Tuesday, May 19, 2009

share your favorite quote

I just opened Jane Savoie's little book, A Winning Attitude, to a random page for one of her tips on jump-starting attitude.

It said, "seek sources of inspiration."

So that's what I'm doing. Looking for quotes that inspire.

One of my favorite quotes is this:

Of the five elements, none is always predominant; of the four seasons, none lasts forever; of the days, some are long and some short, and the moon waxes and wanes.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

10 comments:

ponymaid said...

Let's see, "Things are bad and getting worse". Oh wait, that's more donkey pragmatic than inspirational..."Something will turn up..."Mr. Micawber. "Jeeves, I don't care for your tone..."Bertie Wooster. "Four legs good, two legs bad." Napolean the Pig, 1984.

billie said...

LOL, Sheaffer. Does that first quote have anything to do, perchance, with a certain distinguished donkey getting a haircut right before his big party?

Although I have to say, my husband cut his face on Saturday and had to go to the ER, Cody was acting very weird that same day and had me worrying all evening, the lawn mower went completely kaput on Sunday, and now the tire on the wheelbarrow I use for mucking is flat.

It is actually CHILLY here the past few days and all I want to do right now is curl up on the sofa and watch my MacLeod's Daughters DVD that came in the mail.

What a week.

Molly and ME! said...

This I find very motivational:
"Do today what others won't, so you can do tomorrow what others can't"
-Anonymous

also
"Action is the antidote to sorrow."
-Anonymous

Maddy

billie said...

Maddy, thank you - both very good quotes. I like the idea of action right now.

Anonymous said...

Love the Art of War.

"Failure is the path of least persistance."

I found it in a fortune cookie not long after moving to VT.

Wendy

billie said...

Wendy, I LOVE that fortune cookie quote!

I forgot to note that last week we had Chinese take-out for the first time in a long while. I have this "thing" about fortune cookie fortunes, and my laptop on the inside is covered with them, like a bulletin board.

I'm not using the laptop these days, so when I saw the pile of fortune cookies on our dining table, I was eager to pick one and open it up.

Imagine my delight when my cookie had not one but TWO fortunes:

You are talented in many ways.

Good news will be brought to you by mail.

I don't think I've ever gotten a double fortune before, and that was just the thing I needed that evening to perk me up.

I should add that what lies behind this blog post, and my needing perking up is simply this - it's MAY.

May is always a weird month for me. I always feel like there is too much "noise" and my ability to filter shifts. I get restless. I want big action.

And I usually forget this from one May to the next, until suddenly it hits me again. It's MAY. This will all pass whether I sit here or act.

montanasmama said...

You are responsible forever for what you tame.

The Little Prince

billie said...

Oh, I love that one too, from The Little Prince...

Grey Horse Matters said...

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Not exactly a quote but a line from the Robert Frost poem.

Along the same line of thought:
Don't follow where the path may lead ...go where there is no path & leave a trail

I've always sort of lived by these ideas and it has made a huge difference.

billie said...

Arlene, I love many of Robert Frost's poems and the passage you quoted is one of my favorites too.

It's especially nice to read today, so thank you for sharing it, and the quote, which expresses a similar sentiment!