Quotation Collection

Over the years, I found myself starting to amass a collection of quotes starting with my High School English teacher who help me justify and understand the world around me through the power of words. Below is a list of the most notable ones, inspirational ones and some which have the ability to pick you up when you are down. 

• A teacher affects eternity; they will never tell where their influence stops.

• Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.

• There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.  

• Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.  But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength. 

• If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

• Have the courage to say no.  Have the courage to face the truth.  Do the right thing because it is right.  These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.  

• It is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven’t been willing to try

• Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life.  You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you.    

• Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.

• All your life you are told the things you cannot do.  All your life they will say you’re not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this.  THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no’s become meaningless.  All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.  AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.

• Well behaved women rarely make history – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

• Feelings are not supposed to be logical.  Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions – David Borenstein

• Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. – Eleanor Roosevelt.

•  Why love if losing hurts so much?  We love to know that we are not alone. – C.S. Lewis

•  To get what we’ve never had we must do what we’ve never done.

• The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it and the faith to believe it possible.

•  Belief fuels enthusiasm, and enthusiasm explodes into passion.  It fires our souls and lifts our spirits.

• Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

• Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens. – Jimi Hendrix

• Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gurgle.

• All that we are is the result of what we have thought.  The mind is everything.  What we think we become – Buddha 

The list of quotes below holds particular significance to me. During my first year of university, I had the pleasure of taking Music 100 with John Griffith. While planning my first semester's classes, I remember that I really did not care which other classes I had to take as long as I could four other classes around John's class. Prior to university, I had the chance to be in an Euphonium/Tuba sectional with him (He was the Principal Tuba in the RSO) and he gave me a piece of advice that shaped me into who I am today. Everyone had to perform a mouthpiece sound exercise and I was particularly weak in that area so my sound was quite feeble and as I played, I didn't realize it then but my head was down. John noticed and told me that "It doesn't matter what sound you make, always hold your head up high and be proud of what you do." I am very sad to report that in the Summer of 2007, John passed away from complications related to a heart attack he had in December.  His words still inspire me to be proud and to hold my head high even when I feel like my best isn't remotely near what I perceive to be the standard or when I feel like the people around me are judging my effort without knowing how hard it was to keep moving forward. So without further ado, here are the quotes that John wrote on his blackboard throughout the course of the semester.  Please be advised that this man had one of the best sense of humors I have ever had a chance to witness in action and his humor is reflected in his chosen quotes:

• Eagles may soar but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.

• Someone who thinks logically makes a nice contrast to the real world.

• The greatest urge of man is not sex, hunger or thirst. It is the will to edit another’s copy.

• He who laughs last thinks slowest.

• Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then you are a mile away AND you have their shoes.

• Light travels faster than sound, that’s why some people appear bright before you hear them speak.

• No matter what happens, someone always finds a way to take it too seriously.

• Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

• Do not walk behind me for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone!

• Don’t worry about what people think…they don’t do it very often.

• We must believe in luck for how else can we explain the success of those we don’t like?

• It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped. – Anthony Robbins