“We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.”
Without adjusting the sails on a sailboat, the boat would go wherever the wind takes it. So to get where it needs to go, the sails likely need to be adjusted from time to time–not the wind. Similarly, in life, there are some things we just cannot change. Like the wind. However, we try so hard to change them. But we can either let those things direct our life, or we can put up and adjust our sails. This anonymous quote reminds us to recognize the things we cannot change. Instead of exhausting our energy trying to direct those winds, we can focus on the things we do have control…
“Take time to recharge your batteries. It’s hard to see where you’re going when your lights are dim”
Imagine you’re trecking through a long, deep, and dark cave with only a flashlight to guide you through. The flashlight begins to grow dim from overuse. Suddenly, the way forward becomes more difficult, more strained, and nearly impossible. Without stopping to recharge or replace the batteries in your flashlight, you won’t see enough to know where you’re going. You might get lost, go backward, or get stuck. This quote, by Robert H. Connelly, reminds us that we need to recharge our batteries in life. We need to make sure we are getting sufficient rest. When our lights are dim, physically and mentally, we’re more prone to getting lost, going backward,…
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“Just when you feel you have no time to relax, know that this is the moment you most need to make time to relax.”
“When thinking about life, remember this: no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future.”
Home Deprivation: Why We Should All Ask Ourselves ‘What Is Home?’
“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
This quote, by Morris West, is about always anticipating the worst. But always having a mindset that something’s about to go wrong is like always “waiting for the storm.” In the meantime, we don’t enjoy the sunshine now. So when there is no storm and things are good, let’s not waste the sunshine worrying that something bad is about to happen. In doing so, the things that should make us happy now are either ignored or overshadowed with worry. Let’s do our best to enjoy the sunshine when it comes. And when there is a storm, let’s learn to “dance in the rain.”
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“It might have been done before, but it hasn’t been done by you.”
“Someday, somehow, this will all make sense.”
“Understand: you are one of a kind. Your character traits are a kind of chemical mix that will never be repeated in history. There are ideas unique to you, a specific rhythm and perspective that are your strengths, not your weaknesses. You must not be afraid of your uniqueness.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
This quote is from Matthew 6 verse 34. It’s part of a longer passage about worry that begins at verse 25. In the longer passage, it talks about worrying about acquiring material possessions such as food and shelter. It compares our worry about these things to birds, who also need these things to survive but are much more carefree. However, they manage to acquire these necessities each day. Their creator, God, knows what they need and makes sure those things are provided to them. Yes, we’re not birds, we’re humans. And unlike the birds, we have bills to pay and various financial constraints and obligations, especially in today’s world. But…
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
This quote, from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, reminds us to breath easy when there are more questions than answers. Some seasons in life are full of questions; and that’s natural. For example, what are we going to do with our life or exactly how are we going to accomplish our goals? What ever our questions, it’s reassuring to know that some seasons in life are just uncertain–full of questions. Meanwhile, other seasons are full of answers. During those that give us answers, we’re more self-assured, know exactly what we want to do, and feel like we’re one-hundred percent on the right track. If you’re in…
This Too Shall Pass
“This Too Shall Pass” is an adage that is both universal and timeless. So much so that it’s somewhat uncertain when and where it comes from. It has appeared in various forms and translations throughout different cultures and centuries. It has appeared in Jewish folklore about the bible’s King Solomon as well as in 13th-century Persian literature (among other origins). The main idea in the saying is that nothing in the human condition lasts forever. Anything that happens, good or bad, will one day pass. This can be both humbling and consoling. When life feels arduous or your situation feels unbearable, it is rather consoling to know that “this too…
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“Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.”
“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”
“God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.”
Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid of standing still.
It’s easy to get disappointed that we haven’t achieved our goals fast enough. Or perhaps, we’re so overwhelmed by what it’ll take to get there that we don’t start or we don’t continue. But there’s a famous saying that goes: “Slow and steady wins the race.” Well, what’s even slower than slow is not moving at all–standing still. In which case, there’s no chance of ever crossing the finish line. So, it’s better to move slowly than not at all; and this Japanese proverb is about the value in progress, however big or small.
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.
This quote, by Charles Spurgeon, is a great reminder that the time we spend worrying about tomorrow doesn’t really do anything to make tomorrow any better. Instead, it robs us of our strength and enjoyment of today. It robs us of our joy, passion, and motivation; making us more prone to fatigue, procrastination, and even depression. So, instead of ruining today by worrying about tomorrow, seek to find hope. But more importantly, seek to find faith, in which hope can be firmly grounded. Read The Serenity Prayer.
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“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”
“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Living Life Poetically: The Unexplained
In life, there are a lot of questions. Often, there are more questions than answers. That’s completely normal. There are questions with answers you can lookup. Then, there are scientific questions you can look up but with limited or no answer. Meanwhile, there are questions you have to ask others. For example, the secret ingredient in a family recipe or where you left your keys. But there’s another category of questions we’re missing in this list. These are questions we consciously or subconsciously ask ourselves. They sometimes start out with words like: “Will I ever…? What if I never…? Or, will this ever…?” These questions represent our doubts. Life can…
Keep it Simple
Keeping things simple sounds like something that would be simple to do. But not quite. We’re more inclined to overcomplicate our lives. For instance, we jampack our schedules, ending up with little personal time. Or, we overcomplicate what we eat, following restrictive diets with a laundry list of guidelines. We may even overcomplicate our relationships. There’s this perception that the more faceted, elaborate, or belabored things are, the better. However, not necessarily. There’s definitely a point where things get overcomplicated, causing us even greater distress. So, we should always be mindful of our overcomplications–remembering that we can do ourselves a big favor by just keeping things simple.
