Some Quotes For You for 2014

-
A little writing secret for you. I try and write a chapter at a time with the end game in mind. A bunch of pages of the old black notebook are filled with quotations. I pull them from books, and off the Twitter feed, and some of them I've written down over and over again.

Sometimes I use them, but most of the time, they just sit there, and I read them to get fired up about what I want to write next.

I thought I'd share a few:

The purpose of our lives is to be happy. - Dalai Lama

All, everything that I understand, I only understand because I love. - Leo Tolstoy

The mystery of human existence lies in not just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences. - Eleanor Roosevelt.

You were put on this Earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it fearlessly. - Steve Maraboli - Life, the Truth & Being Free

The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better. - Robert Kennedy.

With love one can live, even without happiness. - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller.

As I've said, they are mostly inspirational and you can't just walk through your daily life quoting such things or people will put you in a rubber room, but I've always said that what is inside is free, and it took a long time to realize that the external crap can tear you down. Yet what you hold deep inside, and feel each day, and try and live is what is really important to the person you are on the journey with: yourself.

Yet the tricky part is making it all play out in the real world, and the one quote that I keep on a post-it note and automatically put into the new black notebook on the day it arrives is one that shapes both my writing, and more importantly, my living.

We are shaped and fashioned by those that we love." - Geothe.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more