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Life-Changing Quotes 

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the father of the Indian nation. He is the most revered Indian freedom fighter. He used the non-violence method to liberate India from British rule. He is not only known in India for his simplicity, truth, kindness, humanity, and life-changing ideas but also all over the world. His ideas about life are inspirations even in today's world. Here, we will explain the 10 most popular quotes of M.G.Gandhi in layman and simple language. 

"Be the change you want to see in others"

Be the change you want to see in others.

What does it mean? Well, we know that no society is perfect and it needs changes from time to time. It needs to adopt positive values and discard negative ones.

 

Humans as social beings learn from other humans and bring progressive changes in their behavior by observing other people. Their choices are also influenced by peer pressure.

If there is any evil in your society and you want to get rid of that then you first need to keep away yourself from that evil and then only you can expect from others to change.

So, if you set an example and become a role model then other people will follow you and in this way, if a large number of people become the agents of change then the evil can be eradicated.

 

We do complain about other people and criticize them about certain behavior, action, and pattern. But the point to note here is that we do treat people in the same way we are being treated by others.

We need to bring positive change in our attitude thinking and actions. We also need to raise voice against injustice in a peaceful manner.

Gandhiji rightly said that you need to take action against evils and become an agent of change. 

"Earth has enough for everyone's needs but not everyone's greed"

Earth has enough for everyone's needs but not everyone's greed.

This statement means that the Earth has enough capacity and resources to sustain and support every human's needs but not sufficient for uncontrolled and unlimited expectations and greed of everyone.

 

The greedy people don't have a limitation on their expectations and needs, they always tend to have more than what is required for simple living or satisfying life. This kind of person will never get satisfied and this type of behavior leads to exploitation and wastage of natural resources. 

Given that the Earth has limited carrying capacity, too much exploitation will lead to man-made and natural hazards.

 

In the contemporary era, we are already witnessing global warming, extreme climatic conditions, sea-level rise, submergence of coastal lands, the encroachment of productive land by saline water, extinction of many biotic species, unexpected droughts and floods, increase in climatic refugees, etc.

On the other hand, the greediness breaks the cohesive society by infusing unhealthy competition, jealousy, and hatred among people. This may lead to social chaos, problems. and unrest.

Therefore, sustainable, ecological, and inclusive development is the need of the hour.

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission"

Nobody can hurt me without my permission.

Is it really true? Well, up to a great extent this line of Gandhiji seems to be true but this is not everyone's cup of tea. You need to be more emotionally intelligent. If you are able to develop that skill to control your emotions and mind then nobody can cause pain or hurt you so easily.

 

Sometimes we get hurt due to our own failures, weaknesses, and by other people's deliberate intentions. You can always face challenges, failures, and criticism with hope and a positive mindset.

 

Nothing is permanent in life neither happiness nor sadness. They come in cycles so having a positive attitude gives us the strength to fight back in life and live happily.

We should not allow or give permission to other people to rule our minds. In day to day life, there are many unpleasing events or happenings which really do not need our attention and can simply be ignored to protect our inner peace.

 

We should keep patience and increase tolerance level. We need to be determined that negative thoughts will not find any place in our hearts and mind.

Our peace and happiness also depend on how we react or respond to the outside world. Therefore, if you can master emotional intelligence then nobody can hurt you without your permission! 

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever"   

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.  

This quote of Gandhi is most inspirational and powerful which can change our life, perspective, and the way we live. We forget to live in the present by thinking more about the past and future.

 

Why we should think about the past? Those moments have gone and will never return. We cannot go back and fix them. These should not create anxiety and sadness. Learn the lessons from past experiences and failures. Forget bad memories and move on with a positive outlook.

We are living in the era of rate race and in this madness, we forget to live the fullest and enjoy the present moment. In this rate race, we are not able to spend quality time with our family members and friends.

 

Life’s aim should be to love people more rather than things. But in reality, the man started loving things more and is using people more like things.

 

We expect that first, everything should be perfect then later we will live happily. This perspective about life should be changed. Even if everything is not perfect in your life now, there are many reasons to feel good and enjoy the present life. We should always be grateful for whatever we have in our hands at the present time. By practicing gratitude we can reduce anxiety, sadness, and live every day with happiness.

Gandhi Ji rightly said, live as if you were to die tomorrow, assume that there is no tomorrow for you and therefore don’t postpone life.

 

If we're given only one day then you will forget hatred, anxiety, and other unimportant things and you will do whatever you wanted to do in your life. Don’t dwell in the past and don’t worry about the future just focus on living fully in the present.

A wise man never stops learning; even if he is 99 years old he looks for new ideas, learning, and knowledge. The human body is mortal and will perish with our last breathe but the learning and knowledge of a man will be used by so many generations and will continue to inspire them for new discoveries.

 

This is how human civilization advances bypassing the treasure of knowledge from one generation to the next generation. The current generation inherits the knowledge and learns, adds new knowledge, and passes to the next one.

 

Although we have limited life and will die one day, this thinking of dying should not stop us to try new ideas and methods. The learning does not only help in our personal growth and prosperity but also helps in building the treasure which we pass to the next generation. That is why Mahatma Gandhi said that learn as you will live forever.

 

The objective of life should be, to use your full talent and potential for the benefit of the world. But many people hesitate to try new ideas just because of the opinions of others.

 

Do your dreams depend on the opinions of others? Open your mind and learn whatever you wanted to. What other people will think should not be a roadblock in your learning.

 

God has given life to live fully and learn throughout it. We should be happy with whatever resources we have now. We should live current life fully while keeping an eye on new learning and ideas for our better future and prosperity of the world.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. is well known all over the world for the civil rights movement in the United States of America (USA) during the 1950s and 1960s. He advocated and used the non-violence method for ending inequality among races. 

His speech "I have a dream" of 1963 is not only famous in the USA but is inspirational for the whole world. He preached the methods of non-violence and love for the protests. At the same time, he encouraged people for faith and hope.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase"

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

It is a very encouraging and confidence-building quote by Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Faith is like taking the first step even if you are not able to see the clear path or whole staircase. You will find the rest of the steps or actions during your journey.

 

As you will advance towards the goal, you will find the next milestones and the ways to achieve them.   

 

This quote encourages people who are not able to see a clear picture or roadmap of their journey. Begin your mission in the hope that as journey advances you will come to know about the rest of the things.

 

If you believe in your capabilities and have faith then you have already taken the first step towards your success.

You have to overcome the fear of failures and trust your journey. You need to take the first step in the hope that there is a complete path to your journey, dreams, and goals.

 

There is no need to know all the answers in advance. So, faith enhances the strength and boosts our morale and willingness to do difficult tasks.

Even if we are in the middle of our journey, we cannot sail through it without faith and hope. We cannot remain committed and determined without it.

 

Therefore, we should take each step with the faith that there is always the next step.

Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.

Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.

Hate is a negative value and very harmful for whom you hate and as well as for you. It will disturb your peace and growth too.

 

We all come from different backgrounds and have different thinking, opinions, societal norms, etc.

 

We as individuals feel that other persons should also follow the norms which we are following, they should treat us like the way we are treating them.

 

Once people don’t meet our expectations we start developing a feeling of hatred against them. And over time the hatred can become more intensive which can result in violence too.

So the consequences of hate and bitterness are very harmful and dangerous not only for the current generation but also for future generations.

 

Children learn from the surrounding atmosphere. If they are raised in an environment where there is hatred against a particular group then this feeling of hatred will also affect their growth and development. It is poisonous emotion and we should take precautionary measures against it. 

By seeing the dangerous impacts of hate on humankind, Dr. King rightly said that let no man pull you so low as to hate him.

 

So it will be good if we can stop and avoid hatred and spread the love.

But how can we avoid it? If injustice is being done to you then raise your concern with peaceful methods and maintain dignity and discipline while protesting.

 

Don’t respond with hate and bitterness to your opponents. Let your opponents know that you are fighting against evil not them. Don’t let hate and bitterness overpower your mind. Spread the love to reduce the bitterness.

Sometimes we see clashes between different sects, communities, and groups due to the rigid and different socio-religious structure.

 

People should respect the feelings, lifestyles, norms of others, and follow the method of peaceful coexistence. We should also try to understand the point of view of others before coming to any conclusion.

We can reduce bitterness against someone if we look back on what he has done for us. We should also not ignore their positive contribution to our life.

 

The positive aspects of others can change your mindset and perspective. With the passing of time, the circumstances will change and hence anger will also go away.

  

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. suggested the method of non-violence to fight injustice. According to him, the hatred in return of hate and anger will result in more bitterness and violence. We should also practice forgiveness and tolerance. Love has the capacity to infuse the feeling of compassion and empathy.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

This is really a very motivational line for people who are struggling in their life. We don’t see stars in the day; we see them in the dark nights.

 

Sometimes life gets so difficult and we lose all hope to survive but somehow we find something (stars) to live happily again.

 

So life teaches us and we need to go through the darkness in order to realize the beauty of life.

 

If you are going through hell then keep going but don’t stop the hard work, you will come with flying colors.

If you feel discouraged and hopeless then think of your family and friends, they are the real stars of your life.

 

Spend time with them, you will feel better and forget the bad memories.

 

They can bring positive energy within you and drain out negative thoughts.

Sorrow and happiness are part of our life. According to Buddhist teaching, we should follow the middle path of life.

 

We should not worry too much if we are going through a bad time. The good time will come, nothing is permanent.

Therefore what Dr.King is saying is that without hardships and challenges we cannot grow and become strong. We should learn something useful when we are facing problems. Life teaches lessons so that we can get useful insights and apply them to become strong and wise human being.

It is said that there is no success without any struggle. We need to face problems with courage in order to get the fruits. The overcoming of small challenges makes us strong to face the bigger ones.

Nobody can teach us life, it is the life that teaches us and prepares for future tasks. In the darkness, we should look for our stars because they exist. There are many reasons to become happy again.  

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