"I have always been intrigued by the magical power, influence and lasting impression transferred from one person to the next through quotations. It wasn't until I found myself struggling to cope and make sense of my brain injury circumstances that I came to fully recognize and depend on the transformational provisions imparted by quotations."-Lois McElravy You have permission to post or print Lois' quotations as long as you include -
by Lois McElravy, Lessons from Lois. Enjoy! Quotation Categories:
Humor, Laughter, Play and Fun Quotations
"When life knocks you down, humor is the magic wand that cushions your fall, lifts you back up and points you in a new direction." "One of life's ironies is that when we need our sense of humor the most, we discover it has escaped." "Fun is not the reward for getting all of your work done." "Laughter is your pressure relief valve." "Humor helps. Laughter heals." "Humor is the magic wand that transforms agitation into appreciation." "Laughter is a full body workout." "When life knocks you off balance, fall into the humor safety-net." "On the keyboard of life, humor is your escape key." "When life knocks us off balance, humor is our best defense to deflect the crippling effects of stress. Prepared humor statements and strategies equip us with an even more powerful offense so we can push past our difficulties and restore our capability." "If I am going to do something that shortens or risks my life, I want it to be dangerously fun, like jumping out of an airplane, not arguing with my spouse." "Separating who you are from what you do enables you to laugh at the silly things you do, without making fun of who you are." "Things don't always go as planned. Are you going to let it ruin your day, or can you find a way to laugh about it?" "For those days when you feel like you have lost all of your marbles, it's a good idea to carry a spare. As long as you have one marble left, you will be o.k."
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Adversity and Change Quotations
"No one is exempt from the chance that their life could suddenly change." "Adjusting to change requires the confidence to let go of 'what was' and the courage to explore 'what is still to come.'" "Never give-up or lose hope. When you least expect, something wonderful happens." "Never give-up or lose hope. When you least expect, wonderful things still happen." "What do you do when life looks ugly? You get up everyday and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You do whatever it takes to hold on. And you believe that tomorrow will be a better day." EHFAR - Everything Happens For A Reason. It's what we say to others, when we don't know what else to say. But, it's not what we want to hear someone say to us." "Life doesn't always make sense. There are some things that I will never understand. Life is too short to become obsessed with trying to figure it out. So, I choose to believe that Everything Happens For A Reason (EHFAR) and that something good comes out of everything that happens, even if I don't personally witness it." "Things are not as they first appear. Look past the outward perception to reveal the inner truth." "Discover the Treasures in Your Trials." "Things are not always as they first appear. Even in the ugliest of circumstances, there are hidden treasures, waiting to be revealed." "Something is either ugly or not ugly. There is no such thing as a little bit ugly." "All ugly is created equal, and hurts the same in a crisis." "It doesn't take a brain injury for life to look ugly. Life can turn ugly quick with something as simple as a flat tire on the way to an important appointment, or a restless night with little sleep." "Every detail of your life has significance, even the tough times." "Every detail of our life has significance, even the tough times - to teach us a lesson, provide an insight, develop a deeper understanding or turn us on to the path leading to our life purpose." "When life doesn't go your way, you find your way." "Things don't always go as planned, but that doesn't mean they still can't go well." "Strip away your wrong beliefs and step out from behind your mask of limitations. You must let go of what was, before you can embrace what is still to be." "The greatest motivation to overcome adversity comes from loving someone and wanting to be the best you can be for them. The perseverance to keep trying when you feel like giving up comes from doing it for someone you love." "'Ask' is not a four-letter word." "Asking for assistance beats crying for help." "Help is available, if you ask." "Do you know why your family or co-workers don't offer to help you? It's because they have confidence in your abilities. They've seen you in tough spots before and you've always figured it out. They are giving you what 'they think' you need - space. If you need their help, you have to ask them for it." "When you feel overwhelmed and confused with too many things to do, choose the one thing that would make the most difference or make you feel the happiest." "Too much to do and not enough of you? Do one thing that makes you feel happy or makes the most difference." "The consistent effort of doing small things over an extended period of time produces magical results." "The Tortoise Track - slow and steady will move you across the finish line."
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H.E.W. (Hard Earned Wisdom) and Life Lessons Quotations"People survive without intimacy - marriages rarely do." "When I had a really tough day, my husband Larry would put his arms around me, kiss my neck and whisper in my ear, 'I know something that will make you feel better.' I would break free, and tell him, 'That doesn't fix everything.' Larry would shrug his shoulders, arch his eyebrows, smile and say, 'It always works for me.' Guess what? I found out it worked pretty well for me, too." "Most disagreements can be blamed on the misses - MIScommunication, MISunderstanding and MISinterpretation." "Even the most intelligent person turns stupid when they are no longer teachable." "Multi-tasking is not a valuable skill; it is really a disguise for the opportunity to mess up several things at once." "Never judge by outward appearances, but always remember that you will be judged by them." "Being understanding of someone's challenges, is not the same thing as understanding how it feels to live with their challenges." "The very traits that we value in someone will also aggitate and annoy us."
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Brain Injury and ADHD Quotations
"'Minor brain injury' is an oxymoron. There is nothing minor about a brain injury." "When someone suffers a brain injury, our first response isn't, 'Wow, just think of the personal growth they will acquire!"' "There's nothing funny about living with a brain injury, but there's plenty to laugh about." "Brain Injury Survivor was not on my 'who I want to be when I grow up list.' Neither was motivational speaker." "One of the burdens of living with a brain injury is that we don't always know...that we don't know. That is also one of the blessings. Because we don't always recognize when things are not going well, we don't get easily discouraged nor give-up. We keep trying, until we figure it out." "Brain injuries don't happen to people...they happen to families. Every person who knows or loves the survivor suffers a loss, and deals with it in their own unique way." "Brain injury is not the end of your life. It's the end of one episode and the beginning of another." "People will ask me, 'How do you know if you have had a brain injury?' I tell them, 'Nothing is going well in your life. You can't figure out why and you don't know how to fix it.'' "Ask any well-adjusted brain injury survivor what enabled them to heal from their loss, accept their new reality, and move on with their life in a positive direction. They will tell you how a sense of humor and laughter rescued them from the distress and despair surrounding their daily life and contributed to their adjustment and recovery." "Recognizing that good things have resulted because of your brain injury causes a paradox of emotion. It doesn't mean that you feel glad it happened nor does it reduce your loss." "Whether you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or not, if inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity, complicates your life and interferes with your ability to hold a job or maintain healthy relationships, then ADD/ADHD challenges threaten to crush your potential for happiness and success." "Persons living with brain injury are commonly prone to missed conceptions (and misconceptions, too.)"
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Business or Speaker Quotations"To toot or not to toot your horn - self promotion is not a choice." "I have had speakers tell me that I am 'lucky' to have a compelling brain injury story to build my speaker platform around. Lucky? My story came from sustaining a brain injury 18 years ago and living with the challenges...still! I wonder if I offered to trade my story for their brain, would they accept?' "Things are not as they first appear. Fellow board members many times have complimented me for pausing to give careful consideration before responding. Little do they know that my comprehension is slow at times, and I am simply trying to follow and understand their rapid fire discussion. Still, how many miscommunications could be prevented if everyone paused to make sure they fully understood before speaking?" "People remember how well someone handled a tense or embarrassing moment long after they forgot what was said or done to cause it."
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