10 quotes and their lessons
I am not a collector of objects, not even items that a musician would collect, such as guitars or records. I do however, collect poems, lyrics, and quotations. Whenever I come across one that resonates, I try to take the time to write it down in one of my notebooks.
Quotations are small wonders. It mystifies me how a simple sentence or two can encapsulate so much meaning, or a profound lesson. When an inspiring quote comes along at the perfect moment, it can feel very serendipitous, almost magical.
So, I delved into my quote collection to share 10 quotations that have proved helpful at key points in life.
1. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Anaïs Nin
I came across this quote as a young adult, at a time when I was scared to leave the safety of home and venture out into the world. As soon as I read this quote, I recognised that it perfectly described the point I was in my journey. My comfort zone was becoming uncomfortable, and was no longer the place I needed or wanted to be. Note: there is debate as to whether the attribution of this quote to Anaïs Nin is correct. It’s a brilliant quote, whoever wrote it.
2. “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
Chinese Proverb
This quote inspired me so much years ago, that it became the first line and jumping off point for my song, “Nobody Knows.” I was young and eager to make progress, but these wise words were a reminder to avoid stagnation, and to keep moving in the right direction, however slow.
3. “If you are brave enough, often enough, you are going to fail.”
Brené Brown
Notice how Brené Brown didn’t write “you might fail” or “you will likely fail.” She says “you are going to fail,” because it’s true. No matter how perfect we try to be, there will be failures in our lives. Before I came across this quote, I was afraid of making and releasing music that fell short of my and others’ expectations. But once I realised that failure is an inevitable part of living courageously, I felt inspired to forge ahead, taking wins and losses in stride.
4. “There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic, because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.”
Maya Angelou
I could do a whole post on Maya Angelou quotes, and maybe someday I will. Memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou was a true visionary who could capture so much in a single sentence. It is so easy to become cynical in a harsh world, often putting up a wall of cynicism for self-preservation or protection. But Maya Angelou says it perfectly – it’s a sad road to go down, particularly before you’ve even really lived.
5. “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
Maya Angelou
I had to include one more Maya Angelou quote. I’m sure you can see why this would resonate with a singer-songwriter. Sometimes, I wonder whether my lyrics and songs are good enough, or true enough, or helpful enough. But I write songs because I have songs inside, and that’s enough.
6. “Put something silly in the world that ain’t been there before”
Shel Silverstein
This quote is taken from the short poem “Put Something In” by Shel Silverstein, who, among other things, was a wonderfully humorous poet, lyricist and writer. I believe we all have a right to be creative and live a creative life. Yet many of us don’t create unless we have permission. This quote reminds us to go make art, for art’s sake!
7. “Almost anybody can learn to think, or believe, or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. The moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself. To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.”
E.E. Cummings
I love this quote by E.E. Cummings. I feel a strong sense of identity and individuality, and I trust my feelings to guide me in the right direction. But it’s easy to conform, to lose our sense of self to the many influences around us. It takes will, intention and courage to be ourselves.
8. “What is this self inside us, this silent observer,
T.S. Eliot
Severe and speechless critic, who can terrorise us
And urge us on to futile activity,
And in the end, judge us still more severely
For the errors into which his own reproaches drove us?“
T.S. Eliot nails how self-destructive our inner critic can be. Many of us struggle with self-doubt, shame, and perfectionism. This quote helped me to realise how universal this experience is: we all have an inner critic, but we can choose how much power we allow it to have over our lives.
9.“The secret to your existence is right in front of you. And it manifests itself as all those things you know you should do but you’re avoiding.”
Jordan B. Peterson
This is a recent addition to my quote collection, from contemporary psychologist and author, Jordan B. Peterson. When we are looking to make change, it’s easier to focus on everything but the real issues or actions that need addressing. It’s tempting to ignore the elephant in the room.
10. “To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden.”
Seneca
I came across this quote by Seneca in the book, “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday, a great book with bite-size stoic lessons. Reacting angrily, impulsively, over-emotionally or pessimistically in bad situations indeed just makes things even worse. This is an aspirational quote – I aspire to bear trials with a calm mind, but I still have a long way to go!
Hopefully you can also find some value or lessons in the above quotes.
If so, let me know in the comments below. Do you have a quote that you find particularly meaningful? If so, please share.
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Sarah
READ(S) OF THE WEEK
Here I share a book/audiobook or two that I am currently reading:
BOOK: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
AUDIOBOOK: “Bittersweet” by Susan Cain
IMAGE OF THE WEEK
Progress on the watermelon from last week’s post – lots of growth!
UPDATES / NEWS
- I’ll be performing music at Howick Village Market on Saturday 3rd February.
SARAHVZMUSIC 
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