Courage

"Courage conquers all things."
-Ovid

Begins to Die

"He begins to die, that quits his desires." --George Herbert

Source: www.Forbes.com

I'm absolutely feeling this especially these past few months. I thought it's like quarter life crisis thingie but apparently, it's because I don't really have desires for anything in life. No wonder life feels so dull. A great reminder when you feel dull, desire something. It'll change your mood.

Is Nature Simple or Complicated?

I think they are both. I think nature comprises both elements - its simplicity and its complications. How can you explain a bumblebee whose aerodynamically not supposed to fly and yet it flies, that's complicated. Or how can you explain the very basic of water it flows from the high to the low, that sounds pretty simple.

One quote that's related to nature that caught my mind recently was from a new TV show called Pretty Handsome. It's about this prestigious doctor who came from a very well to do family who secretly has the urge of being a woman. Yes, he's a guy, but since young he wants to be a woman, a secret he has been keeping to himself. The show (though very uneasy to watch by some, it's something "not" normal) has brought to focus on how being closed-minded towards one's choices in life has made others suffer in silence. It's a pity and tragic.

Anyway, the doctor has a genius son who's finally putting up one big aquarium and he tried to rear seahorses. There were 2 seahorses in the aquarium, the male and female. He said the male seahorse has the role of a female when it comes to fertilizing their eggs. As quoted from wikipedia - "The female inserts her ovipositor into the male’s brood pouch, where she deposits her eggs, which the male fertilizes."

When the parents are amazed at this phenomenon, the genius boy said:

"Nature at its best is complicated"

Source: Pretty Handsome (TV Show)

I can't agree less. The wold is so much more than what we see and know. And yet here we are compartmentalized things and think our ways are the rightest way. Oh how foolish that can be. If only humans observe more of the nature and learn from them may be one day they'll understand, they don't know nothing yet.

Better or Worse

Have you ever felt that you are nor here nor there?
How do you describe it in Chinese?
Well, the following phrase has definitely sum it well. If you are not really at the rock bottom and you are not really one of the very best, just make sure you are not too bad and don't be the worst.

比上不足，比下有余
(Meaning: Worse than some, better than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst)

God's Handwriting in Present Moment

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beauty exists in everything that we can see, hear, feel, touch and even those we can barely imagine. Love how the quote has "wordified" the experience.

Hidden & Obvious

A friend of me was sharing a website that describes zodiacs today and I love how they described the characteristics of each zodiac. It's different from those that I've bumped into. They presented with lots of quotes too (my fetish).

Here's one about me - Scorpio, which I find to be quite true.

"What is hidden is more interesting than what is obvious."

Yep. It's true. I love the hidden world rather than the obvious and hence I love to dig out whatever I'm able to dig, if I'm allowed. May be it's just the Scorpion thing. :p Strange .... but true.

Love & Laugh

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
-- W. H. Auden

Source: Forum

I can't agree less. Laughter and love go well together. It's just like my tea and ice .... they taste great. As for people I admire, they are not necessary a laughter provider but sure they can kick your arse and make you feel that you've not done enough.

Simplicity

...it is always the simple that produces the marvelous.
—Amelia E. Barr

Can't agree less with this beautiful quote. It's always the simplest thing at its most beautiful state that makes one at awe. And ironically, it may not be that easy to strive for simplicity. :-) Duality of everything. Amazes me.

When Patience Hits Rock Bottom

One of my friend had a terrible experience a year ago that involves people that she loves - her family member. Despite her best effort and what she's given throughout all these years (I know her, she's like almost a saint to me at times), this person able to utter out one of the most hurtful thing ever said. Well, I'm not in the position to tell-tale the story but I can't help but to love the idiom that's being used in Mandarin in this unfortunate event.

仁至义尽 (Ren Zhi Yi Jin)

Which literally means with all generous offer made but can also mean the following:

• Have gone beyond the call of duty
• Have done whatever it takes
• The absolute last drop of patience has been exhausted
• Have been extremely tolerant
• Running off the limits
• Time out
  

Well, I do hope patience in us will never run out, though it's of course impossible. Even Jesus had his patience ran out once (erm ... if I remember correctly when he was overturning table in a temple due to their greedy behaviours) and hence, this idiom is so profound and would make one speak so much more diplomatically. However I'm wishing all the best for my friend, she's moved out from this country to a better place which I think suit her much more. You go, gal!

Success & Failure

"Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts."
-- George F. Tilton

Source: www.forbes.com

Indeed a beautiful quote but I can't help but wonder if the author has failed so much that he's inspired with this quote? Well, don't get offended Mr. Tilton or his fans, I'm just wondering, you see. Plus I can't find your biography on the web yet. So, forgive me for my ignorance.

However I found out you have lots of beautiful quotes about courage and I decide to share a few more here. Enjoy.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
-- George F. Tilton

Quotes by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I can't believe what I've just stumbled upon. Tons of quotes by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One of the most profound Spanish writer when it comes love stories. Not to mention the words he used will just sweep you away. When I found these quotes, I realize we must have heard some of them without realizing it's written by this great author of the lifetime. I hope you'll draw inspiration and swing into reflection zone when you are reading them. I know as I have been there a few times.

“Te quiero no por quien eres, sino por quien soy cuando estoy contigo.”
I love you not for who you are, but who I am when I am with you.

“Ninguna persona merece tus lágrimas, y quien se las merezca no te hará llorar.”
Not one single person is deserving of your tears, and those that do deserve won’t make you cry.

“Sólo porque alguien no te ame como tu quieres, no significa que no te ame con todo su ser.”
Just because somone doesn’t love you the way you want, does not mean they don’t love you with everything they have.

“Un verdadero amigo es quien te toma de la mano y te toca el corazón.”
A true friend is the one that takes your hand but touches your heart.

“La peor forma de extrañar a alguien es estar sentado a su lado y saber que nunca lo podrás tener.”
The worst way to miss someone is to be seated right next to them knowing they will never be yours.

“Nunca dejes de sonreír, ni siquiera cuando estés triste porque nunca sabes quien se puede enamorar de tu sonrisa.”
Never stop smiling, even when you are sad because you never know who will be the one to fall in love with your smile.

“Puedes ser solamente una persona para el mundo, pero para alguna persona tu eres el mundo.”
You may only be one person to the entire world, but the entire world for some person.

“No pases el tiempo con alguien que no esté dispuesto a pasarlo contigo.”
Do not spend your time with someone that does not spend their time with you.

“Quizá Dios quiera que conozcas mucha gente equivocada antes de que conozcas a la persona adecuada, para que cuando al fin la conozcas , sepas estar agradecido.”
Perhaps God wants you to meet many people in the wrong before you meet the right person, so when you finally meet them you are greatful.

One of my very favourite ....
“No llores porque ya se terminó, sonríe porque sucedió.”
Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.

“Siempre habrá gente que te lastime, así que lo que tienes que hacer es seguir confiando y solo ser mas cuidadoso en quien confías dos veces.”
There will always be people that hurt you so what you need to do is keep trusting and only be more careful with the people you have had to trust twice.

“Conviértete en una mejor persona y asegúrate de saber quien eres antes de conocer a alguien más y esperar que esa persona sepa quien eres.”
Become a better person and be sure to know who you are before you meet someone else and expect them to know who you are.

“No te esfuerces tanto, las mejores cosas suceden cuando menos te las esperas.”
Don’t try so hard, the best things happen when you least expect them to.

Forgetting

"Can you really forget when you don't have amnesia?"

One of my friend is having a troubled time recently and she's trying to forget really hard of what had happened. But is it even possible? How would you erase a memory if it's so significant be it good or bad? I don't think it's humanly possible.

Though I think it's difficult to forget, doesn't mean one shouldn't let go if the memories are unpleasant. And letting go doesn't mean forgetting. Letting go means you accept it and wishing it/him/her/them all the very best and wish better for yourself, especially strength to carry on and be better than yesterday.

But to forget, will just mean you don't really learn the lesson and may tend to go through it all over again. Though an amnesia will be the easiest solution but it takes strength and time to grow to the next level.

Lesson & Attitude

But the most important lesson is to bring beauty to your attitude. —Dixie Carter

Source: www.Oprah.com

Imagine a world filled with majority of the people who study this subject for life, what kind of world will it be? Guess it's a simple and yet difficult lesson and no one will ever graduate in life. Every one will just get better and better by the day.

So, what are you learning today?

But the most important lesson is to bring beauty to your attitude. —Dixie Carter

Source: www.Oprah.com

Being

I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing something not so pleasant. The conversation ended with me asking him don't be as low as the people who used sarcasm to show their superiority. I asked him to be better. And he answered me that he'll try.

That made me responded with,

"Don't try. Just be. There's no trying in being."

As Shakespeare famously put it: To be or not to be. No wonder he never really said: Try to be or try not to be. What a genius he was and still is.

Feedback & New Phrase

I received a feedback from one of my loyal reader, Jack, who gave me great comment about this new site. And he also suggested for me to elaborate more on the quotes. To share what I feel or how do I come about in selecting them. I had the same idea actually but since I have a great feedback, I'll start incorporating it. :-)

Today, I have a phrase to share, it's not really a quote:

No metas la nariz en mis asuntos.
Don’t poke your nose into my business.

Source: www.Dictionary.com

Though it's not really a quote, it's quite interesting how we can learn some interesting phrases from other language. If you are interested in learning a new word for today, nariz means nose in Spanish. :p Hehe .... Not sure if that word will help you when you travel but hey, you are one word more than yesterday! :D

When Should You Worry?

"When I stop becoming, that's when I worry."
—Stephen Dunn

Source: www.Oprah.com

Revising Life

"It's never too late---in fiction or in life---to revise."
--Nancy Thayer

Source: www.Oprah.com

Sex and the City

Image source: www.snarkerati.com

Some labels are best left in the closet.
-- Carrie Bradshaw, "Sex and the City"

And we were dressed from head to toe in love... the only label that never goes out of style.
-- Carrie Bradshaw, "Sex and the City"

I can't color enough, I would color all day every day If I had my way, I would use every crayon in my box.
-- Samantha Jones, "Sex and the City"

Source: Sex and the City (The Movie)

Manners & Fortune

Manners make often fortunes.
-- John Ray

Source: www.forbes.com

The Leap Years

Image source: www.moviexclusive.com

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
-- William Shakespeare

Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.
-- Albert Einstein

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
-- Jean de La Fontaine

In three words, I can sum up everything I've learnt about life: it goes on.
-- Robert Frost

If you are not too long, I will wait for you all my life.
-- Oscar Wilde

Source: The Leap Years (The Movie)

Definitely, Maybe

Image source: www.yourmoviestuff.com

"The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed"
-- Charlotte Brontë, "Jane Eyre"

"I am nothing. Why am I obligated to be something? Why do I have to have opinion about everything anyway?"
-- April Hoffman, "Definitely, Maybe"

Source: Definitely, Maybe (The Movie)

Awesomeness

There's no charge for awesomeness and attractiveness.
-- Po, "Kung Fu Panda"

Source: Kung Fu Panda (The Movie)

Earning Silence

We have to earn silence, then, to work for it: to make it not an absence but a presence; not emptiness but repletion.
-- Pico Iyer, "The Eloquent Sounds of Silence"

Source: www.Dictionary.com

repletion \rih-PLEE-shun\, noun:

1. The condition of being completely filled or supplied.
2. Excessive fullness, as from overeating.

DD a Quoter?

On one of those crazy exercise I'm having to know myself more, a friend of mine - Jack, mentioned one word that contributed in the birth of this blog.

Apparently I have a subconscious hobby that is so obvious to everyone else but me.

I love quotes.
I love sharing them.
I love to ponder upon them.
I love their existences.

I can't believe how many people have commented on the quotes I've been putting on my MSN Messenger and never once I thought of "collecting" them. So, they were all gone once I've replaced with a new quote.

Now, thanks to Jack, I'm going to collect them and eternalize them. (Yep. No such word as "eternalize" :p). I hope you'll enjoy it and found what I'm sharing, meaningful. I hope some of the quotes will speak to you like how they have spoken to me.

They may not come from the smartest or famous people on earth but as long as it speaks to your heart, that quote is meant for you.

Enjoy!