Inspiring Quotes That Speak to Me

Have you ever read a quote and realized it’s talking to you?
​It makes you feel better on a bad day and encourages you to keep trying. 

I get emails from a website called Inspiring Quotes each day. Some speak to me; some don’t. I delete the ones that don’t and save the ones that do. Sometimes I share them with you. Would you believe my file of quotes is 141 pages long?

I haven’t shared any for a while, so I decided to pick four and write about them. I hope they’ll speak to you too. If you click on any of the source links, you can get emails from Inspiring Quotes too.  


​

#1. A talent grows by being used, and withers if it is not used.

​I’ve never thought of myself as talented, but I’ve always been a pretty good writer. Good enough to publish three books. How did I do it? By writing!
​
Over twenty years, I began to write each day, and every year I wrote for longer and longer periods of time. I took classes and learned how to write a good story, whether it’s a picture book or middle grade. I found a critique group. We meet every week, and I listen to their advice. That’s how I finally wrote and published three books. It’s how I’m still growing as a writer.
​

​

---

                           So who said it? May Sarton

She’s a prolific writer with 19 novels and 17 books of poetry to her credit. If you want to read the best of her writing, look for her journals and memoirs.
​
May wrote “The House by the Sea” when she moved from New Hampshire to the coastline of Maine in 1973. It’s her personal account of the solitude, nature, and her creative process, and it’s where she connected writing to plants. They wither away without food, sun, and care. To grow as a writer, May realized she had to fuel and care for her writing each day.

         Source: https://inspiringquotes.com/quote/a-talent-grows-by-being-used-and-withers-if-it/


​

---

#2. Almost everything will work again,
if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.

When I struggle with my computer, I click restart. That usually works! If it doesn’t, I call in my husband/tech support, and I still get a break.

When words are my problem, I take a break! Sometimes I only need a few minutes. Sometimes I switch to another writing project. But if I’m still stuck, I take the night off. And in the morning, somehow, the words come. Thank goodness!
​

​

                           So who said it? Anne Lamott
​
Anne’s writing is known for its self-deprecating humor, and it’s on display in this quote. Everything needs a break if it’s going to keep running. Any machine that’s used constantly will wear out sooner, and so will we.

Source: https://inspiringquotes.com/quote/almost-everything-will-work-again-if-you-unplug-it-for/?lctg=c4d2fe5b-125d-41db-a63c-ea78909f2d82
​

​

---

#3. No idea is final.

So true! I pulled out 3 old picture book manuscripts that used to be submission ready. I spent about 4 weeks on each one.  It’s funny…They were supposed to be ready, but in 2026 the characters and plots needed more revision.

It’s also true for the first 3 chapters of my middle grade novel. I spent a little time on the other 7 last year, but week after week I polished the first 3. Adding details, pulling them out, over and over again. I thought in September I was close, but now in February of 2026, they’re all tighter, more polished, and I hope, almost done!


​

                                          So who said it? Taika Waititi

Taika is an actor, director, and writer from New Zealand. He believes the artistic process never ends. That it’s a conversation between him and his audience. It lets him look at his work from different perspectives and experiment with it. His method won him the 2020 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for “Jojo Rabbit.”

Source: https://inspiringquotes.com/quote/no-idea-is-final/?lctg=c4d2fe5b-125d-41db-a63c-ea78909f2d82
​

​

---

#4. My Motto for 2026:
Keep on keeping on & Perseverance wins the crown.

​​
​This year I’m focused on moving forward and persevering with the things I’ve been building…my stories, blog posts, book reviews, videos, and newsletters. My goal is to see those stories published. So, I’ll keep on keeping on until the crown is won, and my stories are in the hands of readers.    

---

                     So who said keep on keeping on? Martin Luther King Jr.

According to the US Dictionary.com, he made it popular in a 1964 speech, but that quote has been around for a long time, long before World War I. It was also popular inside the African American community. Curtis Mayfield recorded it in a hit song in 1971. Bob Dylan used the phrase in “Tangled Up in Blue” in 1974.

            Source: https://usdictionary.com/idioms/keep-on-keeping-on/

---

So who said persistence wins the crown? The Apostle James, one of the disciples of Jesus

It’s biblical! Think James 1:12 ESV. Here’s how it’s written in the English Standard Version…“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
​
            Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A12&version=ESV

---