Jul 27, 2011

Inspirational Quotes

WHAT I AM READING: The Lost Continent (again!) Bill Bryson
WHAT I AM LISTENING TO: Mozart
WHAT IS MAKING ME SMILE: Reunions coming up at the conference

I was standing beside the microwave at work last week and there, pinned to the wall was a small piece of paper. On it was written
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding about ourselves" Carl Jung.

As I waited for the two minute ting of the microwave, I rapidly re-interpreted the day’s annoyances. Go Carl – a timely bit of self-awareness.

I love inspirational quotes. The one that struck a chord and first got me writing was "If you aim for the stars, you might get to the top of the tree. If you aim for the top of the tree, you might never get off the ground".

The absence of promises, of unrealistic expectations was liberating, as was the kick to the pants to just get going.

Sometimes, it’s the mental picture that helps. When facing a daunting task, I remember one friend who would always say, “How do you eat an elephant? One mouthful at a time.”

Or there’s “A ship in the harbour is safe. But that is not what ships are built for.”

Sometimes it’s nifty wordplay. “The difference between theory and practice is not much in theory but an awful lot in practice.”

Which segues nicely into “Experience is knowledge. Everything else is just information.”

I like quotes which are uplifting but realistic. "Happiness is not getting what you want but wanting what you have".

A good quote never dates which is why Desiderata is timeless. Every line is quotable but it provides some of the best exit lines.

"With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy".

Please share a favourite quote and why it speaks particularly to you.

7 comments:

  1. Zana, and I thought I had lots of quotes on hand. You've put up some great ones.
    I have the following two on my wall in the office:
    "Nothing can replace persistence."

    And my all time favourite: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

    Sue MacKay

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  2. Great inspiration for a Wednesday morning, Zana!

    One of my favourite quotes is from the Dalai Lama:
    "The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be."

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  3. Nice quotes Zana. THere are soooo many great ones out there, including these love quotes:

    "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."
    ~George Sand~


    "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
    ~Lao Tzu~

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  4. Here's an oldie but a goodie...
    "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
    - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

    And anotherie...
    "Show me a woman who doesn't feel guilty and I'll show you a man."
    - Erica Jong (1942-)

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  5. I love inspirational quotes, Zana, and you have some fabulous ones here.

    I always found this one a useful spur: "If you wait for inspiration, you're not a writer, but a waiter."
    - anonymous

    This is one of my favourite love quotes: : "Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold."
    - Zelda Fitzgerald

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  6. Love these quotes, Zana! I've never seen most of them before. Particularly like the aim for the stars one, and the ship in the harbour one!

    I like "The world is a book and those who don't travel see only one page" by Saint Augustine. I still have lots of pages to go!!

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  7. Zana - I LOVE these quotes, they're all so awesome. Right now I'm on deadline and have brain spazz... the only one coming to mind is:
    I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

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