Why do we love inspirational quotes?

Why do you think people love inspirational quotes so much? Does reading a quote really change how you think or motivate you to take action? Why do some many business owners  use inspirational quotes as part of their social media marketing?

I know I love reading them and enjoy the beautiful background images but do they stay with me throughout the day? Some of them do and some of them linger for longer than a day. But most of the time I wonder why there are so many of them floating around on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as well as hundreds of thousands of websites.

I think social media has had a huge impact on the use of inspirational quotes. Using this type of content is often touted as an easy way to create shareable content, so we all started sharing them.  As we all know, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Is their a quote on this page that you are inspired to share?

Inspiration is an interesting topic for me. I find inspiration for my business and my life in a variety of different places but what I am most interested in is finding those bits of inspiration that help me get into action when I am feeling stuck.

The Definition of Inspiration

In fact, here is the official dictionary definition of inspiration:

“the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”

Hmmm, perhaps the reason we love inspirational quotes is for that rush of mental stimulation in an otherwise normal day or a day where we long for a quick mental shift from one emotional state to another.

I do know that the most memorable quotes for me personally are the ones that stay with me, that make me want to do something, to say something important or create something new.

What makes an inspirational quote memorable or sharable for you?

How to use inspirational quotes

Here are some fun, creative suggestions for how to use inspirational quotes as part of your personal practice offline. While I am a big fan of Facebook, Pinterest and other social media sites, I am a bigger fan of journaling, meditaiton and creative expression. So I want to encourage you to take your inspirational quotes offline:

1. Use your favorite quote or one of the quotes from this post as a journaling prompt.

2. Use an inspirational quote as a mantra during meditation.

3. Use an inspirational quote as part of a magazine collage, painting or other work of art.

4. Write your favorite quotes on index cards and post them where you can see them.

5. Memorize an inspirational quote and share it with others verbally!

Have a favorite inspirational quote, share it below in the comments.