When we say “life is messy” it can almost seem like a cop-out or even an excuse to give up.
If you’ve been told this saying and it makes you feel overwhelmed or demotivated then hang around, as in today’s post we’ll be sharing some of the big-picture ideas behind this saying to understand how it can boost your resilience and help motivate you.
The paragraph below will discuss some of these ideas and the following section will have some curated life is messy quotes for you to enjoy!
Celebrate the Complicated With Life is Messy Quotes
Understanding the big picture or taking a long-term view of things is the essence of what sayings like “life is messy” mean.
Here are some ways we can accept the messy parts of life:
- Embrace imperfection – This allows us to not be paralyzed by expecting ourselves to never make mistakes, which can prevent us from making progress.
- Learn from the challenges – Smooth seas make for poor sailors, when things get messy we develop our coping skills and learn about our characters.
- Focus on what you can control – There are parts of any situation we have more or less influence over, but you always have control over your actions and responses.
- Focus on the Journey, not the Destination – Fixating too much on getting into or getting out of something can make you miserable, take one day at a time.
As human beings, our actions can only achieve so much, and so we have to understand that in the game of life, no one human can call all of the shots. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it’s what allows us to grow and mature.
In many ways, this saying is a good way to remind yourself of the message of the growth mindset – that challenge and struggle are good for us in the long term.
There are lots of situations in life that in some way are going to challenge you, but these challenges don’t come in packages that we can predict – life has a way of teasing out our weaknesses and forcing us to confront them.
So if your life seems messy, it might just be that you’re beginning the phases of a growth period, and without this time you wouldn’t be the person that you’re supposed to become.
31 Best Life is Messy Quotes and Sayings
- “Life is a messy business, and the more we try to control it, the messier it gets.” – Jennifer Brown
- “Life is messy, and you have to embrace the mess before you can clean it up.” – Terri Guillemets
- “Life is messy, but there's beauty in the chaos.” – Rachel Cohn
- “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” – Oliver Goldsmith
- “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
- “Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your life drawing lines or you can live your life crossing them.” – Shonda Rhimes
- “Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.” – Allen Saunders
- “Life is a puzzle. Sometimes you have to fit the pieces together even if they don't go where you planned.” – Unknown
- “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” – Helen Keller
- “Life is a long lesson in humility.” – James M. Barrie
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
- “Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” – Voltaire
- “Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.” – Thomas L. Holdcroft
- “Life is a zoo in a jungle.” – Peter De Vries
- “I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect and beautiful journey of my life.” – Kerry Washington
I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect and beautiful journey of my life.” – Kerry Washington
- “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin
- “I've learned that it's OK to be flawed, that life can be messy, that some days you glide and some days you fall, but most important, that there are no secret answers out there.” – Winona Ryder
- “Life is messy, and the more we try to control it, the more it resists our efforts.” – Tracie Miles
- “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through.” – Anaïs Nin
- “Life is a grand adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
- “Life is a tapestry woven by the decisions we make.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon
- “Life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most importantly, experiences to enjoy.” – Unknown
- “Life is a journey that's measured not in miles or years but in experiences.” – Jimmy Buffett
- “Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.” – Hugh Mackay
Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.” – Hugh Mackay
- “Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” – Rumi
- “Life is a messy business, and sometimes it's okay to embrace the mess.” – Unknown
- “Life is a canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.” – Danny Kaye
- “Life is a mess, but we're all in it together.” – Unknown
- “You are not a mess. You are a feely person in a messy world.” – Glennon Melton
- “Life is a journey that is meant to be embraced to the fullest every day.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Real life is messy, and drama is a shaped version of real life.” – Simon Beaufoy
Final Thoughts on Life is Messy Quotes
While life is messy, this messiness is the part that holds the greatest lessons and has the strongest means to shape our characters to better prepare ourselves for the future.
We can either embrace this and become stronger and wiser, or let ourselves become bogged down and overwhelmed.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 75 Positive Energy Quotes to Attract Good Things in Your Life
- 37 Slow Down Quotes to Enjoy Your Life
- 91 Spiritual Quotes to Awaken and Enrich Your Life
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
