credibility than a resume ever could.
• You present yourself as a business owner up front rather than an employee-like worker, which can make negotiations on rates and other contract terms easier. When you hire an accountant or plumber they don’t give you a resume. As a freelance professional, you’re just as much a business owner. Businesses don’t send resumes. Their websites, case studies, past work examples, and testimonials do the talking for them.
• You put the emphasis on your best work and don’t have to worry about gaps in your employment history or other negatives often highlighted by resumes which are often irrelevant in freelancing. When timing is relevant (such as showing you’re up to date on the latest technical trends if you’re a freelance programmer or designer), you still have the option to highlight that.
• No emphasis is put on how long you stayed with each previous client or employer in a portfolio. In freelancing it’s very common to take on one-off projects and very short contracts. Resumes traditionally focus on longer-term employment. Hiring parties who are used to those traditional resumes and the implications of leaving a company after a brief period could paint you in a negative light, even if only subconsciously. That’s just one more risk you have to take.

If you’re prepared to treat your freelance career as a business in other ways — paying extra taxes, marketing your services, dealing with negotiations and collections, etc. — there’s no good reason not to do the same when trying to land gigs. Resumes are for employees. Build a solid portfolio instead and start your next professional relationship off on a higher level as the business owner you are and not as if you’re some temporary employee stand-in. And remember that if a resume is requested, it’s okay to say “no” (tactfully) and offer a portfolio. I’ve been taking on independent gigs for over a decade now, and rarely have I refused to provide a resume and had a prospect balk (and if they do, these days I walk rather than letting clients start things off by treating me as an employee, and sometimes they still come back) . Most have been perfectly happy with a portfolio instead. But when you’re dealing with new business owners or people used to traditional HR practices, often they just don’t know to ask for it.

Credit: Fotolia.com

Guest posting can be a good way to grow your own audience. It can help you build name recognition and authority status in your niche or industry. It can help you maintain an active network of fellow bloggers in your specialty area. And it can drive traffic to your business website or blog.

When planning a guest posting schedule, how do you choose which sites to target? Where exactly should your guest posts go? Here are three things to consider when deciding which sites to submit guest posts to.

1. Target Niche and Audience

The most important thing in choosing a guest post destination is the audience of that site. You should have your own target audience (or market) in mind. Contact those that target a similar audience. But don’t take a narrow-minded approach either.

For example, I write about freelance writing. If I wanted to set up a new virtual blog tour, I could obviously target other freelance writing blogs. But it’s smart to look beyond the obvious. I could also submit guest posts to more general freelance sites if the posts focused on the business side of freelancing. I could also target sites for work at home moms (WAHMs) because that audience has an interest in work at home opportunities like freelance writing. I could even target small business sites, reaching out to others who are self-employed.

2. Reader Engagement

Community engagement means more than comments. - Credit: Fotolia.com

One of the best signs that a website is a good stop on a blog tour is reader engagement. Remember, you don’t just want link juice. You want direct traffic and an ability to connect with people who could become your future customers or regular readers. The more comments a blog tends to get, the more likely it is those readers will engage with you as well.

Of course you should look at comment quality too — several “great post!” comments don’t have much value, whereas a few comments that really add to the conversation are much better.

That said, don’t rule a site out completely just because it doesn’t have comments. Many guest posters limit themselves to blogs. But guest posting is really just an old PR tactic (previously done in print media by submitting authoritative free content to trade magazines). It’s not blog-specific.

Consider non-blog sites in your niche as well, even if they don’t have comments enabled. Look for other signs of reader engagement. For example, if they have social media sharing buttons you might be able to see how many people “like” or “tweet” average content there.

3. Size, Traffic and Post Frequency

How old or big a site is, how often new posts are published, and how much traffic a site gets are also worth considering (although far less important). Yes, it would be great if all of your guest posts went to busy blogs with huge visitor counts.

Don’t ignore the little guys though. They sometimes offer more value to guest posters. Why? Because their audiences can be more targeted, your post won’t get buried as quickly in their new updates, and owners of smaller sites can be more likely to aggressively promote your content. Plus, you never know when a “small” site is going to become a major player in your niche.

I submitted one guest post to a site like this a couple of years ago, and not only has the blog’s audience grown enormously but the owner still very actively promotes my article via social media.

Hopefully this gives you a few things to think about when comparing sites for guest post submissions. Guest posts should be strategic; you can’t give free content to everyone, so choose wisely. Oh, and as a site owner myself I’d like to add one more thing: please make sure a site actually accepts guest posts before submitting one. You’ll save everyone time in the process.

How do you choose sites to submit guest posts to? Do you only guest post on blogs, or do you take an expanded approach? Have you ever taken guest contributions offline to traditional media? Share your thoughts, tips, and stories in the comments below.

Credit: Fotolia.com

Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language, perhaps for travel or even just the fun of it? Do you want your children to be multilingual to better equip them for the growing globalization of our communities? Do you need to learn a new language for business? No matter what your reason, there are many free language learning tools available online these days. Why not take advantage of them? There’s no risk and a lot to love.

To help you get started, here are five places to learn a language online for free.

1. BBC Languages

The BBC’s online language learning courses are some of the most well-known on the Web. You can learn French, German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, and Chinese through audio and video courses. And there are several resources if you’re interested in other languages as well — from pronunciation help to quick vocabulary if you’ll soon travel and want a simple guide. Beginner foreign language courses last 12 weeks, although you can work at your own pace. You’ll even get a BBC certificate when you complete one of these 12 week courses.

2. Internet Polyglot

One of the best aspects of Internet Polyglot is that you can choose not only your target language but also your starting language. For example, you can study English-French, German-French, Farsi-French or one of countless other combinations for learning your target language. There are 32 starting languages featured, meaning you’re bound to find foreign language tools that work for you. These tools work through vocabulary lists and audio pronunciation guides.

World Languages - Credit: Fotolia.com

3. Livemocha

Livemocha offers both free and paid online language learning resources. You have to register on the site to access the courses. Not only can you work through a foreign language course, but you can also learn about the corresponding culture and interact with native speakers of the language you’re learning. Courses are available in over 30 languages. You get a free trial for the full courses, but they’re paid after that via either a monthly or yearly subscription. The vocabulary starter courses remain free.

4. OpenLearn Languages

These online language courses are available through The Open University. You can find courses here in several languages including English, French, Gaelic, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese. You can also find general language courses (such as the history of the English language).

5. Digital Dialects

If you learn better through a game-oriented approach, you might like Digital Dialects. There are 60 languages featured, and you can learn phrases, verb conjugation, and basic vocabulary through audio and quiz-style games. Note that audio clips aren’t available for all vocabulary lessons.

Do you have any other favorite online language learning resources? If you plan to try one of these sites for free language courses, which language do you want to learn and why? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Credit: Fotolia.com

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.  –Charles Darwin

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. –Henry Ellis

Any idiot can face a crisis – it’s day to day living that wears you out.  –Anton Chekhov

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. –James Allen

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. –William James

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. –Buddha

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. –Mark Twain

Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. –Henry David Thoreau

Every man dies. Not every man really lives. –William Wallace

Everything has been figured out, except how to live. –Jean-Paul Sartre

Everything in life is luck. –Donald Trump

Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts. Life itself still remains a very effective therapist. –Karen Horney

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. –Friedrich Nietzsche

Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t. — Richard Bach

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. –E. B. White

I do not regret one moment of my life. –Lillie Langtry

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches. — Alice Roosevelt Longworth

I love life because what more is there. –Anthony Hopkins

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. –John Burroughs

I take care of my flowers and my cats. And enjoy food. And that’s living. –Ursula Andress

I think I’ve discovered the secret of life – you just hang around until you get used to it. –Charles M. Schulz

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. –Robert Frost

It is not length of life, but depth of life. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family. –Philip Green

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. –Josh Billings

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. –George Bernard Shaw

Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself. –Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. –Sholom Aleichem

Life is a long lesson in humility. –James M. Barrie

Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act. –Truman Capote

Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be. –Jose Ortega y Gasset

Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it. –Dave Barry

Life is but thought. –Sara Teasdale

Life is half spent before we know what it is. –George Herbert

Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time. –Miguel Angel Ruiz

Life is much shorter than I imagined it to be. –Abraham Cahan

Life is never easy for those who dream. –Robert James Waller

Life is something to do when you can’t get to sleep. –Fran Lebowitz

Life is wasted on the living. –Douglas Adams

Life itself still remains a very effective therapist. –Karen Horney

Life loves the liver of it. –Maya Angelou

Life must be lived as play. –Plato

Life well spent is long. –Leonardo da Vinci

Look, I don’t want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you’re alive you’ve got to flap your arms and legs, you’ve got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you’re not alive. –Mel Brooks

May you live all the days of your life. –Jonathan Swift

Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. –Arthur Miller

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can. –CaryGrant

My life is every moment of my life. It is not a culmination of the past. –Hugh Leonard

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself. –Harvey Fierstein

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious. –Brendan Gill

Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued. –Socrates

Only a few things are really important. –Marie Dressler

People living deeply have no fear of death. –Anais Nin

The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing. –Marcus Aurelius

The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that it is a bore. It is not so much a war as an endless standing in line. –H. L. Mencken

The fear of life is the favorite disease of the 20th century. –William Lyon Phelps

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. –William James

The main facts in human life are five: birth, food, sleep, love and death. –E. M. Forster

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. –Henry David Thoreau

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. –Robert Byrne

The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. –Carl Jung

There is no wealth but life. –John Ruskin

There is only one difference between a long life and a good dinner: that, in the dinner, the sweets come last. –Robert Louis Stevenson

This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it. –William James

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. –Henry David Thoreau

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. –Emily Dickinson

Unbeing dead isn’t being alive. –E. E. Cummings

Unrest of spirit is a mark of life. –Karl A. Menninger

Use your health, even to the point of wearing it out. That is what it is for. Spend all you have before you die; do not outlive yourself. –George Bernard Shaw

Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work – that goes on, it adds up. –Barbara Kingsolver

We can’t plan life. All we can do is be available for it. –Lauryn Hill

We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion. –Max de Pree

What we play is life. –Louis Armstrong

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’. –Erma Bombeck

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. — Mark Twain

While there’s life, there’s hope. — Marcus Tullius Cicero

Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies. — Erich Fromm

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. — Albert Camus

Your life is what your thoughts make it. — Marcus Aurelius

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. –Albert Einstein

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. –Annie Dillard

If you will just start with the idea that this is a hard world, it will all be much simpler. –Louis D. Brandeis

Live every day as if it were your last, because one of these days, it will be. –Jeremy Schwartz

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. –Leonardo da Vinci

Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin. –Grace Hansen

As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death. –George Bernard Shaw

All men think all men mortal but themselves. –Edward Young

A person starts dying when they stop dreaming. –Brian Williams

After the first death, there is no other. –Dylan Thomas

Every man dies – Not every man really lives. –William Ross Wallace

One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything, except a good reputation. –Oscar Wilde

Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies. –Ann Landers

Life is like riding a bicycle. You don’t fall off unless you plan to stop peddling. –Claude Pepper

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. –Josh Billings

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. –Thomas Edison

If you stop struggling, then you stop life. –HueyNewton

Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t. –Richard Bach

Lives, like money, are spent. What are you buying with yours? –Roy H. Williams

Life is just a chance to grow a soul. –A. Powell Davies

Our lives are like a candle in the wind. –Carl Sandburg

Life is the game that must be played. –Edwin Arlington Robinson

Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep. –Carl Sandburg

Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use. –Charles Schulz

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. –John Dewey

Thank you for reading, please pass along!

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Whether you just set a new budget for the New Year or you simply want to save some money, there are plenty of ways you can cut your living expenses on a regular basis. Today we’ll take a look at five examples of ways to cut your everyday living expenses, some of which are incredibly simple and others that might take a bit of getting used to (but which can give the greatest rewards).

Here are five ways you might be able to cut your living expenses.

1. Consider a new residence or take on a roommate.

This is one of the more difficult changes and not realistic for everyone. But if your expenses are significantly higher than your income for whatever reason, it might be time to move. A lower rent apartment or a smaller house might be the long-term solution you need. Or, if you have extra space you could consider taking on a roommate. If you have something like a separate in-law suite that isn’t being used you might even consider renting it out.

2. Trim your cable TV costs.

Many people overpay for cable television services. It’s possible you have a package with more channels than you actually watch. Consider downgrading to save money. Or just call your cable company and ask if they can make you a better deal. Many companies will, especially if you mention that you’re willing to cancel altogether (they don’t want you going to online TV) or that you’re willing to switch to a competitor. Or, just go ahead and make the switch to online TV. I’ve been doing that for several years and I’ve never missed cable. You can use paid services like the instant watch feature of Netflix. Or you can use free sites like Hulu or even television network sites. Other than live sporting events, there isn’t much you can’t find online or with DVDs and Blu-ray these days. And actually, even some sporting events might be available online with subscriptions. Want to save even more? Consider renting movies and TV series from your local library instead.

Little coupons can equal big savings. - Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

3. Shop the sales (and use coupons).

You don’t have to give up your favorite things all the time just to save money. Instead look for ways to save on the things you really want. For example, check sales circulars each weekend in your local newspaper. Or visit your favorite stores’ websites for online coupons and other discounts. Or clip coupons for things like groceries. Better yet try to coordinate your coupons with current sales to maximize your savings. Do you need to do this with everything? No. But if you make an effort you can save a good bit. When I started using coupons a few years ago, I was able to save around $20 every week on groceries and other necessities. That really adds up (and makes me wonder why I ever stopped!).

4. Organize swaps with friends and neighbors.

What’s better than saving a bit? How about getting things for free? You can do that by organizing swaps. What are swaps? They’re just what they sound like. You get together with other people — such as friends, family members, neighbors, or a community group — and exchange things. For example, you might exchange your gently used clothes. You get something that’s new to you and at no cost. You can also do food swaps. For example you and a neighbor might each cook two meals — each large enough to feed both of your families. Then you would swap half of everything you cooked, meaning you only had to cook two meals but you get a total of four. That lets you save by buying some groceries in bulk or based on sales and coupons you have, but still gives you variety.

5. Use shopping lists and carry cash.

Sometimes cutting your living expenses isn’t about changing what you buy. It’s about changing simple habits instead. For example, start using a shopping list when you go to the store. Go in, get the items on your list, and then leave. Don’t peruse every section or aisle in a store hoping to find ideas of what you want to buy. Know before you go. Another option is to carry cash rather than focusing on credit and debit cards. That forces you to keep your spending within a strict limit — the cash you have on hand. If you want something else you then have to go home to get your debit or credit card or get more cash, and that means you have to also spend time really thinking about that purchase to decide if it’s worthwhile.

Whether you want to save a lot of money or just a little bit each month, there are many things you can do to cut your living expenses. Look at your current spending habits as a starting place. Where do you spend too much? Where could you cut back? Everyone’s current budget is different, as are their goals. Decide what yours are and look for ways to make them happen. You’re bound to find at least one living expense you can decrease to get you on your way.