July 18, 2014

Good Morning! Here are your daily birthday quotations...

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 – 1863):

“Good humor may be said to be one of the very best articles of dress one can wear in society.”

and

“Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”

and

“Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.”

Jessamyn West (1902 – 1984):

“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”

and

“A taste for irony has kept more hearts from breaking than a sense of humor, for it takes irony to appreciate the joke which is on oneself. ”

and

“Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.”

and

“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.”

Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013):

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

and

“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”

and

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

and

“It always seems impossible until it's done.”

and

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

and

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Hunter S. Thompson (1937 – 2005):

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

and

“Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously.”

and

“Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.”

Elizabeth Gilbert (1969 - ):

“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”

and

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave.

A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master...”

and

“When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.”