I love this blog posting from a fellow blogger who happens to live in Australia. Her blog web address is: www.restyleingyourlife.com. As implied in her Blog, there are so many maxims by which to live and I thoroughly enjoy receiving nuggets of wisdom from those maxims, be they a quote from someone famous, or a sentiment from an unknown. I’ve been keeping a list of quotes/sentiments on my computer which I call:
Quotes of Note.
Please read the article attached at the top of this post and if you feel the urge to read further, I provide just a few quotes that have great meaning to me in my quest to get better with age (where author is known, his/her name is noted):
Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. – Mark Twain Also by Mr. Twain: The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Don’t be concerned with the consequences of choices other people have made. Worry only about the consequences of your own choices.
Believe you might be a light for someone else. Albert Einstein provided a similar sentiment: Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being.
Being helpless isn’t really a state of being. A person who feels helpless simply needs help – there’s a big difference.
Life doesn’t have to be about chasing butterflies. It can be about swatting flies with a smile on your face. (And God knows there are more flies than butterflies in the world!)
A few quotes/comments that line up with my life philosophy:
Do all the good that you can, in all the places you can, in all the ways that you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, for as long as you can. – John Wesley And perhaps the following comment can be the catalyst for following Mr. Wesley’s thought:A siren is the sound of a society taking care of its citizens.
And I’ll leave you with a few comical statements found in books I recently read:
Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been forty-six years since my last confession. My how time flies.
The gym I belong to could more accurately be called my favorite charity.
And that’s it for now on this Friday in Redmond, Washington. See you soon!
I was touched by the following quote that appeared on Lark Kirkwood’s Elder Advocates site a few years ago:
Do all the good that you can, in all the places you can, in all the ways that you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, for as long as you can. – John Wesley
I want to add the following sentiment which has become a sort of mantra for the way I conduct myself:
We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems – not from above – but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously. – Grace Lee Boggs
It only took 3 people to raise $100’s at a garage sale for the local Alzheimer’s Association.
I’m so encouraged by the different types of advocacy that I’ve witnessed across this nation. Some advocate for the elderly, some the disenfranchised or marginalized, others advocate for the humane treatment of animals. Whichever the focus – it’s all about advocacy. The good news is that whether a person lives in Redmond, Washington, like myself, or Washington, DC – we are all making a difference in each of our small corners of the Universe. Imagine if everyone did just that.
Instead of having the mindset that the only things worth doing are those which are grandiose and news worthy – and therefore believing that you have nothing to offer – do what you can, with what you have, and your impact will be grand. Many small, positive actions add up to great advances in the betterment of our world.
Regardless of your age, you can make a difference in the lives of others. If you’re looking for something to do, consider helping an elder or two. Let’s face it, unless death comes early for us, we’re all going to enter the elder category at some point in the future. You may someday benefit from someone else’s tender loving respect and care.
Living: the ultimate team sport 