A Month Later Comes Day 6

Day 6: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

I like this quote because it reminds me of someone I once knew. He had endured some of the most ghastly and traumatizing events I have ever heard of anyone experiencing. Any one these experiences would dishearten a persons outlook on life. Yet, this individual survived multiple traumas and was still the most optimistic person I have known. You would never guess by meeting him how dire some of his life experiences have been because his attitude was so positive. You couldn't help but be inspired by him. He said something to me once that has stuck with me all these years. "What's the purpose of being sad and depressed or even angry and volatile? In the end, that won't change the past or your current circumstances. You have to just take the hand you've been dealt, learn from it, and move on. There are too many reasons to be happy to waste one moment on despair."

You know what? I agree with him. I'd like to call myself an optimist, but  being an optimist isn't easy. It takes constant work and there are moments when you just want to throw in the towel and give in to pessimism. But you can't and you shouldn't.

Funf

Day 5: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

I think this speaks for itself. Never underestimate the things you can accomplish especially when you are driven. There are no limits to the goals you can reach when you believe in yourself. Fear is an instrument used to lure us away from our potential and towards self-doubt, uncertainty, and a life full of anxiety. Don’t give in. Look up. With faith and perseverance you will succeed. :)

Oh Fo

Day 4: Learn not only to find what you like, learn to like what you find.

If you spend your life concentrating on seeking only the things you like, in the end you’ll be missing out. How can one broaden their horizons or develop new interests without trying new things? My advice? Keep an open kind, give everything a try at least once. This goes for people too. You never know when you’re going to meet someone who will change your life. So, be kind to your neighbors. Go bungee jumping. Learn a new language. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you are experiencing this crazy beautiful thing we call life.

II and III

DAY 2: A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

Gods glory is not something we can ever take from Him whether we choose to admit it or not. Just because we don’t recognize his sovereignty doesn’t make him any less sovereign. Saying that it does is saying we have something to do with His Glory. His glory is not because of us it is in spite of us. We are His children, His sin ridden children whom He chose to redeem through the blood of His only son. Does He not deserve everything we are, everything we do? He will forever be glorious and magnificent whether we choose to worship Him or not. Just because we wish something so, does not make it so.

Day 3: You cant romance success without also courting disaster.

In order to achieve the greatest success we must step out on the ledge, push boundaries, and attempt what others may view as unachievable. Nothing worth achieving is easily achievable and some amount of failure is to be expected to reach the ultimate success. You cannot have one without the other. The fine line between what is already done and what can not be done is successful innovation. So go, do, succeed. Change the world. :)

And It Begins

Ok so here’s the deal. Everyone is hyped up on the 365 days of photos project. You know one photo taken for everyday over the course of one year. Well I’m going do something along those lines, something with a twist. Since I spend most of my free time reading and writing I want to propose something a little different. Instead of 365 days of photos I’m embarking on 365 days of quotes. One quote for everyday for the next year. I’ll blog the quote, may jot down a few thoughts about it, who knows. Nothing fancy. Just something to think on. I like the idea. May even help my writers block. :) Kind of reminds me of my sophomore year of high school when we had to journal daily. Let’s see how this goes. I’ll do my darnedest to blog daily but in case I do miss a day…or two…which I most likely will (What can i say? Life can get down right crazy sometimes) I will make up for with extra quotes. :) So here goes.

DAY 1: Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right.

I think this quote pretty much speaks for itself. It’s so simple that it’s insightful and that’s why I like it. We often think of the world in black and white, right and wrong—-if you’re not doing the wrong thing you must be doing the right thing, right? Not so much. The world is tinted in shades of gray. And in order to be truly “good” we have to set out to do good, to change the world, to leave our own mark.