You can do it! and other Inspirational Sayings | Lisa Scottoline

Did you get your Inspirational Saying today?

If you're on social media, you know what I mean.

Everybody has at least one friend who posts Inspirational Sayings.

If you don't know somebody who posts them, maybe that person is you.

Either way, you've come to the right place.

Because here's my Inspirational Saying for you.

Keep up the good work!

Hang in there, baby!

When you're going through hell, keep going!

When the going gets tough … well, you get the idea.

I've become one of those people who loves Inspirational Sayings.

Yes, they're trite.

Yes, you've heard them before.

And, yes, they all deliver the same basic message, which is:

"You can do it!"

But do I have a problem with that?

Absolutely not.

Evidently, I'm getting older, but I'm not getting wiser.

Because while other people roll their eyes at the Inspirational Sayings, I'm taking notes.

I read every one, giving it the thoughtful consideration of no one ever.

Can I do it?

Really?

I want the Inspirational Sayings to tell me the same thing over and over, and I will believe it, every thirty seconds.

You can probably get the same reassurance from therapy, but I did that for 10 years of my life and I'm totally cured.

Which is why I think Facebook is deep.

Most of the Inspirational Sayings are anonymous, but some are from genuinely smart people, like this one from Dr. Seuss:  "Why fit in when you were born to STAND OUT?"

That's a good one.

But you'd expect nothing less from Dr. Seuss.

He's a doctor, after all.

And, by the way, the capitals are in the original quote, not from me.

I would've put the whole thing in capitals.

That's how I am.

Sam.

And how about this one, from Einstein: "Strive not to be a success, but to be of value."

You can't argue with that.

Who's smarter than Einstein?

Not me.

And not you, either.

Plus, I'm a sucker for a good Bible quote. How about, from Proverbs: "If you are too lazy to plow, don't expect a harvest."

Damn right.

That's what I say to myself when I should be writing but instead I'm wasting time reading Inspirational Sayings on social media.

Lisa, that harvest isn't going to plow itself.

Or that plow isn't going to harvest itself.

Or whatever.

And because I follow a lot of yoga accounts, I usually see Inspirational Sayings by the Buddha, like this one: "The mind is everything. What you think, you become."

Right?

Another truth bomb from a religion I don't follow.

The Buddha is good for so many Inspirational Sayings, I might convert.

Well, first I need a religion to convert from, but once I get one, watch out.

I'll be thinking all over the place.

Thinking and becoming.

And becoming whatever I think.

I'm going to start thinking I'm thin.

And see what happens.

Although that didn't seem to work for the Buddha.

Have you seen him lately?

Dude needs to pick up a plow.

I also love the Inspirational Sayings that are edgy, like this one: "Some people come in your life as blessings. Others come in as lessons."

Oh, snap.

But isn't that right?

I wish someone had told me that when I was young, but the internet wasn't invented yet.

So it's not my fault I'm divorced twice.

And how about: "Don't trust appearances. Even salt looks like sugar."

Whoa.

Mind blown.

But some of the Inspirational Sayings are just plain propaganda. Like Audrey Hepburn said, "Happy girls are the prettiest."

The first time I saw that post, I actually read, "Pretty girls are the happiest."

LOL.

I'm so happy!

I mean, pretty!

But my favorite Inspirational Sayings are the ones that appeal to people who make mistakes, second-guess themselves, and beat themselves up over what they did wrong.

Just a hypothetical, obviously.

And today I saw one like that, which said: "Grow through what you go through."

You have to admit that's catchy.

It gets you to stop thinking about the mistake and start thinking about the lesson.

That's why I have one all-time favorite Inspirational Saying: "Your last mistake is your best teacher."

See, it's OK to make mistakes.

You're just hiring teachers.

And everybody likes teachers.

I've made so many mistakes, I can staff a school system.

But I have to admit, not all Inspirational Sayings do it for me.

Like I saw one by Rumi, who said, "What you seek is seeking you."

I'm not sure what that means, but it's scary.

I don't know who Rumi is.

And I'm not sure I want to.

Unless he's talking about Bradley Cooper.

In which case, I'm inspired.

Look for Lisa and Francesca's new humor collection, "I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool," and Lisa's new Rosato & DiNunzio novel, "Exposed," in stores now. lisa@scottoline.com.