We all have our favorite quotes right? Sometimes they’re song lyrics, common phrases, an expression from a role model, or a popular celebrity saying. We hear these idioms and instantly connect them to our lives for varied lengths of time, until we find our next favorite. Though, how often do you find a quote that truly influences your day-to-day activities, decisions, and mindset?
Allow me to briefly tell you about my favorite phrase that I aim to fully embody, in hopes of inspiring you to find one that you can sincerely embrace as well.
My favorite quote comes from a letter written and read to 600 students, I included, by an Executive Dean while on a study abroad voyage with Semester At Sea. Dean Dan, addressed to us, wrote students the letter as a farewell. It was also a nostalgia-invoking piece, asking questions to our future selves, asking where we’ll be, what will we be doing, and how we’ll look back on our study abroad experience.
At one point in the letter, Dean Dan mentions the possibility that we students may have traveled again many times or perhaps not at all since ending our study abroad voyage. He then asks, “Will this voyage be one of your great adventures or the only great adventure?” Here comes the best part, the next lines in the letter read,
“In five years, will you be more interested in buying nouns or verbs? Will you crave things or experiences?”
Hearing the above sent a rush of energy into my soul. For some reason, those two questions stuck inside me like fresh ink on willing skin. A simple notion conveyed in a way I hadn’t heard before. Liking the fluency of those expressions, they steeped in to me and I began connecting the meaning to my then current situation. I was traveling the world, continent hopping, sailing through oceans and learning priceless lessons. I thought how at that moment, the voyage was the biggest expense, may I say the biggest verb, I had ever invested in. What I was gaining from the experience was more than all the riches in the world.
Not that I was previously a person who wanted a bunch of things and stuff and nouns, but after hearing those words from the letter, I suddenly became so inspired to focus on the verbs and the actions of doing in this world. I became increasingly aware of my decisions and chose to focus on doing, seeing, learning and living. This simple mind frame switch based on the language used in the letter had a special impact on me.
Fast forward to today, approaching a year since I’ve heard the quotes and started consciously living my life through them. It has been a great year! I activity seek and create opportunities to go to new places and have novel adventures. It’s become so much a part of me that I do crave experiences. I strive to have stories to tell instead of meaningless things to show. Of course, certain items hold immense value. I recognize there are things in my life that are so special and meaningful to me, as I’m sure there are for you as well. However, my point here focuses on avoiding the trivial material, the frivolous nouns, to instead invest in the invaluable chances to create memories for you and with others. I’ve personally become more liberated and enterprising upon emphasizing and entertaining my desires to buy verbs and chase experiences. I couldn’t be happier to state that today.
Now this is just my personal favorite quote-turned-mantra to live by at the moment. I encourage you to discover your own! Whether you come up with it yourself, or adopt it from someone else, find a mantra that fits you, your life, your dreams, and your perspective at this point in time. No matter how long it sticks with you, live and flourish through it for now. It might just give you a more guided direction and a refreshed sense of intent. Could you imagine what your life would be like if you started focusing on what has the potential to spark a small drive in you today? It could end up changing your life in the next year and beyond. Try it.