You know when you’re, like, in that, like, frame of mind when things, just, like, aren’t, you know, aren’t mixing… No, not mixing. Joining. Converging. No, what’s that word? Means, um… coalescing. That’s not it either, but that’s good enough. Anyway, you know how in that kind of, like, situation, when things just aren’t going your, like, way, and things are just, like falling apart all around you and stuff?
From that famous and deep thinker/cowboy Curly Washburn (played by Jack Palance) in the movie City Slickers. Its the secret to being happy in life. Something to the effect of:
“Its that one thing. Figure out that one thing and you’ll be happy”
But, that “one thing” may or may not be a specific thing. It may well be totally different for different people…its your personal thing and you need to figure it out.
“Slumbering in every human being lies an infinity of possibilities, which one must not arouse in vain. For it is terrible when the whole man resonates with echoes and echoes, none becoming a real voice.” -Elias Canetti, Notes from Hampstead
Oh, yeah. I love Twain quotes as well. You can look at the quote from Shaw and see it in various people. Perfect example is Steve Jobs. Now, I am no Apple fanboi, but I have to admit that Steve Jobs did things his way and did change the world with his vision (to the extent that portable electronic devices are going to do so). These people are relatively rare and I always feel I should work to become more unreasonable.
“All my possessions for a moment of time.”-Elizabeth I
“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all - my favourite line from Futurama, and also true.
There shall be but one mistress here, and no master - Elizabeth I. I like this because I don’t think it’s just about her reluctance to marry, I think it can be about being accountable to yourself.
Have patience with everything unresolved, and try to love the questions themselves - Rilke. To which Irvin D. Yalom adds: Try to love the questioners as well.
“There are two classes of human beings. One has ideas, which it believes in fully, perhaps, but modifies to bring about “success”. The other class has ideas which it believes in and must carry out absolutely; success or no success. The first class has a tremendous majority, and they are all slaves. The second class are the only free people in the world.”