3 Pieces of Wisdom From the Most Quoted Author on Goodreads

”The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.”

Every now and then, you run across a person whose words open windows in your spirit and make you change your whole perspective on life.

C. Joybell C. is one of those people.

I came upon her when I searched for a quote for an article I was writing. The quote that caught my attention was:

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.”

Something about that quote spoke to me deeply.

“Throw yourself.”

For a woman who has let fear control her life, I suddenly felt inspired to believe in new horizons, free myself from my self-imposed prison, and just “leap.”

I was so enthralled with her words that I googled her. I found out that her words touched millions the way they had touched mine. In fact, I learned C. Joybell. C is the most quoted author on Goodreads.

And when you read her work, you’ll see for yourself how her words can change your life.

That said, here are three of my favorite quotes and the incredible lessons they’ve taught me. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

Quote One:

“We have to allow ourselves to be loved by the people who really love us, the people who really matter. Too much of the time, we are blinded by our own pursuits of people to love us, people that don’t even matter, while all that time we waste and the people who do love us have to stand on the sidewalk and watch us beg in the streets! It’s time to put an end to this. It’s time for us to let ourselves be loved.”

Let’s face it. Most of us don’t feel like we’re enough. As a matter of fact, most of us have felt that way for a long, long time. We’re longing for validation, and unfortunately, we’re looking in all the wrong places.

We search for self-worth in poisonous ways. We look for it in lovers who mistreat us, thinking if we work hard enough, we can prove we’re worthy of their love. We look for it in the numbers of followers we have on social media, even though their follows are often manipulation tactics to increase their own following. We post pictures and achievements on Facebook, hoping our friends and even strangers will tell us how smart, beautiful, or talented we are.

All this time and effort poured into people who really don’t give a damn about us.

Now, think of the minutes we waste doing these things, conjuring up the right images and words so toxic lovers, two-faced friends, and strangers will suddenly see us as deserving.

Meanwhile, there are people who think we’re beautiful just the way we are. People who will always be there even when the rest of the world turns their back. People who would even sacrifice their lives because they love us so much.

These people don’t make us work to gain their love. And listen to me:

We should never have to work to be loved. Let’s hear that again. We should never have to work to be loved.

So let see ourselves the way these people do. Let’s allow ourselves to see the magic they see in us. And, As C. Joybell C. says:

“It’s time for us to let ourselves be loved.”

Quote Two:

“People think I am strong. I am not strong. There is a difference between a strong person and a stubborn person who just won’t put her sword down. I am the latter. Again and again and again… pick the sword up, pick the sword up, pick the sword up…”

Life isn’t about how strong or loud or powerful we are. It’s about the choices we make.

For example, do we continue to put time into a relationship or marriage that’s rocky? Do we put away our dreams and accept our current position in life? Do we choose to forgive the people who’ve hurt us and let them back in? Do we refuse to apologize to the people we’ve hurt and keep them locked out?

The truth is there are certain things in life worth fighting for — no matter the low odds of success or the amount of pain we’ll experience in the process.

So figure out which things deserve the fight. Then decide to wage war.

The things that aren’t deserving of your time or energy? Let them go so you can focus on the things that do.

And if you want something so badly you can taste it, don’t stop fighting.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Not until you decide maybe it isn’t worth fighting for after all.

Your sword may be rusty, but it still works. So don’t let it go to waste when it comes to the things that really matter.

Quote Three:

“Can I bring my bowl of cherries to feast on while I stand here in the gutter?” That’s the essence of life. Can you still put on your rose-colored glasses while your eyes are filled with tears, and see everything in rosy colors? That’s the strength that fuels a true life. Can you think to bring your little box of chocolates with you while you sit on the tube running under the streets of London? Because you should. Because even if you don’t know anybody, and you don’t know what’s gonna happen next, you should have your box of chocolates with you. You should eat your bowl of cherries. And that is what life is.”

Sometimes I think we all live in the gutter — in a world where invisible sickness threatens us at every turn and anger and venom are everywhere we look.

But this gutter we stand in doesn’t stop time. Even though we’re covered in mud, one day of our life is passing, a life where we don’t know if we have another second, minute, or decade to keep breathing. And instead of smiling at the roses in our garden, we focus on the weeds. We chose to breathe in the misery of our world instead of the beauty of it.

Time is not promised to us; it is a toy that can be taken away at any moment. So while we have this gift called life, let’s have fun with it. Let’s live like there’s no tomorrow. Let’s pull out the china and candles we only use on Christmas and use them today. Let’s live and love and laugh and be grateful. Let’s look at the stars, bask in the sunlight, and honor the air we’re breathing by recognizing the treasures in front of us and vowing to make the most of them.

And even if we find ourselves standing in the dark in the pouring rain, let’s carry the stars and sun and joy we’ve had with us. Let’s use them to remind us that, as chaotic as life may be, we have blessings beyond belief.

The Bottom Line:

C. Joybell C. is a young woman with the insight of a sage. Read her quotes. Find yourself in them. Find the questions you need to ask to be whole. Find the answers to questions about who you are, why you’re here, and what real joy requires.

You’ll be glad you read, and you’ll be changed.

So give her a read and let me know what you think. See if she touches your soul or teaches you a lesson.

I’m betting my teacher’s salary (not much, I know) that you will.

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Note: All quotes used can be found at goodreads.com.