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October 30, 2005

Worthwhile: Put your favorite quote

I love quotes. I'm constantly running across ones I want to remember. The trouble with quotes though, is that they rarely amount to more than meaningless soundbites. They go in one ear, we nod vigorously in agreement, and then they go out the other.

The quote that got me thinking of this is one I love: 'Be the change you wish to see in the world...' - Gandhi

It's a great quote. And a great idea. But I'd wager for most people its power gets lost at a big picture philosophical level. The real power of that quote comes when we ask ourselves, 'OK, what does that mean to me? More specifically, what does that mean to me today? Right here, right now? What decisions do I need to make day in, day out to actually put the meaning of that quote into action?'

Change of any kind seldom comes as a made-for-Hollywood revolution. It comes from the cumulative impact of our every day choices.

Take a look at that Gandhi quote and ask yourself, 'How do I apply that today? How do I apply that tomorrow?'

Try that with your other pet quotes. How do they actually apply to how you live your life on a daily basis? Look past the quick fix soundbite and start to apply the real meaning in a conscious, rubber-meets-the-road kind of way."

Comments
Fri, Sep 2, 2005, @ 17:57
1- Janet Auty-Carlisle

You’re right Curt without action those quotes are just platitudes.
As to the quote “Be the change you want to see” also my favourite…I make an effort to implement that on a daily basis.
I also carry around a journal that I have pasted quotes onto, on the front, so that if I begin to falter I remind myself to go back and review my motivations behind the action and move on….
Wise man Gandhi….now if only he were in New Orleans now. Sure would be a different scenario wouldn’t it?
Living la vida fearless,
Jan
www.tobeyourbest.net

Sat, Sep 3, 2005, @ 0:07
2- Soni

Two of my favorites give me some guidelines for living -

**The truth will set you free. But first it will piss you off**

This basically tells me that being pissed is a turn signal for impending change or insight. Good to know. :-)

**You can have anything you want in life. You just can’t have everything**

Reminds me of the value of prioritization, conscious choice and the acknowledgement of the reality that enough may be all I get, so I’d better be able to recognize it when it presents itself. Also, good to know.

However, my very favorit-ist quote to date has become nearly a daily mantra. Relatively newly minted, it comes from Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame.

**I reject your reality and substitute my own.**

Yeah, buddy!

Sat, Sep 3, 2005, @ 17:21
3- Kimberly

I’m a service trainer for a grocery store and my favorite qoute is “When I make mistakes is when I really start learning” Carol Burnett.

When my new trainees start getting frustrated and feeling like all they are doing is making mistakes and doing it wrong we take a break and I tell them this qoute. It really helps relieve tension - and they really do learn it better when they make the mistake and then fix it. Me Too !

Sat, Sep 3, 2005, @ 20:49
4- Janet Auty-Carlisle

It’s interesting to see the comments on failing and how relative that is to learning.
I have read a book recently by John C. Maxwell called “Failing Forward.” It is an excellent book and I recommend it to everybody that wants to grow and learn. He includes quotes from famous and infamous people and real life stories as well.
There are many times when “Failing Forward” is an important element of learning and moving on.
Living la vida fearless,
Jan
www.tobeyourbest.net

Sat, Sep 3, 2005, @ 23:17
5- Troy Worman

“Don’t wait for permission to succeed!” This is my quote and my mantra. I know exactly what it means … to me.

Sun, Sep 4, 2005, @ 14:22
6- Jodee Bock

My favorite quote is the Marianne Williamson one that starts with “It’s not our darkness but our light that most frightens us.” The part I’ve really striven to take to heart is the part that says “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

As I live that quote, I can see that I allow others to do that for themselves at whatever level is right for them. It also allows me to be who I am regardless of who does or doesn’t agree. I used to look for external validation all over the place and now I just trust what I KNOW.

Tue, Sep 6, 2005, @ 11:29
7- Ro

A favorite of mine lately….
“If you do not dare, you do not live.”

I have found that if I don’t creep to the edge of my limits, I get so stuck in this paralytic goo that saps creativity and desire and replaces it with sameness.

Posted by shland at October 30, 2005 11:36 AM

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