5 Quotes to Help Change Your Mindset and Get You Through the Rest of the Year

Riley Rassman

In the summer of 2019, my dad read a self-help book, and right after he finished it, he told me I had to read it. Knowing I’m not much of a reader, he bought me the audiobook version and asked me to give it a listen. To his disappointment, I never really got around to listening to it… until now. The book is titled “You’re a Badass, How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” by Jen Sincero. It talks about self-sabotaging behaviors that stop you from achieving your full potential, how to identify them, overcome them, and start living the best life possible. I’ve picked out five of my favorite quotes to talk about how they connect to our situation as busy and stressed students who are doing our best to figure it out as we go.

“Take care of yourself as if you are the most awesome person you have ever met.”*

As busy students, we often forget to take care of ourselves. Self-care, no matter what that means to you, can often get put on the back burner with so many other things to juggle like classes, work, the internship hunt, friendships, and relationships, just to name a few. Self-care is important and should be prioritized, even if it’s everyday activities like getting enough meals each day, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep. Treat yourself how you think the most awesome person in the world should be treated. Buy yourself guac when you go to Chipotle next time. Take that nap when you’re feeling really tired or stressed in the middle of the day. Whatever self-care looks like to you, make sure to practice it, because you deserve it.

“Comparison is the fastest way to take all the fun out of life.”*

This quote reminds me of the classic quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” In today’s world, with social media allowing us to stay up to date on everything everyone else is doing, it feels impossible to not compare ourselves to others. However, the reality is that nothing good comes from comparing ourselves to others. Everyone is living their own lives and will accomplish different things at different times. There is nothing wrong with that! Comparing yourself to others will only make you feel like you are behind in a race that doesn’t even exist.

“The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.”*

At our stage in life, there are a lot of opportunities that could end in what some would define as “failure.” Whether it is a midterm, a final, a job interview, a new relationship, or even just trying to cook a new recipe on your own, there is a lot out there that could potentially go south. Just because something doesn’t go exactly as planned doesn’t mean it is a failure. Every negative thing that happens in your life is a learning experience in some way, shape, or form. The only way you can really fail is by quitting and not giving yourself the chance to learn valuable lessons for fear of so-called “failure.”

“No matter how clueless you may feel right now, pay attention to suggestions and opportunities that suddenly present themselves… Take the first step in the direction toward something that feels right and see where it leads you.”*

College is a strange time in our lives when sometimes we feel like we need to have everything together right this second and sometimes we feel like we have unlimited time before we have to face “the real world.” The reality is that we don’t have to have our lives together right now. We are at a fun stage where many of us are still

“Comparison is the fastest way to take all the fun out of life.”*

This quote reminds me of the classic quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” In today’s world, with social media allowing us to stay up to date on everything everyone else is doing, it feels impossible to not compare ourselves to others. However, the reality is that nothing good comes from comparing ourselves to others. Everyone is living their own lives and will accomplish different things at different times. There is nothing wrong with that! Comparing yourself to others will only make you feel like you are behind in a race that doesn’t even exist.

“The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.”*

At our stage in life, there are a lot of opportunities that could end in what some would define as “failure.” Whether it is a midterm, a final, a job interview, a new relationship, or even just trying to cook a new recipe on your own, there is a lot out there that could potentially go south. Just because something doesn’t go exactly as planned doesn’t mean it is a failure. Every negative thing that happens in your life is a learning experience in some way, shape, or form. The only way you can really fail is by quitting and not giving yourself the chance to learn valuable lessons for fear of so-called “failure.”

“No matter how clueless you may feel right now, pay attention to suggestions and opportunities that suddenly present themselves… Take the first step in the direction toward something that feels right and see where it leads you.”*

College is a strange time in our lives when sometimes we feel like we need to have everything together right this second and sometimes we feel like we have unlimited time before we have to face “the real world.” The reality is that we don’t have to have our lives together right now. We are at a fun stage where many of us are still

NAVIGATING YOUR WAY AROUND THE U Your Transportation Choices

WALK

n Gopher Way: tunnels and skyways connecting campus buildings. n 612-624-WALK: call for a safe, free security escort to walk with you.

PARK

n Contract Parking: guaranteed space 24/7 via an online lottery each semester. Details at parklot.umn.edu. n Public Parking: hourly, daily, carpool, meter, discount and event parking is available. Visit umn.edu/pts for rates and locations.

n Motorist Assistance Program: FREE service (lock-outs,

jump starts and air for tires) for legally parked PTS customers. n Car-Sharing: on-campus vehicles. Drive by the hour or day.

Fee includes gas and insurance. Find out more at umn.edu/pts. n Ride-Sharing: Gopher RideShare is a U of M database to connect and share your commute with others.

Download the Gopher RideShare app. Learn more at

gopherrideshare.umn.edu.

612-626-PARK • pts@umn.edu umn.edu/pts

BIKE

n Bike Paths and Lanes: almost six miles on campus designated for biking. n Bike Racks: situated near most buildings on campus (on a seasonal basis).

n Bike Lockers and Secure Bike Parking: rent a storage area.

n Bike Center: full service - learn more at z.umn.edu/bikecenter. n Helmet & Headlights: purchase at Boynton Health Service

Pharmacy.

BUS

n U-Pass: discounted, unlimited-ride city bus and rail pass for students. Purchase at http://buspass.umn.edu. n Campus Shuttle: FREE bus service between the St. Paul,

East Bank and West Bank campuses. Use a telephone, mobile device, or web-enabled computer to see where the bus is and its predicted arrival. Learn more online and at bus stops.

n Campus Zone Pass: free pass that allows rides on Green Line between three campus stations. n Paratransit Service: free curb-to-curb on-campus transportation for persons with temporary or permanent disabilities. Rides can be scheduled online at z.umn.edu/paratransit or by phone at 612-624-8338.

exploring what inspires and excites us the most. Pay attention to those things that stimulate your mind, the ones that you are really passionate about. Trust your instincts and follow that passion and excitement, you never know what opportunities and experiences they may lead you to.

“You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle, or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as possible.”*

It’s so easy to slip into the mindset that there is only one way to do things in this life. You go to school, graduate, get a good job, settle down, work the rest of your life, retire, and call it a successful life. While there is nothing wrong with that trajectory, there are other ways to live life. There is no right or wrong way to live, so do whatever feels right to you. Frankly, do whatever you want. Make your life as you as possible. If that means following the exact path I mentioned earlier, great! If that means doing something completely different, also great! Whatever you do in this life, make sure it’s what you want to be doing, not what you think you should be doing.

If you are interested in hearing more on these quotes, as mentioned previously, the book is “You’re a Badass, How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” by Jen Sincero. There are a ton of other great quotes in the book; I just found these to be particularly insightful and really got me thinking about how I view life in general and how I may be holding myself back from achieving my full potential. I recognize that while we may have the shared situation of being college students, we all lead very unique lives. I hope that you are able to take these quotes and apply them to your life and the many different aspects of it.

*All credit to quotes is given to Jen Sincero as written in her book “You’re a Badass, How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.”