Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Life

Many great people have come before us. Through their actions and through their words, they have inspired us to achieve our own greatness in life, to challenge the status quo, to reach for the stars and to overcome the gravest of hardships.

One of the great things about these quotes about life is that they can crystallize something you have been thinking about on your own. It can capture the very essence of a moment.
Take President John F. Kennedy's visionary inaugural address statement: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." The call to greater service than self energized an entire nation, leading to a new age of social, cultural, economic and technological growth, including taking us to the moon and back by the end of the decade.

Quotes to live by can serve as important affirmations in our lives, reinforcing our thoughts on service, happiness, grief, excellence, commitment, quality, passion - any number of things that are part of the human experience.

For example, a life quote on not having regrets is captured beautifully by John Gardner: "Life is the art of drawing without an eraser."
In nine simple, elegant words, he paints with broad brush strokes the importance of having passion, about living life fully and without having any desire to change anything that transpires - it is a quote about life that is born from living it and expressing its lessons to others.


As you can see, life quotes can come in really handy in your own life. If you've ever been called on to speak, you know how important the right quote can be in setting the stage. It doesn't matter if you're speaking at commencement upon graduation, making a presentation to the local chamber or raising a toast as best man at your brother's wedding, the right quote of life can make or break an occasion.


So, how do you go about finding the perfect quote? In the old days, you had to make a trip to the library and sort through a bevy of books in the hopes of lucking out and finding one quote that could work. Nowadays there's the Internet, and even if you only know a snippet of a quote or the name of its originator, you can use search strings to find it quickly and easily.

There's no right or wrong Quote about Life, of course. They can be very personal and meaningful, if only to you. They can serve as the point of a compass to guide you in your own life or be used as the opener, and even a showstopper, in a speech.


In fact, that is one of the best uses for a quote on life. While it can be hard, if not impossible, for the ordinary person - or even an experienced writer - to capture the theme or essence of a speech or presentation - the right quote can do it quickly and effectively. It can save you hours of toying with words or stressing over the empty page that is before you, deadline looming.


Imagine if you opened with a line like, "The only mistake in life is the lesson not learned," by Albert Einstein, and then launched into recollections of your own life and how others can learn lessons from it, not only trying to motivate yourself but motivate others with Motivational Quotes.


Or perhaps, adding some levity to a reception toast with, "All marriages are happy. It's living together afterward s that is difficult." ...Funny Quotes. Just be sure you go on to explain to the new bride and groom - along with their glaring family - that they have obviously found the secret to making it look easy.

As you see, the right quotes about life can really capture a moment. It can take you out of a tight spot when you're called upon to speak. It can help lift you out of a moment of despair. It can inspire you to achieve greatness. And it can propel you forward in life, knowing that others who have come before you have already tread in your shoes, showing you the way through their enduring words.

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