In the Russian tradition of Stanislavsky, the actor says “I will tell you a story about me.” In the German tradition of Brecht, the actor says, “I will tell you a story about them.” In the Vietnamese tradition, the actor says “You and I will tell each other a story about all of us.”
– “In Vietnam, Telling Stories About ‘All of Us,'”
Ron Jenkins, New York Times, August 11, 2002
Tag Archives: quotes
This
A Reminder
Monday Quotes: Perspective
Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.
– Christopher Morley
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
– Abraham Maslow
The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.
– Douglas Adams
Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.
– Alphonse Karr
If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and adore.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Would it be possible for me to see something from up there?” asked Milo politely.
“You could,” said Alec, “but only if you try very hard to look at things as an adult does.”
Milo tried as hard as he could, and, as he did, his feet floated slowly off the ground until he was standing in the air next to Alex Bings. He looked around very quickly and, an instant later, crashed back down to the earth again.
“Interesting, wasn’t it?” asked Alex.
“Yes, it was,” agreed Milo, rubbing his head and dusting himself off, “but I think I’ll continue to see things as a child. It’s not so far to fall.”
― Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
Friday Quotes: Storytelling
“Do they care? That’s it. That’s the only thing that ever matters. Do they care? Is it interesting, are the jokes funny, are the characters relatable, are the scary parts scary? The more you do, the more you realize there’s only one thing you can do… we still have the same mandate, which is Make ‘em care”.
-Joss Whedon
“Artists use lies to tell the truth. Yes, I created a lie. But because you believed it, you found something true about yourself.”
-Alan Moore
“You can fix anything but a blank page.”
-Nora Roberts
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
-Sue Monk Kidd
“It is your obligation to speak things that have truth, because this is your life’s work.”
-Judith Black
“Rule one of reading other people’s stories is that whenever you say ‘well that’s not convincing’ the author tells you that’s the bit that wasn’t made up. This is because real life is under no obligation to be convincing.”
-Neil Gaiman
Quotes For One Of Those Days When You Need Quotes About Getting Through One Of Those Days
(Subtitled: Remember, nothing is easy, and if you don’t decide to make a difference, nothing will be different.)
“Professionalism is like love: it is made up of the constant flow of little bits of proof that testify to devotion and care. Everything else is pretension or incompetence.”
― Tomislav Šola
“Confidence is the immaterial residue of material actions. Confidence is the public face of competence.”
― Ron Suskind
“It is, after all, the responsibility of the expert to operate the familiar and that of the leader to transcend it.”
― Henry Kissinger
“Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.”
― Julius Erving
“We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice.”
― John C. Maxwell
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because … it is the quality which guarantees all others.”
― Sir Winston Churchill
If you don’t do it, no one will…
We must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives. We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance and truly begin to live our dreams.
-Les Brown
Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.
-Robert F. Bennett
Time
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
William Penn
In the time of your life, live – so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it.
William Saroyan
We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
Nelson Mandela
You may delay, but time will not.
Benjamin Franklin
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
QUOTES: Change. Making A Difference.
So, as Winter turns to Spring (we HOPE – please stop snowing!), it’s the season for change. Let’s see what happens if we embrace that.
My life is pretty great. But, like everyone, there are things that could use a re-evaluation and some tweaking. Plus, it’s been a month of various changes happening, and when changes are thrust upon you, it can make you examine the rest of your life. Change is essential for growth and forward momentum no matter what, right? I mean, it’s always a mix: some good, some less good, but such is life, no? It’s interesting, though, it’s also been a week of watching people react to change in different ways, in different projects and different aspects of life. Sometimes change is clearly good. Sometimes change is made with good intentions, and still fails. Sometimes people think they’re doing something good, and others decide it’s not. Sometimes people react politely, sometimes they don’t. Such is life.
I’ll tell you what, though – I would rather attempt to change the things I don’t like about my life, and see those attempts fail, than sit idly by and simply complain about those things. This is probably the only life I’ve got, and I can’t come up with a good reason to sit in stagnation knowing that some things aren’t working and just do nothing about it.
So, yes. Spring. A Change Of Seasons. And a time for examination, exploration and action!
You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.
– Shirley Hufstedler, Former US Secretary of EducationEven if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
– Will Rogers (1879-1935)The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
– William Arthur WardWe can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world.
-Heidi Wills, AuthorDon’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain.
– Henry Ford
Moving through life
“Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.”
Colin Powell
“Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it – what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.”
– Carlos Castaneda
“To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.”
– William Arthur Ward
“I always expect some people to be offended. I know I ruffle feathers but some people’s feathers need a little ruffling. And remember: just because someone is offended doesn’t mean they’re in the right. Some people are offended by multiculturalism, homosexuality, abortion, atheism – what should we do? Ban all those things? You have the right to be offended, and I have the right to offend you. But no one has the right to never be offended.
I never actively try to offend though. That’s churlish, pointless and frankly too easy. But I believe you should say what you mean. Be honest. No one should ever be offended by truth.”
– Ricky Gervais
Tony Caselli 