So here we go, the first part of my magic test of seven. I thought starting with quotes would be easy, but that was not quite right. I could have easily written seven hundred seventy-seven quotes but deciding which seven to highlight was tough.
The first three were easy, they’ve accompanied me for many years. The other four were more challenging. I wanted them to show my “true colors”. I think they do.
God, grant me the serenity
To change the things I can
Accept the things I cannot change
And the wisdom to know the difference
~ Reinhold Niebuhr
This one I fell in love with as a teenager when I listened to a song from Sinéad O’Connor over and over again. The song started off with her saying these words. The German text is hanging directly above my PC. To me it is a more beautiful and profound way of saying “Pick your battles wisely”. Don’t try and turn everything upside down. Some thing you just need to accept for what they are.
Risk – more than others think is wise
Care – more than others think is wise
Dream – more than others think is practical
Expect – more than others think is possible
~ Cadet Maxim
That is how I want to live my life. Just do it, with your whole heart, never afraid to get hurt or to make mistakes.
Love it – change it – leave it.
~ Author unknown
When is it time to move on? What kind of change is possible? What is it that I want to change? Or perhaps the better question is what’s to love? There is so much to love everywhere.
Work for a cause not for applause
Live Life to express not to impress
Don’t strive to make your presence noticed
just make your absence felt
~ Author unknown
This one is hard. We all want applause. I sure love to get noticed. I am not going to deny that. But if you can express yourself, and feel what you do matters, everything else becomes secondary.
A simple hello could lead to a million things
~ Author unknown
Especially if that “hello” comes with a smile from the eyes. This is probably one of the reasons I started to blog. My hello to the world from the four walls of my home office that at times intimidate me. Nothing can beat meeting people face to face, but through writing one can also make a real connection. Anyone that has ever received a love letter will know what I mean.
And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
~ Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a wise man. In 1983, he received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and is often referred to as “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century”. I recently watched Matilda with my kids, and they too loved it. I picked this quote because I think there is nothing more beautiful than glittering eyes with a spark of magic.
As long as you take your heart with you, it does not matter where you are going . . .
~ Titia
I twittered this sentence a few days ago, and it felt worthy of being part of this list. There are moments when you can leave your head behind. But never your heart. Take it along and off you go. “You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” Oh, now I did sneak one more in :-) As Dr. Seuss said: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You . . .” Just bend your own rules – anytime.
What are your favorite quotes?
Les Landes says
Great quotes, Titia. I have two of my own “favorite quotes” that you’re already familiar with. I think they both have important implications for navigating the right path to effective employee engagement:
1. Always treat people as the source of the solution, not the cause of the problem.
2. Imagination and free will are useless without one another. Imagination without free will has no power. Free will without imagination has no purpose. Organizations must create cultures that nurture both qualities if they want to optimize what employees are capable of contributing to the mutual success of themselves and the enterprise.
titia.maas@web.de says
Hi Les, I sure love the free will & imagination combination! I am currently reading a German Psychology and Brain Research Magazine called Brain & Mind – the human enigma. The introduction article ends saying: “If free will didn’t yet exist, we would have to invent it first thing tomorrow”. I could not agree more.