43 One-Liners That Changed People's Lives

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a day ago

Conversations can be powerful. But sometimes, one sentence is all it takes to stick with you forever.
Over on Reddit, people are sharing the one sentence that completely changed their lives, and the responses hit deep. Here are some of the most powerful and perspective-changing one-liners that justtttt might stay with you too.❤️
"Just because you're carrying the weight well, doesn't mean it's not heavy."
"'Wasted thoughts.' It's the theory that, if the thought process brings little to no value, you should abandon it. Obsessing over a past mistake is a great example. If I already know where I went wrong, I am just beating myself up, and force my brain to change subjects. This also applies to fields I have no control over. I was wasting a ton of brain power and time thinking about things I didn't believe I could change. It's now in the 'wasted thoughts' category and I quickly think of anything else when I go down a rabbit hole. Apply this to what you feel is wasted thinking power. Something you think about a lot that has no real value to think about."
"Don't look for healing at the feet of those that broke you."
"'Give the best of me, not the rest of me.' I was having a conversation about showing up as fathers for our kids and being present after a long day at work. I was told something so profound that I'll never forget it. 'When I'm present with my kids after a long day's work, I want to make sure that I give the best of me and not the rest of me.'"
"'You don't have to show up to every fight you're invited to.' I'm naturally a pretty confrontational guy. When I was 15, a mentor of mine told me this. Hardly a week goes by that I don't think of this phrase."
"'The ax doesn't get to decide for the tree what is traumatic' Or 'The ax forgets, but the tree always remembers.'"
"Anything worth doing right is worth half-assing. I was setting savings goals, and failing to have the amount I pre-selected, I simply wouldn't save anything. The same applies to my fitness goals. I don't hit a caloric deficit every day, but that doesn't mean abandon the project and shove cookies in. Every day is a new chance. Same deal at the gym. Maintenance is progress, too. Do what you can."
"The job will never care about you the way you care about the job."
"'What people think about me is none of my business.' I thought about that for a long time and I don't agree in all cases, but most of the time it's pretty spot on."
"You can't put someone on a pedestal without them looking down at you."
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear."
"'Do not attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity or incompetence.' Hanlon's Razor. It completely flips your views of many people and, for some people, life in general. It caused me to be less self-centered, more empathetic, but also more oriented towards problem-solving. If someone is truly malicious, you can't do much about it. However, if they're just dumb, or not currently competent at the task in question, the situation might be fixable. And now you're a lot less likely to have a persecution complex."
"'Never try to hate anybody. Rarely do they care, and you're left doing all the work.'"
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
"When people show you who they are, believe them."
"A day can only last a day. Even the worst days will end."
"You get what you give in this world. My favorite aunt used to tell me that. She helped raise me and was a huge part of my life. It's advice that I always remember and replays in my head a lot."
"There's no reason to settle with where you are if you're not happy where you're at."
"'Never make fun of someone's passion because that's the thing that saves them from the world.'"
"You are not owed good health, you earn it."
"'Wake up every day deciding to be happy.' Told to me by my mom, when my husband died a year after the passing of my dad. They had been so in love, as had my husband and me, and I had asked her how she coped with my dad's loss. I took her advice and most days have given me at least one reason to be happy."
"Being humble doesn't mean downplaying yourself or thinking you can't do things you very well can do."
"My dad said when I left home: 'You are now an adult, don't let anyone treat you as anything less.'"
"'If you always do what you always did; you'll always get what you always got.'"
"'If it could have happened any other way, it would have.' We can't change the lessons and obstacles of life, we can only accept that it happened the way it was supposed to because if it could've been different, it would have been."
"Walk over the mountain, don't carry it."
"'You can't jump in the same river twice.' Things change, and people change. Moment to moment, you will never be the person you were moments ago. Neither will anyone else. Nothing stays the same. The river is always running. If you get back out and jump in again, that's a different river now. And a different you, jumping in."
"'Stop making excuses for people. They know exactly what they're doing.' It changed my life."
"This one is more personal, and came about during an especially tough time as I was raising my kids — my 19-year-old son got himself into serious legal trouble, and it was devastating to me. I felt it reflected badly on my parenting, even though he was an adult (but a very immature one) and made his own choices, which led to this situation. I joined an online support group for people who had loved ones in jail or prison, and someone shared this with me. 'I didn't cause it. I can't change it. I can't cure it.' It's called the '3 C's,' and for people who have loved ones in the grip of addiction and/or in jail/prison, it can be a lifesaver. I was very deep in depression over my son's actions. The "3 C's" helped me remember that even though I raised him, my son was an adult, and was making his own choices — including the really bad ones — and I had no control over those choices, and they weren't my fault."
"If someone wants to walk out of your life, let them go."
"The only people who don't make mistakes are people who don't do anything."
"Never walk into a situation you can't get out of."
"Rest IS productive. It's a chore we have to do like brushing your teeth, showering, or properly feeding yourself so that you can live and be as healthy as possible. You're not going to expect to keep your phone at ten percent battery and open every app and use all of them continuously without running out of juice. So do your chores, take that nap."
"'Let them.' So simple yet so powerful. It gave me the courage and confidence to cut all the toxic people out of my life and feel amazing about it. I feel zero guilt and I feel so much better about myself."
"'You will be old like us one day.' I was bicycling Europe and an older couple on a tour bus called me over. They praised how I was travelling and pointed out that they waited their whole lives to retire and see Europe. And that they were so old, this was their only option, whereas they wished they could see it on a bike like me. I've always not put off today because tomorrow never comes. And even though I was living my life, their words accented my thoughts. They were right, when younger, you can sleep on floors and now it's painful. I'm glad I live my own life and don't follow the norm. Living the life, my life. And I will say don't squander your youth."
"Blood ain't thicker than peace of mind."
"Don't set yourself on fire to keep others warm. I saw it on Reddit and it was like a light bulb went off in my head. It gave me permission to kick a family member out of my house when it wasn't working for me. Normally, I'd just suffer in silence. Not anymore!"
"Don't meet trouble halfway. I used to worry about what ifs. Thinking it was good planning, but I'm reality I was chasing problems that hardly ever happened. I also realized that 'yeah but what if...'Was in fact a controlling method and not supportive."
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
"Don't exactly remember where or the exact words but I apply what I took from it. 'Don't explain yourself. The ones who ask you, don't deserve it and the ones who you want to tell, don't need it."
"I need to love myself. I had no idea it wasn't the norm to constantly talk down to yourself. Being my own cheerleader felt so foreign to me at first. It took about a year for the self positivity inner monologue to actually feel authentic. I literally would stare at gym posters during cardio and they finally clicked. It's simple but if no one else will do it, YOU do it."
"'Don't react, respond.' Basically, don't let emotions fuel how you tackle things like unpleasant confrontations. Take a beat and consciously consider the options before saying or doing anything in response."
These sentences are a great reminder that sometimes the biggest changes in our lives can start from the smallest and simplest of phrases.
Now, let us know: what's a sentence that completely changed your life? Let us know in the comments, or fill out this form to stay anonymous!
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