Do you love quotes? You are cordially invited to participate in the iCan Quote Contest!

Please see below for more information.*

What words have inspired you? What are your go-to quotes when you need a lifeline? There is a fire hose of words coming at us every second, and more words on the devices in our hands than we can consume in many lifetimes. After an intense week on social media, I feel like I am in a room where everybody is talking too loudly, directly at me. And everybody is saying exactly the same thing! I want to clap my hands over my ears, run out the door, and find that deliberate space in the woods. You probably do too. When words are in such abundance, it is more important than ever to harness words that empower, strengthen, and focus our lives. That is why we are focusing this entire holiday season on favorite quotes–pithy words that we can recall in times when we need them most.

Even the Bible teaches us that our words have great power. In the book of James, our words are likened to a small spark that can start a forest fire raging, or like a rudder that steers a massive ship. They can be used either for bad or good. If you belong to the human race, chances are you carry a few wounds from words seared into your heart like a hot branding iron. Oh yes, we understand that power! Other words, fitly spoken, and like apples of gold in pictures of silver, can completely change the course of our lives, cauterize the wound, catalyze, and convert us. Such were the words of Ms. Humpke, my 5th-grade teacher. She patted the arm of this overmuch serious student and said, “You need to learn to enjoy little things.” I have not forgotten these words to this day, and my life has been daily so much the richer for it. The right words delivered at the right time are indeed the most powerful asset in the world.

Why do we love quotes so  much?  What do quotes do for us?

They express things in our hearts that we can not find the right words to say ourselves. They focus us on the right things. They anchor us when we are indecisive. They ground us when we are unsure of the path. They bolster our confidence. They speak encouragement into our hearts. They give us strength. They shape us. They are valuable currency that we can share with another person. They are a way to preserve a little bit of the heart of great people from the past. Words can start wars, yes, but they can also stop them.

Sometimes the very quote that has inspired you can also give strength to the person sitting next to you. *From now till mid-December, you are invited to share your favorite quotation on our FaceBook page in our iCan Quote Contest. Quotes chosen by popular vote will be designed into custom art. By posting your favorite quote, you may win two subscriptions to iCan, one for you and one to encourage a friend.  Please see complete details here.

iCan. Because Success Comes in Cans, not Can’ts. 

Here’s one of our favorite quotes: