Anxiety affects countless people all over the. Of course, many people shared the quotes that have helped them put their worries aside and live life with a bit more presence.

You Have a Choice

" 'Let go or be dragged' and old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things"

-- Reagan99

Can't Please 'Em All

" 'You might be the sweetest peach on the tree, but some people just don't like peaches.' "

"This helped me get over my lifelong desire to be liked by everyone, and allowed me to focus on becoming someone I actually liked."

-- sansaspark

The Humor Inside Anxiety

" 'I've had a lot of worries in my life. Most of which never happened.' "- Mark Twain.

"Found it on a workbook for anxiety disorders."

-- Metoposaurus

Others have used quotes to help themselves persevere through both specific challenges as well as the long, winding experience of life as a whole.

Either way, some quotes to refresh perspective can provide the perfect push.

A New Kind of Courage

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' '-Maryann Radmacher"

"I came across this a long time ago, at a point in life that I really needed this lesson. It's okay if I feel sad and resigned, if my depression beat me for today and I wasn't able to function. I didn't fail, I'm not weak, I will try again tomorrow."

-- IAmTheAsteroid

Just Go For It

"Dear Abby's response to a writer thinking of going back to school but worried that she will be 40 by the time she got her degree -"

" How old will you be in four years if you don't get your degree? You are going to be 40 anyway with or without your degree.'"

"It reminded me that letting age stop me from my plans was just silly. Also, working at a community college and seeing so many people going back to school in their 30s, 40s, 50s and thriving, the quote really spoke to me."

-- Coconut-bird

First Things First

" 'The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.' - Terry Pratchett"

"I'm not sure why this quote struck me so hard, but it completely changed the way I approach writing. Just get your ideas down in run-on sentences and asides to yourself and loads of [???] at parts you haven't figured out yet. It took me more than 30 years to realize that a first draft isn't just a rough version of the final draft. It's a map for yourself, and no one else."

-- lavendercapybara

Finally, so many people are out here walking around carrying extra weight. It's just too hard to live a long life without picking things up along the way and clinging to them, as toxic as they are.

But some folks offered advice on letting it all go.

Self-Destruction

"Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die" -- ocbbelife

" 'When seeking revenge dig two graves.' - Confucius" -- Cain_Soren

"All the negative emotions, regardless of whether or not they're meant for someone else, sit inside us. Let them go, not because the others deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace." -- TheLordOfFriendZone

You Don't Have to Hold It All

" 'That mountain you've been carrying, you were only suppose to climb' "

"Really helped me overcome a lot of traumatic experiences and difficult chapters in my life. I hope it helps someone else out there."

-- youssless

Prioritizing

" 'When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.' - C. S. Lewis" -- nolo_me

"Goddamn this resonates. Take being serious a little less seriously and you'll find life is a lot more interesting." -- Crackgnome

Paradoxical Barriers

" 'And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.' --John Steinbeck, East of Eden" -- Zuikis9

"The first time I read these words, I wept. Most of my life I'd enjoyed praise from my family, friends, and colleagues for being 'outstanding' even as many of them relished in reminding me what a perfectionist I was. Not only did Steinbeck give me permission to seek something other than perfection, he gave my a nobler aim to center my efforts around."

"Around the same time I encountered a Latin phrase that means 'To be rather than to seem to be.' Turns out it's a whole lot harder to pretend to be good (while not actually being the thing) than it is to pretend to be perfect. And, thankfully, it's a lot more difficult to convince yourself into believing an untruth about yourself when you can't even convince other people of it."

"I'm neither perfect nor good, but I know which one I'd rather be." -- Lex_Orandi

Here's hoping at least one--and ideally, more--of these quotes offered you some new perspective to get throughout whatever challenges you're facing these days.

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