Gathered Wisdom
Here are the current “Top 50” gathered aphorisms, adages and proverbs I routinely pondered and ponder now to keep my head in the game when stressed or under attack.
Where I think I know the exact source, I so note. For some of these the source is forgotten or unknown and I may have modified the language to what suited me best. Others were developed personally from my study of such things. There is literally nothing here strikingly original, then.
1- Anger = fear. Ask yourself if you are getting angry: what exactly am I afraid of? The answer may surprise and enlighten you. (Paraphrase work of Jack Kornfield)
2- Gaining a skill is a function of “D Process”: Desire > Determination > Discipline > Dedication > Devotion
3- “Quality of life depends on what happens in the space between stimulus and response.” (Steven Covey)
4- Just being aware that you have control and a choice in how you respond emotionally to events is a big deal. That’s where you start: awareness. Then it comes down to discipline and practice. (Paraphrase work of William James, Steven Covey, Wayne Dyer and others)
5- Mind of peace = peace of mind.
6- Always pay attention. There is no need to judge. Smile. See clearly. Awareness is foundational. Think. Wonder. Dream. Be kind to yourself. Be persistent. No problem.
7- It’s all good, and so are you!
8- Beware Monkey Mind.
9- What’s the hurry?
10- “Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and go.” (Mooji)
11- “You are what you think.” (Buddha)
12- Quiet yourself and listen closely so life can speak to you.
13- Awaken to all your senses: see, taste, hear, feel, and smell.
14- Protect the asset: the asset is you! (Paraphrase of Greg McKeown)
15- Everything is possible. Zero limits. (Paraphrase of Joe Vitale)
16- Carpe momento.
17- Just remember that “busy” is often a choice many of us make by not focusing on essential priorities and letting seductive distractions steal our time. You may need to say “no” politely and without explanation to activities and people that don’t feed your soul.
18- You can give more to others when you give yourself the gift of calm.
19- Complexity does not necessarily imply intelligence.
20- Doing nothing may be a desirable option. Sometimes no thing can be a very good thing. Consider it.
21- Trust your instinct, which is most often accurate, whereas logic can be overwrought and become infused with confirmation bias to produce a predetermined outcome.
22- Rely on yourself, and rely on your well-informed gut, which processes information at a subliminal level without the bias of ego selectively picking and choosing data. Stop clinging predominantly to the problem solving, data gathering analytical left brain function and balance it with intuition for what it was intended for: living out loud and with conviction.
23- “Live simply so others can simply live.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
24- Keep it simple, smart one.
25- “Breathe. You’re going to be okay. Breathe and remember that you’ve been in this place before. You’ve been this uncomfortable and anxious and scared, and you’ve survived. Breathe and know you can survive this too. These feelings can’t break you. They’re painful and debilitating, but you can sit with them and eventually, they will pass. Maybe not immediately, but sometime soon, they are going to fade and when they do; you’ll look back at this moment and laugh for having doubted your resilience. I know it feels unbearable right now, but keep breathing, again and again. This will pass. I promise it will pass.” (Danielle Koepke)
26- Response-ability: you have the choice. Fight? Flight? Freeze? Flow!
27- “We don’t remember the days, we remember the moments.” (Cesare Pavese)
28- No one really remember the things you said in great detail. They will however remember precisely how they felt when you said them. (Maya Angelou paraphrased)
29- That said, words are important and can be powerful emotional weapons and medicine. Choose them thoughtfully.
30- “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” (Albert Einstein)
31- “Things do not change. We change.” (Henry David Thoreau)
32- “To be calm is the highest achievement of the self.” (Yogi Bhajan)
33- The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. (Paraphrase of Bertram Carr)
34- If not now, when? (Jewish proverb)
35- “When we fearlessly fight for what we believe in and remain optimistic about life, love and the future, we create a connection with all in our path, most importantly with ourselves.” (Gary Friedman)
36- Do one thing at a time — Do it slowly and deliberately — Do it completely — Put space between things — Develop rituals — Designate certain time for certain things — Devote time for sitting — Smile and serve others — Make cleaning and cooking a meditation — Think about what is really essential — Live simply — Be here now — Flow like the river (Source unknown)
37 — “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” (Mary Pickford)
38- “Live all you can — it’s a mistake not to. It doesn’t matter so much what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If you haven’t had that, what have you had?” (Henry James, “Ambassadors”)
39- “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
40- Just for today: Whatever happens, flow — Control the space between stimulus and response — Keep your eye on the prize — Breathe — Smile warmly — Be gracious, thankful and kind — Listen fully — Don’t judge — Be present — Be calm
41- “If you are willing to look at another person’s behavior toward you as a reflection of the state of their relationship with themselves rather than a statement about your value as a person, then you will, over a period of time, cease to react at all.” (Yogi Bhajan)
42- “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” (Charles Darwin)
43- Resolve to evolve.
44- “Just be kind.” (Mickey Hart)
45- Ride the wave.
46- Just keep moving forward.
47- Must be present to win.
48- “I am great. I am perfect. I am a master.” (Kenny Werner)
49- “Do in your heart what you feel to be right — for you’ll be criticized anyway.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
50- “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” (Abraham Lincoln)
