Learn to protect your heart, but love hard.
By Emily Ratay — Written on Jan 18, 2018
You never realize how important your home is to you until you’ve grown up and gone on to bigger and better things. You might not even leave your hometown, but when looking back on all the work you’ve accomplished, it's easy to realize that where you grew up made at least a small impact — whether it was a positive experience or a negative one.
For writer and Instagram poet Liz Newman, this is definitely true.
Growing up in a small town in Ohio might not seem like a big influence, but for her, home is important to who she is. And while she may not write about the Buckeye State, it’s still a part of her identity that she isn’t going to let go of any time soon.
Liz has always been drawn to words — be it poetry, song lyrics, or poems — and because of her love of words, she was able to fuel her passion for writing through places like her Instagram, Facebook, and now through her newly released book, Hope Between Heartbeats.
It also helped that she loved writing short stories and poems of her own when she was younger, which, as someone who started her own writing career later in life, I find inspiring in itself.
Just like home, the things you see and write and do every day can really have an impact on your future, whether you know it yet or not.
And Liz is the perfect example of that.
Reading (naturally) helped her fall in love with writing and words too, which would in turn be the start of a long-lived love affair. And as any writer knows, love affairs with words are so much more satisfying than love affairs with people (well, sometimes).
My point is, I feel like I understand where Liz is coming from; words are beautiful and inspiring and, like love affairs, they can pull you in and hook you for a long time.
Since she started writing, Liz has wanted to connect with and comfort people through her words, just like she’s connected with and been comforted by others growing up — most notably the authors and musicians that inspired her to start writing in the first place.
Of course, like any writer, she still deals with challenges, and ones that I’m familiar with, too.
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The biggest challenge seems to be turning an introvert into someone unafraid of sharing. Sure, there’s a sense of privacy for writers at first, but you can’t hide behind your words forever.
But Liz isn’t a quitter just because she isn’t a huge fan of putting herself out there. For her, every day is an exercise in pushing the limits of her comfort zone.
In fact, it’s turned into a way for her to bond and network with a talented writing community — and even broaden her horizons.
Liz finds most of her inspiration from the world around her.
And to write about the world, you need to get your hands dirty and experience it; heartache and emotional challenges and all (something Liz is no stranger to).
But even when it hurts, life is very inspiring. She’s also inspired by those in her life – especially when she sees them fighting for their dreams.
It helps keep her focused on her own dreams and never give up. Her poetry is powerful.
It’s all about protecting your heart, not being sorry for loving hard, and remembering to save some love for yourself along the way.
Most importantly, it’s about feeding your soul with positivity and happiness, and always anticipating all the love that is to come in the future. When you read Liz’s poems, you realize that love never stops and neither does she.
Look below for 25 of our favorite poems and best love quotes found on her Instagram.
1. On remembering that you’re worth the fight, too.
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“You don’t have to stop fighting for others. You just have to remember to fight for yourself, too.” — Liz Newman
2. On letting your heart heal on its own time.
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“Your heart has always been willing to bleed, to ache, to humble itself for love, and when you’ve had enough, your heart will be the last to let go.” — Liz Newman
3. On making an impression on the universe.
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“What a way to be remembered, what a legacy to behold, if you and I became stars, created our very own constellation in the night sky. To glimmer and astound, to illuminate the Earth, long after we are gone, with our love story spelled out in star dust. Burning brightly together, until we slowly fade out into the universe, you and me, and the galaxy.” — Liz Newman
4. On never underestimating your power.
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“You have the power to overcome. You have the power to persist. You have the power to be hurting and scared and broken while still courageously pressing onward.” — Liz Newman
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5. On believing in your worth.
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“We can feel damaged and sad and mad and know that it doesn’t make us any less worthy than when we didn’t feel that way.” — Liz Newman
6. On loving unconditionally.
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“Her legacy was that she loved with all she had, whether you deserved it or not.” — Liz Newman
7. On finding a love that understands you completely.
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“Find a love that listens even when you’re not saying anything, that knows the infinite ways you express yourself in silence, and can interpret the quiet as though you’re screaming to be heard.” — Liz Newman
8. On not forgetting yourself in love.
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“You’ve been looking for someone else while losing yourself along the way.” — Liz Newman
9. On seeing the good in everyone.
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“Give people the benefit of the doubt, over and over again, and do the same for yourself. Believe that you’re trying and that they’re trying. See the good in others, so it brings out the best in you.” — Liz Newman
10. On putting yourself first.
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“She was always the first to love, first to encourage, first to forgive for everyone but herself.” — Liz Newman
11. On waiting for love.
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“You’re looking for real love in a ‘right now’ culture. And many people might mistake you for a ‘right now’ person. But don’t let that fool you. You deserve the real love, the forever love. It might not be ‘right now,’ but it’ll be the right love. And, it’ll be worth the wait.” — Liz Newman
12. On giving yourself the love you deserve.
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“Sometimes, we break our own hearts by not giving ourselves the love that we’ve been looking for from others.” — Liz Newman
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13. On wanting to be loved for being you.
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“I want a love that doesn’t scare easily. That can see my scars, my demons, my pain, and still see me.” — Liz Newman
14. On connecting with others’ souls.
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“It’s taking the contents of your heart and pouring it over empty pages, in hopes that it might fill another’s soul. It’s saying, ‘This is me,’ in the most open and vulnerable way, in hopes that it makes others feel a little less alone.” — Liz Newman
15. On healing at your own pace.
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“Everyone heals differently. You never have to feel bad for having your own process.” — Liz Newman
16. On walking confidently into the future.
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"You’re not going to find the future you want if you’re stuck in the webs of your past mistakes. Shake them off, clear your head, and soar uninhibited to a new chapter.” — Liz Newman
17. On embracing the person you are.
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"She stopped trying to tame herself and embraced the wild within her heart.” — Liz Newman
18. On how strong your heart really is.
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"How brave that our hearts find a way to continue beating even while they’re breaking.” — Liz Newman
19. On protecting your heart.
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"Protect your heart from thoughtless people who have no regard for the damage they cause. For they are reckless in their pursuit and hasty in their retreat, taking only what they wanted and leaving you to deal with the aftermath.” — Liz Newman
20. On being stronger than your fears.
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"I found that the sounds of my fears were finally silenced by the power of my own voice.” — Liz Newman
21. On waiting for the one who sets your soul on fire.
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"Wait for the one with integrity, the one who loves your body, but is enamored with your soul.” — Liz Newman
22. On defending your heart.
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"There’s a warmth within her heart and a fire behind her eyes. A glimmer in her smile and a spark in her soul. She’s an inferno, so don’t underestimate her. She has the power to defend or to destroy, depending on your intentions with her heart.” — Liz Newman
23. On forgiveness and healing.
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"Forgiving is the easy part. It’s the healing that comes next that always takes the most time.” — Liz Newman
24. On healing a shattered heart.
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"Shattered hearts, shards of glass, scattered in my soul. Broken spirits, painful thoughts, strewn across the floor. It’s an awful mess, but the pieces once made me whole. So perhaps in spite of the wreckage, they’ll be able to once more.” — Liz Newman
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25. On cleansing your soul.
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"Something about the rainfall and the way it makes the Earth new once again… nurturing, cleansing, gives me hope that the storm within may do the same for my soul.” — Liz Newman
If you're searching for the best quotes and memes to share with the people you love (or just want to feel inspired yourself) ... look no further! From the sweetest love quotes, inspirational sayings, and hilarious friendship truths, we've got you covered.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a book in the future.
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