I have this thing; I like to collect quotes, sayings, and adages. You see, I’m a simple man, and it helps to keep things concise. Small bites aid in digestion. As we wind down yet another calendar year, I thought I might share a few of my favorites with you, and perhaps take a deeper look at why they resonate with me. Who knows, you might even find some value in these tiny snippets of wisdom.
“If it’s out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too.” – Unknown
I see so many people losing their collective minds over the state of the country, or the world for that matter. We fret about global wars, the global economy, and even global weather trends. A common water cooler discussion revolves around the sad reality of giant corporations making obscene profits at the expense of the common folk. It’s kind of like the dinosaurs having a heated discussion about that bright comet as it moved closer and closer to smashing into the earth – argue all you want, extinction is still imminent.
Professional sports is a curious one to get bent out of shape about. I’ve watched people let the outcome of their local sports contest completely ruin their day, not to mention that of those around them. Though I have never let a sporting event outcome affect me to the level of making everyone around me miserable, I have let that sort of thing impact me in a negative way. That was the old me. Not only is the final result out of my hands and yours, it doesn’t affect us one bit, unless, of course, you like to gamble. That’s a whole ‘nother can of worms. Whether your favorite team wins or loses, the end result remains the same – they make a huge deposit to their bank accounts, and we still have to get up the next day and go to work.
This little nugget of wisdom has helped me to keep things in perspective ever since first hearing it. I no longer expend any time or energy worrying about global matters, or what other people do, say, or think. I have zero control over any of those things, so I choose not to dwell on them. Instead, I work on changing the world using the six foot method: focus on the six foot radius around you at any given time. In addition to that, I remind myself of something I tried to teach my daughter early on: The only thing you have control over is how you react and respond to what happens around you.
“We have two lives; the second begins when we realize we only have one.” – Confusius
I can only assume that the majority of folks who find themselves in the later stages of life would react in a similar fashion as I did when I first encountered this particular quote from Confusius – I was stopped dead in my tracks. The earlier stages of life fill us with untold options, countless choices, and seemingly endless opportunities. With so many years ahead of us, we can scarcely fathom the end of the line. And then the day comes when you wake up to the stark realization that, like it or not, that window is closing.
There’s a quip about youth being wasted on the young. We don’t think about that while we’re young, do we? It’s a safe bet that those words have never been uttered by a young person. I also remember an Irish proverb stating that, Wisdom is the comb given to a man after he has lost his hair. Also true beyond a shadow of a doubt. How many times have you entertained the thought, If I only knew then what I know now.
Fortunate is the individual who gains insight and wisdom in their youth. I’d like to tell you that I was one of those fortunate individuals. I’d really like to tell you that, but I cannot. I’m just now starting to see the whole field, as they say in the parlance of football. And even though I have turned 21 years old a total of three times, I’m still just scratching the surface when it comes to mining insight and understanding.
One of my most powerful moments of clarity was inspired by this quote. By the time we open our eyes to the cold truth of this saying, most of us are well beyond our prime years, and find ourselves staring at a rapidly receding level of sand in the hourglass of time. I’ve touched on this subject in a previous entry entitled, What Are You Waiting For?!? Don’t wait for the perfect moment to pursue a dream or passion, make the opportunity fit into your life. My admiration goes out to the self-driven people who live their lives to the fullest, regardless of where they are in life. (Yes, Margie, I’m looking at you.)
“A wise man once said nothing.” – Unknown
A lot has been said about the fact that we have two eyes, and two ears, but only one mouth. The math makes sense – watch and listen twice as much as you speak. I have had trouble with this equation in my past, and occasionally still do, though I have to say, I’ve gotten much better at choosing which hill I’m willing to die on.
Just about every person has an opinion on just about every subject. We’re free to entertain these opinions, and for the most part, speak them aloud. But just because we have the right to, doesn’t mean that it’s right to. Like most things, there’s a time and a place. Am I saying that you should keep quiet and go about your business when you encounter an unsatisfactory situation? No, not at all. Just ask yourself if what you have to say will further the cause, or cause more trouble and division. Speaking your mind, or putting in your two cents, doesn’t always help. In fact, it often fuels the flames of discord.
To some, it may seem like an act of weakness, but it takes a certain amount of strength to walk away from a fruitless discussion. The tricky part is knowing when your thoughts and opinions will be welcomed and thoroughly considered, as opposed to being received as fightin’ words. Again, carefully choosing which hill you’re willing to die on goes a long way, unless you like arguing about things you can’t change with people who are unwilling to budge in their stance. You have a right to your opinion, and a right to voice it, but sometimes, you can say a lot more with silence.
I hope you find a bit of wisdom in these three quotes; I know I have. And I will continue to keep my eyes and ears open for more helpful little nuggets of wisdom. If you have any favorite quotes, sayings, or adages, I would love for you to share them with me.
A friend who was very Zen often said about problems: "Can you control it? Then do so. Is it out of your control? Then don't worry about it."
Nice. Gives one plenty to think about. Mine is from Eleanor Roosevelt: Do something every day that scares you.