Are you annoyed by inspirational quotes? I know I am.
If you take a look at Facebook, you’ll find your friends’ status updates, some pictures, and… inspirational quotes illustrated with an equally inspirational picture.
Now, I do enjoy the occasional inspirational quote myself. My very favourite ones are about doing less, sleeping more, and drinking wine, even if I don’t drink wine myself. But some of them really rub me the wrong way.
Like, right now, I am sleep deprived and sick with a cold. I am tired. I have 2 hours to myself a day and it just isn’t enough. I have been too busy doing things for others and not busy enough doing things for myself.
Believe me that, at times like this it is not really helpful to read how we should enjoy every moment.
Or that we should be more mindful.
Or that we should learn to love the laundry and cleaning toilets.
Or even that it’s always darkest before the dawn.
Or that happiness is a choice.
All of these make perfect sense when things are good, but when they are bad, I don’t want to hear or read them. Don’t tell me that it’s going to get better. Or to stay strong. Or think positive thoughts and stop complaining. Instead, tell me that your day sucked as well. Let us talk about just how bad our days are. Let us whine and complain until the discussion reaches a level of absurdity so high that it makes us burst out laughing. I want to go to sleep, thinking: “This day sucked big time but that woman, she was hilarious!”.
This is what makes me feel better: the feeling of being understood, not the pressure of being not happy enough, not mindful enough, not positive enough. And inspirational quotes? I don’t have to read them. I don’t need cheesy quotes to tell me how to be happier.
Inspirational quotes won’t help you. Friends, family, a sense of humour and lots of wine (or, in my case, hot chocolate), just might.
Olga Mecking
Olga is a Polish woman living in the Netherlands with her German husband. Olga blogs at The European Mama, but when she’ sleep-deprived, she gets blunt.
http://www.europeanmama.eu
4 Comments
Olga, first let me welcome you to Blunt Moms. Your first guest post is an excellent one. Have you been stalking us? You sound a lot like we do…
I love this post because so many of the inspirational quotation posts just make me feel more like there is some level of maturity or zen I will never reach. When somebody says “turn the other cheek and you will be the better person” I always think “I might be the better person if I do that, but I would feel like a freakin’ rock star if I popped that bitch in the lips instead”.
Alas… you see my dilemma.
Thank you for saying what I couldn’t quite formulate myself.
Your bio KILLS me. LOL.
Thank you, Magnolia! “Level of maturity of zen. Brilliant, I feel the same way, hence this post. There are things people say that I just don’t agree with and such quotes are one of these things. Kyla, that bio is entirely true because if you met me in person, or on my blog, you’d think I am boring! In fact when Lynn asked me to write something, I was afraid you’re oging to eat me alive. But since I had my baby boy I haven’t really slept and then bitter humour is the only thing that keeps me sane. I don’t do well on sleep deprivation!
I understand your point of view about inspirational quotes. In my case I do enjoy them; particularly those that are encouraging us to recognize our innate value, worth, love and value regardless what we are facing in life.
Of course with some many quotes circulating in social media, a percentage of them are not that good