[Shannon]

I was sitting outside this afternoon and thinking about the little things that get us through our days. I was talking to my friend and we were both surprised to find that in times of great happiness or sadness or neutrality that we adopt quotations, lyrics, metaphors and/or general 'sayings' that serve as expressions (through someone else's words) of our current state. From these words we derive comfort, strength and confirmation in our actions. I recently watched the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin and heard Corelli say:

"I have always found something in life worth singing about and for that I cannot apologize"

It's almost what you'd call 'sappy', but something about that statement strikes me as a great truth. Any bad moment i have had since first hearing this line i have thought about the meaning of these words and become instantly reassured that there is beauty and good to be derived from any situation.

That is only one quote of simply Hundreds that i could discuss But does anyone else have a saying, quote, favourite metaphor or lyric that is important or special to them?

[Cathy]

Shannon, on 12 June 2010 - 05:21 AM, said:

I was sitting outside this afternoon and thinking about the little things that get us through our days. I was talking to my friend and we were both surprised to find that in times of great happiness or sadness or neutrality that we adopt quotations, lyrics, metaphors and/or general 'sayings' that serve as expressions (through someone else's words) of our current state. From these words we derive comfort, strength and confirmation in our actions. I recently watched the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin and heard Corelli say:

"I have always found something in life worth singing about and for that I cannot apologize"

It's almost what you'd call 'sappy', but something about that statement strikes me as a great truth. Any bad moment i have had since first hearing this line i have thought about the meaning of these words and become instantly reassured that there is beauty and good to be derived from any situation.

That is only one quote of simply Hundreds that i could discuss But does anyone else have a saying, quote, favourite metaphor or lyric that is important or special to them?

I love the film of Captain Corelli's Mandolin - makes me cry - and this is another wonderful quote from there:

Quote

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!

I've never read the book, but it waits - like so much - in my pile of 'must dos'.

I have a couple of other sayings:

Quote

Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe.

That one's stored on my phone. Just to remind me.

And this one:

Quote

When it rains, look for rainbows. When it is dark, look for stars. When life hands you a lemon, squeeze it and make lemonade.

That's on my Facebook page and on my phone and I'd love to say I live my life like that and always make the best of things, even when everything goes pearshaped. However, in spite of it being everywhere, right in front of my nose, I still forget sometimes and whinge like the chief whinger in a whinge factory.

You have some more to share?

[Shannon]

Ahh, that other Corelli quote is such a wonderful one Cathy! That part of the film made me cry! I've never read the book either but if you get around to it then you must tell me if it's any good! I like your 'love many, trust few' quote it is very apt, i think.

I have been reading Thought Relics by Rabindranath Tagore, and whereas he can come across as sounding a little bit like a preacher, i think he has some very direct, simple and beautiful insights. In truth i could quote the entire work here (it is wonderful!) but i'll just take a few short passages:

"It is hard for us to free ourselves from the grip of our acquisitions. For the pull of their gravitation is towards the centre of our self. The force of perfect love acts towards the contrary direction. And this is why love gives us freedom from the weight of things. Therefore our days of joy are our days of expenditure. It is not the lightness of pressure in the outside world which we need in order to be free, but love which has the power to bear the world's weight, not only with ease, but with joy"

He reminds people to not become clouded with sadness but to:

"Open your eyes and see."



I'm finding this next quote useful right now. Feeling a little bit crappy (as i am) and feeling afraid of things in life, i think it is interesting and encouraging to be reminded of 'what' fear is, and to know that it can be overcome (arguably with greater ease) if you can recognize and respect it for what it is, and then summon the will to let it go.

"Fear assumes unlimited dimensions in the dark, because it is the shadow of the self which has lost its foothold in the all; the self which is a doubter, an unbeliever, which puts its emphasis upon negation, exaggerating detached facts into fearful distortions. In the light we find the harmony of things and know that our world is great and therefore we are great; we know that, with more and more extensive realisation of truth, conflicts will vanish, for existence itself is harmony"

I have a book somewhere full of the quirky quotes i've adopted through life but alas i cannot find it! This will hopefully be good to be going on with though!

[Shannon]

There is this quote. Simple but lovely, that i heard a rather cheerful old Spanish man say as words of advice:


Live life to the fullest.
It is the best way.
Live every moment intensely,
because life is too short.
And when the moment comes when we're going to die,
You should not have wished to do things that you didn't.
That is why we have to enjoy every moment.
One must enjoy life.
Try not to aquire too many things,
but instead have experiences.
Accomplish everything you want to do,
no matter the effort it deserves.
Life is too short, and we must relish it.