Thursday Thirteen #13--Fabulous Quotations

Thirteen Fabulous Quotations

As I've mentioned recently, I've been teaching freshman composition at the local community college this summer. Since I began teaching college classes in 2001, I have yet to teach during a summer session. Part of the reason was that my kids were too young to be left unattended, or that I had to take wondrous summer trips to Cape Cod instead. But the other part was that I just didn't believe that I could accomplish in just over five weeks what it normally took me fifteen weeks to do.

I have three more days of class left, and I have to say that I'm amazed at what can be accomplished in five weeks. But I'm certain that the list of things I normally do, that I wasn't able to do, are still important and I miss them. All told, though, it was more of a success than I had hoped.

Why am I introducing quotations with my thoughts about summer school? Well, I thought I would "teach" one of the things I learned in college that was minor to most folks, but major to those who spend their days, nose to the student essays.

It's one of those stuffy grammatical things that English teachers have to know to show their true street cred. I jest. Well, a little.

I just thought I would share because nine out of ten people who ask me what I do then say, "Oh no! That was my worst subject in school. Yuck." So I wanted to share how yucky it can be to have to lug around all these rules in my head; rules most people would live normal, happy, healthy lives without ever having to worry about.

Oh heck. It's just a silly way to introduce this list really. So on with it I say!

Ok. So a lot of folks call quotations, "quotes," but I was told, by a very precise professor or two, that "quote" is the verb and that "quotation" is the noun. In other words, if I were to quote you, I would write down what you said. And then, what I had written would be a quotation.

I know. Boring. (any wonder then why I'm looking to change careers?)

On with the show! Here are some good ones that I've gotten in my daily quotation emails.

1. “A human being is only interesting if he's in contact with himself. I learned you have to trust yourself, be what you are, and do what you ought to do the way you should do it. You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.” —Barbra Streisand



2. “Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.” —Rita Mae Brown (b. 1944), writer, social activist



3. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” —William G.T. Shedd (1820-1894), theologian, teacher, pastor



4. Whatever you're thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you're worrying, you are planning. When you are appreciating, you are planning...What are you planning? Abraham-Hicks



5. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” —Melodie Beattie; motivational author



6. “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” —Thornton Wilder (1897–1975), playwright, novelist
   
   
7. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ” —Thomas Edison (1847–1931) inventor, entrepreneur
   
   
8. “Better keep yourself clean and bright. You are the window through which you must see the world.” —George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) playwright, political activist



9. “Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.” —David Star Jordan, (1851-1931) educator, author, peace activist; exerpt from "The Philosophy of Despair"



10. “Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” —William Faulkner (1897-1962) author, winner of the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature



11. “Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.” —William James (1842-1910), psychologist, philosopher, author



12. “ The best way out is always through. ”- Robert Frost (1874-1963) American Poet Laureate 1958-1959



13. "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American poet, lecturer, and essayist

Hope you enjoy those. I love me some good ol' inspirational quotations.

Muah! =)

© Nicole J. Williams, 2008, all rights reserved.

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