"The only way out is through" is my favorite writing mantra - and life mantra. It implies that bravery and inner strength are always needed in the face of doubt. You may not make it to the other side, but you certainly won't get anywhere by staying frozen in one spot. Also, it pops up in movies all the time, like when characters are pinned down in an action/adventure or war movie and have to punch a hole through enemy forces to dig physically deeper into the world (like the race through the air ducts in the third act of Aliens) before they can extricate themselves. Anything that does triple duty - writing, characters, and life - is well worth remembering.

my favorite writing quote is something that you got from one of your students and posted here for all of us:

"on the sands of hesitation, lay the bones of countless millions, who at the dawn of victory, sat down to wait, and waiting – died."

i have that posted over my desk. every day is a struggle to get out of the sands of hesitation, but once done, it is a great feeling.

"...unfulfilled potential looming over you like a ghost."

It's fear of this that compells me to keep going no matter what.

I like a quote I read from an advertising copywriter. Early in his career he had asked one of the top senior writers in the agency for his advice -- basically, how did you get so good.

Naturally the writer was expecting some deep insight from this senior writer. Instead the senior said "write faster."

Write faster.

The faster you write, the more you iterate and the quicker you get to something good.