Table 1.

Categories of motivational quotes for addressing low self-esteem.

Quote type	Description	Example
Choice	Presents the option of acting to change one's present state or maintaining the status quo, preserving the individual's sense of agency and control over steps taken to improve wellbeing	“The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.”—Sharon Salzberg “Instead of begging to be picked by others, you have the choice to pick yourself and build your brand.”—Bernard Kelvin Clive
Self-directed question	Poses a question to the individual that stimulates introspection and self-examination which in turn may promote insight into the self and the causes behind diminished wellbeing	“Why should we worry about what others think of us, do we have more confidence in their opinions than we do our own?”—Brigham Young “What would it be like to look in the mirror and actually accept what you see? Not loathe the reflection, or despite it, or be resigned to it? But to like it?”—Justina Chen
Cause-and-effect	Outlines the positive effects that may result from particular thoughts or actions, preserving the individual's sense of agency by only providing information rather than ordering action	“Once you start making the effort to ‘wake yourself up'—that is, be more mindful in your activities—you suddenly start appreciating life a lot more.”—Robert Biswas-Diener “We build confidence by daring to step outside our comfort zone in small increments.”—Sam Owen
Imperative/command	Provides direction and explicit commands for the individual to follow in order to improve wellbeing, potentially limiting personal agency but also providing valuable guidance	“Look within, and seek That.”—Jalaluddin Rumi “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”—Napoleon Hill
Empowerment/“You”	Addresses the individual directly with positive, affirming statements meant to empower and increase self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence, etc.	“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”—Siddhartha Gautama “Stop trying to ‘fix' yourself; you're NOT broken! You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure.”—Steve Maraboli
Experience of others/“I”	Offers the opinion or first-person account of someone else, providing the individual with someone to relate to or an example of how others deal with diminished wellbeing or difficulties	“Why am I trying to be somebody? I am somebody.”—Eric Christopher Jackson “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”—Edward Everett Hale
Reality check	Disrupts the perception of a perfect world, highlighting life's negative aspects and showing the individual that it is natural to face pain and difficulties, emphasizing that others also share these experiences	“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”—Carl G. Jung “No one has it all, and no one lacks it all.”—Christopher Peterson
General statement	Discusses general concepts or situations in life, often in an observational manner, so as to guide cognitions, mindsets, or perspectives of the world to be more positive, thus promoting wellbeing without imposing on the individual	“Surrendering is not giving up—it is gaining strength.”—Grace Sara “Every person on this earth is full of great possibilities that can be realized through imagination, effort, and perseverance.”—Scott Barry Kaufman

A more extensive list of motivational quotes organized by category can be found in the supplementary material under Datasheet 1.