Words Of Wisdom: Which Quotes Inspire You?

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." That's one of my favorites, and it comes from the thoughtful (not to mention hilarious) George Carlin.

For years, I've been collecting great quotes. They're words to live by. And they're invaluable to a speechwriter like me. As Mary Pettibone Poole put it, "The next best thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is."

The lines we like reveal so much about us. What we value, and where our curiosity, loves, and work have taken us.

Here's one that's been with me forever. "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

And another that comes from my exploration of Buddhism. "With unfailing kindness, your life always presents what you need to learn." --Charlotte Joko Beck

This one has made me cry more than once. "Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." --Wendell Berry

And one that appears on my website because it describes what I do with my clients. "The best way to predict the future is to create it." --Peter Drucker

Now that I'm at midlife, I've grown partial to a new group of memorable lines. Billie Burke said, "Age doesn't matter unless you're a cheese." And Earth Kitt added, "I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." Henry Miller really hit the nail on the head with this thought, "Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with splendid treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself."

Sometimes I make quotes up and include them in my email signature, just to see if people are paying attention. This one got lots of responses. "A day without a cookie is like a life without thought." --Camus

And, being an autodidact, this thought is especially pleasing. "If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?" --T.H. Huxley

Like the collections of rocks on window ledges around my home, I'm not always sure where a quote came from. I look at it, and treasure it, and enjoy it anew.

Like this one from my namesake.
Interviewer: To what do you attribute your longevity?
Chef Julia Child: Red meat and gin.

Some of them make me laugh knowingly.
"There cannot be a crisis this week. My schedule is already full." --Henry Kissinger

And others get overexposed - like this one from Margaret Mead - but I love them just the same. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

And then there's this one that I like to trot out with new clients (and wonder if they immediately begin second guessing the decision to hire me!). "It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous." --Robert Benchley

This one's not a quotation in the classic sense, but a great example of an advertising copywriter who really got into the mind of the Apple consumer. "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

The Apple ad seems to me to describe New Radicals rather well. What's a New Radical? Someone who has discovered that how we earn our living can become the way we give back. That the skills we acquired in our careers can be put to work on the world's greatest challenges. (For more, please see archived articles.)

What about you? What words of wisdom have guided your life? What little snips of things are pinned up above your desk, or attached to your fridge door? Or what memorable phrases have been passed along to you by your parents? A mentor? What have you passed along to your children -- and what great lines have they come up with? Please share your favorites with us by commenting below. As always, feel free to email me directly at [e-mail].

Julia Moulden's new book is We Are The New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World. Visit the New Radicals She also writes speeches for the world's most visionary leaders. Visit her website at www.juliamoulden.com. At 53, she's madly in love with life. And you can quote her on that!

Comments

[RyanFreed]

Great Post! All very inspirational quotes. The apple ad truly does describe the new radicals. Apple is such an innovative company. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, has a quote, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." I will be checking out your new book.

I have recently posted a chapter on my website Introduction to expressions, http://www.emergingtiro.com/?p=325. I post what we at Emerging Tiro call a "Link Fest" following one of our chapters that features great articles from various other blogs and website. I will be paraphrasing and posting a link to this post. Thanks for the inspiration.

[ModernTimes1]

He's a one man Village People band.

[dems08]

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted -Martin Luther King, Jr.

[shviraga]

these are my five favs currently
"Don't Panic" --Douglas Adams
"My feminine side dropped dead a lonf time ago." --Rob Zombie
"I dedicate this book to all the followers of Christ's teachings -- in particular a true Christian -- Jimmy Hoffa -- for he hired ex-convicts as, i assume, Christ would have." --Lenny Bruce
"I play the cello and I'm in handcuffs!" --Keith Dickerhofe
"Even Freud knew Jesus loved sucking on a tit." --Christopher Shviraga

[kittyarmy]

Although I have never been a religious person, I came across this passage years ago and it has become one of my faves. I think it can be applied pretty universally, whether or not you believe in God. I think it's from the book of Micah: "...And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

[RunningARaceWorthRunning]

This is one of my favorite topics. I've even had some of my favorites stenciled on walls in my house. This is my all time favorite that I try to live by. . .

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle-- Plato

[Mary Matthews]

"We must live as if the world were what it SHOULD be, so the world can see what it COULD be." - Joss Whedon

[mpmp]

"Who is truly wise? He who learns from all people."
Shimon Ben Zoma

[pollye]

Here are some of my favs.

"What we keep owns us, what we give away sets us free"

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be" Clementine Paddleford

"Forces beyond your control can take away everything you posses except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you".
Harold Kushner in the introduction to 'Man's Search For Meaning' by Victor E Frankl.

For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:1-13.

[naschkatze]

I take heart from these lines from a minor British poet, Herbert Read, in a poem about the Spitfire pilots in the Battle of Britain: Who fights without hope, fights with grace.

[naschkatze]

Since you bring up Emerson, these words from The American Scholar were carved into the proscenium arch of my high school auditorium: Character is higher than intellect. In our "winning is the only thing" society, probably not many people believe this, but it is true.

[bmermaid]

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Desiderata

[bmermaid]

L. Frank Baum said: "Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again."

[sonoffestus]

Good one, made me laugh.

[AngieMom57]

"I looked for God, but God I could not see.
I looked for my soul, but my soul alluded me.
I looked for a friend, and there I found all three."

[Einstein44]

I expect to pass through this world but once.Any good, therefore,that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature,let me do it now.Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again. - Stephen Grellet,Quaker clergyman (1773-1855)