I've long been a fan of inspirational quotes, especially the ones that make me want to be a better version of myself. Still, I guess that's a lot of what inspirational quotes are about, right? I think Johann Wolfgang von Goethe had the right idea when he said:
~~Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
Says it all, really. And this one, also from von Goethe, which I feel really speaks to core values and being true to those in whatever you do. :
~~Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
Some others that I love:
~~A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the brance but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself. -- Unknown
~~One day your heart will stop beating, and none of your fears will matter. What will matter is how you lived. -- Henri Junttila
~~Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. -- Corrie Ten Boom
~~You can't live a positive life with a negative mind. -- Unknown
And perhaps more pertinent to the tragedy that bombards us in the news every day:~~Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace. -- Dalai Lama
What about you? Do you have a favourite quote or verse
that drives you through the day? Or maybe you have a bunch of them? C'mon and share the inspiration!
Romance writer Sandra Hyatt wrote on her first blog: "I searched for a quote (that I read in a greeting card once) before posting this, but can’t find it. Basically, it said, we can’t wait for fine weather, we must learn to sail stormy seas. So, I’m trying to learn. Walking, cups of tea (or glasses of wine), and making lists are all things that help me ‘sail’ when the weather is stormy. But I’m always on the lookout for tips if you’ve got any good ones?"
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find the above quote on the Internet, so I wrote her my own poem in its place in July 2009, and she emailed me that she had posted it on her wall for inspiration. I thought I'd include it, bittersweet though it is (as she died of an AVM while attending an Auckland conference in 2011), here for you:
Life is quite the luxury,
So enjoy it while you can.
Read lots of books like I do
And become an author's fan.
Some days we have fine weather
When we read beneath the trees,
But then we have the others
Where we sail the stormy seas.
The trick is to take good and bad days
And treat them just the same.
It all comes down to your attitude -
You have no one but yourself to blame.
Sandra emailed me in Dec 2010 to say: "I saw this quote today "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it’s about learning how to dance in the rain."
- Unknown, which made me think of you because my first ever blog post with Shelly Munro was about learning to sail stormy seas, and you wrote me that amazing poem because I couldn’t find the original quote. This still isn’t it…but it did remind me :)"
Pretty sweet woman. I still miss her. (I've never met her, but she would be one author I would have travelled hundreds of miles to meet, hands down....)
Thanks for sharing that with us, Laney4. Sandra was a good friend and is sadly missed. Whenever I feel like it's all too hard I remind myself that she would have kept going, so I keep going too. Hugs.
DeleteOh Laney - what a wonderful exchange with Sandra. Her death was such a shocking tragedy.
DeleteLaney, how lovely, if bittersweet. Your poem is still inspiring.
DeleteYvonne, I have always been a fan and collector of inspirational quotes, and there are a few pinned to the board on the wall of my office.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite - No one can stop you if you don't stop yourself. - Mai Chen.
It's so true. Then again many quotes are.
I love that, Sue. Must add that to my notebook of inspirations. Thank you! :-)
DeleteI love inspirational quotes, Yvonne. The one I use the most for writing is: If it was easy, everyone would do it - this one usually keeps me going when things get tough!
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent quote, Jen. I must add that to my book, too!
DeleteToo many tears this week, but such an outpouring of love. And Sandra...bless her.
ReplyDeleteI love reading positive quotes, but can never remember them...except the dancing in the rain one. But you've already used that. I found this today:
Live simply. Dream Big. Be grateful. Give love. Laugh lots. xxx
Gorgeous, Louisa! *reaches for quote notebook and pen* :-)
DeleteSo my husband has pinned what he thinks should be the motivating quote for his procrastinator wife. The Nike one. "Just do it."
ReplyDeleteHe's right, of course!
Just like a guy. Don't waste words to get the message across, hmm? :-) But he's right. It's something I tell myself often, however the procrastination gene is strong in me!
DeleteHi Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteLove that variety of quotes. I'm afraid I tend not to hold quotes in my head for inspiration, but I do have a note from the lovely and talented Helen Bianchin pinned to the noticeboard beside my desk. It reminds me when the going gets tough that I CAN write a good story! :) More broadly, I think my fave quote, and the one I find a challenge, is about treating people as I'd want to be treated. Sometimes that one's tough.
Yeah, you're right, that is a tough one but I guess if you can live by it you can rise above and get through pretty much anything, right?
DeleteI love inspirational and inspiring quotes. Too tired to remember I hold on to at the moment, but I'm sure I will eventually.
ReplyDeleteVery bittersweet to read Laney4's comment. I never had an opportunity to meet Sandra myself either but she was so lovely to deal with via email on the occasions I dealt with her.
I'm guessing that many of the authors on Lovecats would have met known her during the journey to publication.
Hi Lyn, it's lovely to see your memory of Sandra too. She was a lovely person through and through and, yes, I'm sure she had bad days but she always had that very special brand of Sandra-humour that was so clever and so much fun.
DeleteThanks for sharing the great quotes, Yvonne. The one from the Dalai Lama is particularly apt for these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteAnd Laney, I love the poem you wrote for Sandra. Beautiful
I got an email with some little bits of wisdom the other day and there was a rather lovely one from Winnie the Pooh -
"What day is it?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favourite day," said Pooh.
- a reminder to live in the present and enjoy this moment, this day.
Every time I see that on Facebook, Sharon, it makes me smile.
DeleteI've read all your comments. Thank you. Beautiful to read others' stories re Sandra Hyatt....
ReplyDeleteReally appreciate all the words of motivation. Especially liked, "Just do it," simply because it's easy to remember.
Speaking of which, I'm going to Just Do It and get an albatross off my neck right now.
Have a nice day, ladies!
You, too! Good luck shedding the albatross!
DeleteHi Yvonne
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely quotes I do enjoy reading them when I see them but for the life of me I never remember them there are so many great ones out there I usually stick to one my Mum always told us as we were growing up Treat other people as you would want to be treated :)
Have Fun
Helen
That's always a good one, isn't it, Helen? I keep a hardcover notebook for my favourite quotes and I write them down when I see them. Although, I'm a bit sad to discover this morning that I seem to have mislaid my favourite fountain pen with which I write them down. I guess that's a message to tidy up my office, hmm?
DeleteI love your inspirational quotes, Yvonne. I have a snippet from the poet, Hafiz, tacked to my computer screen:
ReplyDeleteEver since Happiness heard your name,
It has been running through the streets
Trying to find you.
I love this so much. :-)
Oh, that's lovely, Michelle. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteGreat quotes, Yvonne! I love having those little words of wisdom to keep us grounded.
ReplyDeleteOne that resonates a lot with me is:
“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” - Anais Nin
I love this because it reminds me to be conscious of the fact that my view is not the only view but it also inspired me with my writing because it forces me to get deeper into a character's head and make sure I'm being authentic to their voice not just to my own.
Yes, grounded, that's it exactly. I love the Anais Nin quote, too. Thanks!
Delete