Favorite Quotes
Throughout the course of my entire life I have remained endlessly fascinated by the words of others. There is something very uniquely beautiful about the power of transcending our everyday language into something comforting, inspiring, magnificent. As a reader and active participant in the human experience I feel I have consumed a fair amount of language in my lifetime thus far. With those consumptions, I undoubtedly discovered a few favorites here and there that have stuck with me for one reason or another.
I think that perhaps the reason why we become so infatuated with the words of our favorite characters or figures is that it proves to us that we are not alone in our experiences. Knowing what we are feeling or going through has been felt or dealt with before can be comforting even if we are unsure of how our own personal paths will unfold. Words are a connective mechanism of humanity and are powerful in this way. Quotes are a resource of validating our emotions and reassuring the direction of our own existences.
Instead of leaving these words saved to photo albums or pasted on my walls, I have decided to share them with the world (or at least the Internet) in hopes that they will bring light to another life. I have sorted this wisdom into four categories below, which just so happen to be some of my most favorite topics of discussion in general. Of course, then, I have chosen to elaborate on each category. I hope you enjoy, and if not, that you will at least regard this as somewhat well-written nonsense.
Adventure:
Adventure is subjective, it seems. To many, adventure is an expensive trip around the world or jumping out of an airplane. Of course these are adventures, but I prefer a more inclusive definition of the word. In my life, I accept the every day moments as adventures. What makes a trip to the café with friends a less valued experience than a road trip to the beach? Each offer rich definition to one’s life, though in different ways. I cherish the adventures I have had in my hometown just as much as any trip abroad. It adds excitement and deep fulfillment to life when one can see each second as a unique and precious adventure.
“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress adventure.” –Albus Dumbledore of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
“Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures.” –Lewis Carroll
“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers as a sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” –Vincent Van Gogh
“And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” –Confucius
“Would you like an adventure now or shall we have our tea first?” –J.M. Barrie
“If we wait until we’re ready we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” –Lemony Snicket
Love and Other Healing Forces:
Love is a feeling that we hold for others, it is true. However, like adventure, I choose to apply a much vaster denotation. Love is a powerful force connecting each element of our universe. It is a flowing element present in each blade of grass, flowing river, or human soul. Love is how we feel. It allows for gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness even in the most dreaded and dire of situations. Love can always be felt because it is always present. One who is open to the power of love has a lighter and freer being.
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” –Vincent Van Gogh
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” –A. A. Milne
“I stand entwined in fire on the inextinguishable bonfire of inconceivable love.” –Daniel Handler
“What is done in love is done well.” –Vincent Van Gogh
“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where others see nothing.” –Camille Pissaro
“Have courage and be kind.” –Cinderella of Cinderella
“There are places I’ll remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone and some remain. All these places have their moments with lovers and friends I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living. In my life I’ve loved them all.” –“In My Life” by The Beatles
The Human Experience:
The human experience is specific to each of us, though much crossover does occur: love, loss, happiness, pain, etc. Humans are simple creatures at the heart of it. We are all just searching for our best life, though we may not necessarily know what that means. The great search for purpose is consuming and at times a burden to carry. It is up to us to find the things that alight our own souls. A daunting task, surely, but one that is certainly worth its weight in gold.
“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” –Jaques Cousteau
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” –Audre Lorde
“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” –Hafiz
“But only the fearless can be great.” –Gusteau of Ratatouille
“And at the end of the day your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling.” –Shanti
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” –Galileo
“Doubt everything. Find your own light.” –The Buddha
“I think this will matter when I’m older, when I’m 38.” –Oliver of Submarine
“I’ve survived a lot of things, and I’ll probably survive this.” –J.D. Salinger
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” –Ferris Bueller of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Alice: This is impossible.
The Hatter: Only if you believe it is.
-of Alice in Wonderland
“Be whoever you are extremely loud and be completely fearless when you do it.” –Gerard Way
“Only grow thoughts in your brain that you wouldn’t mind putting in a vase.” –Anonymous
Connection to the Earth and Universe:
In order to gain a more complex and satisfying relationship with our existence, a connection to our own world is at least somewhat necessary. This type of connection does not have to be forged with practices such as meditation (though it is certainly beneficial and worthwhile). Instead, one could simply practice a frequent and healthy appreciation or gladness for the sun, the sky, and the stars. Glancing up at the moon at night can be a very humbling experience, for example. The realization that we are creatures, passerbyes, visitors of this world is a freeing experience. Suddenly, our worries become softer and our spirits become lighter.
“Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It’s enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it.” –Claude Monet
“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” –Oscar Wilde
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” –Rachel Carson
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” –Oscar Wilde
“Everything is so full of life. Every tree. Every lead. Every insect. It is as if the world is vibrating, as if everything is much more than itself.” –Merlin of Merlin
“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” –Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes