Inspirational Quotes for 2013

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Inspirational quotes can inspire and lift you if you let them.  After all, inspiration is “to breathe life into.”  And who doesn’t want a breath of fresh air for 2013?

But first, let’s put a key concept front and center – because it’s paramount to success in today’s arena.

It’s energized differentiation.

Brands that stand out communicate excitement, dynamism, and creativity.   That’s true whether it’s your personal brand or the business you’re in.  According to John Gerzema and Ed Lebar:

“Energy is where the action is. It reflects the consumer’s perception of motion and direction. It sustains the brand’s advantages. High-energy brands create a constant sense of interest and excitement. Consumers sense that these brands move faster, see farther, and are more experiential and more responsive to their needs.”

It’s time to find your energized differentiation if you want to make this year – 2013 – YOUR year for impact.

Own it.  Own 2013.  2013 is one giant timebox at your disposal -- show the world what you’ve got.

So, where do you get this energy?  Where do you get this source of inspiration from?  In a down economy, with more to do than you have capacity for, and changes that you can’t keep up with … where do you find your inspiration to do great things?  Look inside.  Your buttons are already there, and you just need to push them.  But sometimes you need the right words.

Here are a few of my favorite inspiration quotes, as well as an extreme list of the best inspirational quotes I know:

  1. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” — Mary Anne Radmacher
  2. “Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — Maya Angelou
  3. “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” — Lao-Tzu
  4. “Let him who would move the world, first move himself.” – Socrates
  5. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw
  6. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  7. “Big thinking precedes great achievement.” — Wilferd A. Peterson
  8. “Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.” — Nido Qubein
  9. “Success each day should be judged by the seeds sown, not the harvest reaped.” — John C. Maxwell
  10. “I want to be all used up when I die.” — George Bernard Shaw

If you want more words that lift us, check out my inspirational quotes page for lists of inspirational quotes from the best of the best.