“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
This quote is from the book, Meditations, by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Meditations contains a series of notes and ideas by Aurelius to himself–a kind of personal journal. There is evidence to believe Aurelius suffered from chronic pain and poor appetite (symptoms of a possible ulcer). It was so bad that many were concerned for his health. Knowing this context, we might have more appreciation for his words about waking up each morning with gratitude for simply being alive with the ability to think, enjoy, and love. It’s not always easy to do so, especially when we’re suffering from pain–be it physical or emotional. But perhaps, with gratitude, the…
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
To truly apply this quote by Mahatma Gandhi, you first have to reflect on what it means for a person to live as if they were to die tomorrow and what it means for them to learn as if they were to live forever. Unfortunately, many people switch the words “tomorrow” and “forever”. As a result, they do the exact opposite of this quote. They live as if they were to live forever (not appreciating each day) and learn as if they were to die tomorrow (finding no need to learn anything new). However, this quote is about not taking a single day for granted and living life to the…
Living Life Poetically: 2020
2020 has definitely been a challenging year for many of us. Through it, we may have felt pain, sadness, loss, and loneliness in a way we’ve never felt before. But coming to this moment with the year at a close means we somehow managed to push through it all. We may have discovered new ways to cope; and we may have realized we’re stronger than we expected–especially with the support of each other. Perhaps we take less for granted. Perhaps we discovered an appreciation for the little things. The poem, “2020”, is a reflection on a year that has been horrendous. But with time, we may find the silver lining…
“The secret of happiness, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
Gratitude and contentment are two things that create a solid foundation for happiness. That’s what this quote, by Socrates, is all about. When we’re grateful and content, we’re able to enjoy what we have now. And while we pursue our goals for the future, we do so already with a foundation of happiness. Therefore, our happiness isn’t necessarily a result of having more. It’s the result of an unshakeable mindset and ability to enjoy the little things.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
This quote, by Melody Beattie, reminds us of all the things a sense of gratitude can bring. All these things ultimately bring us clarity and peace of mind. Besides turning what we have into enough and more, gratitude turns denial into acceptance. When things don’t go as planned, being grateful for what we still have and anything we learned in the process makes it easier to accept and not be in denial of what happened. By finding the positives in our past, we come to realize that things do happen for a reason. Life’s confusion and chaos can become a bit clearer. And when we apply the same sense of…
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
So often, we feel grateful but either forget to express our gratitude or don’t think it’s all that important or necessary. This quote, by William Arthur Ward, is about not keeping our gratitude to ourself. If we have something we’re thankful to someone for, we should tell them. As illustrated by this quote, not doing so is like wrapping a present but never presenting it to its intended receiver. However, that person cannot read our mind. So they would never know what their action(s) meant to us without us letting them know. Letting them know–showing gratitude–is a priceless gift we all have to give.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
When you think about it, everything can be considered a miracle. For example, the sun rising and setting, the seasons, the weather, our anatomy, and even the way our organs operate. Not to mention, the perfect symbiosis in our ecosystems, animal migrations, a butterfly’s metamorphosis, and plant life. From the perfect timing of how planets spin and revolve in the solar system to our heart beat, it’s all quite miraculous. Moreover, everything that happens is affected by these things. So in a sense, everything (everyday) is a miracle–a divine miracle. This quote, by Albert Einstein, reminds us that we can live life as if everything is a miracle or as…
“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.”
This quote, by the writer and poet Elizabeth Bibesco (née Asquith), reminds us to give selflessly and receive gratefully. To give without remembering means giving without expectation of anything in return. It means to give without keeping a record or feeling you’re owed something. In fact, it’s giving and forgetting. That’s not easy to do. Meanwhile, to take without forgetting means remembering all the things and people who’ve given to you. It means not taking them for granted and paying it forward some way, some how.
“It might have been done before, but it hasn’t been done by you.”
There is so much excitement when a baby takes their first step. Yes, countless others have done it before. But that doesn’t make an infant’s first step any less exciting. It’s easy for us to remember and celebrate major “first time” moments like this. Other ones might be our first day of school, first time on an airplane, or first job. The list goes on. But there are so many other “first” moments in life that go unnoticed. They slide under the radar with no thought or recognition. This quote, by Elizabeth Gilbert, brings up an interesting reflection: We are literally making history within our very own personal life story…
“There is no such thing as a ‘self-made’ man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”
This quote, by the American historian George Burton Adams, is reminiscent of another quote probably half a century later by George Shinn. Besides sharing the same first name, both men had a similar train of thought. According to Shinn, “There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” However, Adams had elaborated on this statement during his lifetime. In his quote, we can appreciate the reason why there’s no such thing as a self-made man or woman. Basically, we are who we are through a combination of nature and nurture. When we’re our true authentic selves, we show our…
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“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before.”
“Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there’s a big disappointment, we don’t know if that’s the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure.”
