So this weeks topic is to list some quotes/sayings/lyrics/poems/etc that have been inspirational to you. I found this to be a tough topic. Its not that I haven't been inspired by the sayings of great people, but do I take the time to commit them to memory? Nope. How sad is that! I guess its just made me realize that I probably should take the things that I find inspiring and make an effort to remember them better so I can draw strength from them in tough times.
So I don't have any deeply profound sayings or phrases - most are pretty cliche but still are things that inspire me to live my life better.
1 - "everything happens for a reason" - I do believe this. I have had my fair share of negativity in my life and this phrase is what helps me gain focus. I find if I just try to find the "reason" that something happened, to find the good in a bad situation, that somehow I can make it through. I lost a brother but gained a dear friend that I cannot imagine my life without. I struggled with infertility, but feel like I am an amazing parent because I fought so hard to have my babies. The list goes on and on...
2 -
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12, King James Version.
Do I always live my life by this rule - eh, not always. But I DO try to always put myself in someone else's shoes before I make a decision that could impact them. That's not to say that I'm a people pleaser, because what is "best" may not be what makes people happiest. But I always hear the golden rule in my head when I am unsure of a decision to make. I think " how would I want someone to treat me if the roles were reversed"
3 - "Do not stoop to their level" - I say this all day long in rush hour traffic. When I see a car riding up the turn lane eager to find a spot to squeeze into and every feeling in my gut says "get as close to the car in front of you as possible, they will not break rank!" BUT - that makes me just as bad as them. For all I know that person was not from around here (big stretch, but hey, giving the benefit of the doubt) and didn't know the turn lane was about to end and they are just trying to get back into the main flow of traffic to avoid getting lost by being forced to take a turn they weren't aware was coming.
4 - "two wrongs do not make a right!"
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This is sort of on the same line as quote number 3. When someone treats you badly the immediate reaction is to find a way to reciprocate the action. I remind myself that this doesn't really gain anything, and only validates the behavior from the other person. Its better to just be the bigger person. I actually find that tends to get the point across better than if I had reciprocated.
5 - "you can attract more bees with honey than vinegar" - I work in a customer service/support role. When people contact me, they are MAD already. I have learned that the nicer I am to someone, the better the customer experience is. I will not let their mood spill over onto me. The meaner they get, the nicer I get! In the end, I always get a heart-felt "thank you" at the end of the call (no matter how much they were sure they were right and I was wrong at the beginning) I remember calling an insurance company about a claim and when I called back later to get an extension on my rental car because the body shop found another problem they had to fix, they connected me to the woman I spoke with before when I first filed the claim (it was the other persons insurance as the accident was not my fault) and her first response was "Hey, I remember you, you were nice to me.. Let me get that taken care of" and got my rental extension approved immediately.
6. "Think before you speak." I simply do NOT buy into the concept of saying something you don't mean just to hurt someone and then expect to be able to take it back later. You may think you can take words back, but you can't. That's not to say I cannot forgive, but I will not forget. I hear the words in my head for years to come. I think people are too quick to speak when they are angry - which is never a good idea. Take time to think about what you are about to say.. do you really mean it?.. does it help the situation to say it?... Are you saying it just to be hurtful? Whenever I am angry about something I always try to let myself have time to calm down before saying something. I'd say a good 70% of the time I realize that it wasn't as big of a deal as I immediately thought and I was just in a bad mood because I was sleep deprived, or stressed from work, or something else. I just really think if more people would take time to think before they speak then there would be less "misunderstanding" and more communicating.
7. "Laughter is the best medicine"
I'll just post a video to prove my point. Brenden was jumping in the living room and Logan thought it was SOOO funny! The video is horrible because I was trying to hold Logan and the video camera at the same time but you can hear the laughter. I dare you to watch/listen to this and not immediately feel the need to laugh/smile right along with my boys!
1 comment:
Amy, that video is SOOOOO cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The quotes are all great, too :)
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