Quotes From "Smile Anyway" By Richelle E. Goodrich

No one is without troubles, without personal hardships and genuine challenges.  That fact may not be obvious because most people don't advertise their woes and heartaches.  But nobody, not even the purest heart, escapes life without suffering battle scars. Richelle E. Goodrich

Never give up. It's like breathing–once you quit, your flame dies letting total darkness extinguish every last gasp of hope. You can't do that. You must continue taking in even the shallowest of breaths, continue putting forth even the smallest of efforts to sustain your dreams. Don't ever, ever, ever give up. Richelle E. Goodrich

Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action....no matter what.  So you're afraid? Be afraid.  Be scared silly to the point you're trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway! Richelle E. Goodrich

Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret. Richelle E. Goodrich

I don't so much mind looking back on having lost the election, or having been denied a role in the play, or having had my novel repeatedly rejected, or having been turned down for a date, or recalling laughter at my expense when I attempted some silly challenge.  Those things simply prove that I lived life.  What I do mind, however, is looking back on the lost opportunities where imagined concerns kept me from even trying–lose or win.  I've learned that there is no regret in a brave attempt, only in cowering to fear. . Richelle E. Goodrich

I'm not saying that I think one man is better than the other. I'm not saying that either is kinder or wiser or more ambitious, more thoughtful, confident, or able. But the fact is that when I'm with the one, comfort settles into my bones. I feel calm around him, as if the sun is smiling down on me and the world has suddenly become a sweet, safe place to be. I feel good about life―about myself. And it's hard not to want to be near someone who, just by their very nature, makes you feel that way. Richelle E. Goodrich

Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action.....no matter what. So you're afraid? Be afraid. Be scared silly to the point you're trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway! Richelle E. Goodrich

Even the smallest tender mercy can bring peace when recognized and appreciated. Richelle E. Goodrich

Though I may accumulate a great deal of riches in this world, it is only my wealth of knowledge, talents, and emotional bonds that I keep when I leave. Richelle E. Goodrich

To love is to accept a soul entirely, not wishing that the person was otherwise, nor hoping for change, nor clinging to some ideal past. To love is to cherish the individual standing before you presently―charms, quirks, and all. To love is to give someone a piece of your heart that you will never, ever reclaim. Richelle E. Goodrich

Laughing in the face of danger doesn't negate the fear, it simply enables you to smile at it. Richelle E. Goodrich

Our greatest duty to our children is to love them first.  Secondly, it is to teach them.  Not to frighten, force, or intimidate our children into submission, but to effectively teach them so that they have the knowledge and tools to govern themselves. Richelle E. Goodrich

A mother is a child's first looking glass into the world. Richelle E. Goodrich

A society built upon a foundation of vengeance is a society doomed to destroy itself. Richelle E. Goodrich

When you devalue ethics and morals by proclaiming that our attitude toward them should be casual or lenient, you can't be surprised by a rising generation who then behaves disrespectfully, treating life, people, and choices as if they possess little value or worth.  For whether or not that was the intention, society has taught them to believe thusly. Richelle E. Goodrich

There is strength in numbers, yes, but even more so in collective good will. For those endeavors are supported by mighty forces unseen. Richelle E. Goodrich

Life has moments that feel as if the sun has blackened to tar and the entire world turned to ice.  It feels as if Hades and his vile demons have risen from the depths of Tartarus solely for the purpose of banding to personally torture you, and that their genuine intent of mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish is tearing you to shreds.  Your heart weighs as heavily as leaden legs which you would drag yourself forward with if not for the quicksand that pulls you down inch by inch, paralyzing your will and threatening oblivion.  And all the while fire and brimstone pour from the sky, pelting only you.  Truly, that is what it feels like. But that feeling is a trial that won't last forever.  Never give up. . Richelle E. Goodrich

Live your day and live it well. It's yours whether you want it or not. Richelle E. Goodrich

If you feel like a nearly-drowned rat that’s been dragged through the mud, all twisted up inside your mother’s borrowed, prized quilt, having been tossed about by gale force winds that managed to entangle you in barbed wire one-thousand miles from your goal in the middle of a hot, barren nowhere void of any basic necessities―then congratulations! You’re no observer but an actual participant in the game of life! Stand up and keep living. Richelle E. Goodrich

I don't believe that the course of anyone's lifetime has ever been as unerring as that of the rising and setting sun, but I know many lives that have been just as inspiring. Richelle E. Goodrich

The power behind living a dream lies in either believing it's a dream or knowing it's not. Richelle E. Goodrich

Life demands much. Give more. Richelle E. Goodrich

Every brush stroke on the canvas, every dab of color introduced, the fine textures impressed in the paint–this accumulation of many small acts combines to shape a final work of art.  And so it is with life; each step, each deed, each brief choice builds gradually, day by day, to shape both character and destiny. Richelle E. Goodrich

Some build their castles 'mid thunderbolts and fireworks. My worlds take shape in silence. Richelle E. Goodrich

Artistry exists in everyone. What makes it blossom is a soul's personal desire to find an outlet for expression. Richelle E. Goodrich

No matter how hard they try, they'll never create anything so perfectly beautiful as what plays out in my own imagination. Richelle E. Goodrich

Hope is a fire more ravenous than the flames of temptation.  For if only a portion of it poisons your veins, it is enough to make you stand against ridiculous odds again and again and again. Richelle E. Goodrich

Chameleonesque, hobbitish, unicorned, stompled, selfishism, and unwakeable may not be real words, but you do know what they mean. Richelle E. Goodrich

Rain is a lullaby heard through a thick, isolating blanket of clouds. It is the tinkling harp of water droplets; a moist breath whistling through willow reeds; a pattering beat background to the mourner's melody. Rain is a soft song of compassion for the brokenhearted. Richelle E. Goodrich

Moisture falls from the sky, cleansing the world and sustaining precious life. But it's the gloom–the cold, dark air–that receives notice. We fail to see the miracle of raindrops through our own tears. Richelle E. Goodrich

As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom. Richelle E. Goodrich

It's a sweet thing to sit quietly in the early-morning darkness and talk to God for a while. It's amazing what you gain from the conversation. Richelle E. Goodrich

Dear God, I hurt. Please hold me. Amen Richelle E. Goodrich

Prayer:  The act of falling to your knees in pleading fashion, seeking help from a greater power than all else to have failed you previously. Richelle E. Goodrich

Prayer, faith, and vision, plus real effort too. Blend them together for one potent brew. The magical spell to your dreams coming true. Richelle E. Goodrich

Is anything truly impossible? Or is it that the path to our goals appears too unclear to follow? It seems to me that if you seek hard enough, pray hard enough, you usually stumble across a scattering of breadcrumbs that marks the trail leading to the goal you once considered beyond your reach. Richelle E. Goodrich

I'm starting to think this world is just a place for us to learn that we need each other more than we want to admit. Richelle E. Goodrich

I believe the main purpose of life is to accept with gratitude what you've been blessed with so that you may use those gifts to mold yourself into the best person you can possibly be. Learning to discern things of true value from those of little or no worth is part of the process. Richelle E. Goodrich

The moment a person feels he has nothing left to learn is the moment life prepares to hit him hard enough to correct such ignorance. Richelle E. Goodrich