The john shouldn’t blame the prostitute for giving them an STD.
Stephen Hawking is quoted as saying, “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.” Easily said when you only ever sit in a wheelchair.
Much of life’s tumult can be attributed to putting our goals in the hands of fate instead of within our own grasp. Think. Refrain. Steadfast. Fair.
It is the challenges in life that spur us on in the direction of growth and progress.
That which is new is often born from difficulty.
Expect a world with crime. Expect people you meet to be filled with sorrow, or lust, or envy and greed, and expect that they will act accordingly. To make the world a better place, do not succumb to the same. Control what you can. Do not fret over that which you can’t. Think. Refrain. Steadfast. Fair. 2 ears, 1 mouth.
Nothing will happen today that hasn’t happened before. Don’t allow it to surprise you Don’t be caught off guard. Be your best self. Live your values.
Don’t be angry at the sun on the mornings you want more sleep.
Judge yourself not by where you stand today but by where you stood yesterday.
We don’t remember not existing. It was neither good nor bad. It was nothing. Don’t be scared of nothing. It makes no sense.
Can your success be attributed to you alone? Of course not, be grateful for your good fortune, but be vigilant in reminding yourself what it is. Same is true of your failures. Be vigilant in reminding yourself of your value in the face of adversity. You are ensuring something that multitudes of people endured for thousands of years before you.
Every day your life grows shorter. Live your values. Don’t waste what time you have left. But, “I’m still young and have many years,” you say? Zoom out and look at how short every life has ever been in the grand scheme of time. Yours is no different and tomorrow is never guaranteed. Make haste.
On First Sight:
- The last time something took my breath away at first sight: the majesty of nature. Snowfall. Flood. Sunset. Birds in flight. Squirrels chasing each other. I try to see it all for the first time, every time.
- Love at first sight? No. Attraction at first sight? Of course. The further can feed the latter, but infatuation and love are not the same thing
- I struggle to think of an instance when any connection or friendship has been instantaneous.
- What do others think the first ever time they meet me? It probably depends on the setting and varies from apathetic to empathetic. Perhaps I should work on that.
- First ever time meeting a person? I’ve usually met them before. I’ve stopped judging them for who they are, though. Instead, I try to appreciate why they are who they are, and that story will be much more nuanced and invites much more empathy. How we are made is much more interesting than what we’ve become.
- Can’t think of someone who has ever surprised me in a good way after a rocky start. Do I not give people the chance?