This version of the world we're living in is unpredictable. The disorder makes nothing feel normal; the days disappear quicker and quicker. The value of money is deteriorating; human life seems to hold even less importance. Everyone is on opposing sides but battling in the same war. When we're in the dark, it's hard to remember the light.
The brain wants to forget. In the moment, we feel our emotions so powerfully they feel eternal. When we're sick, we beg to feel how we did before, and after it's over, we're swift to forget the suffering. When money is low, it feels like the heaviest burden one can imagine, but it's easy to wipe the ramen noodle dinners from memory when it's abundant. It's hard for me to even conjure up a mental picture of life before COVID. When I watch a reality TV show that occurred before masks and social distancing, I feel my body tense, even through a screen when I see a crowd.
It's important to stay grounded and aware of the simple truths in life. They're easy to forget- even easier to overlook. Especially when things are so hectic. But they're the bits of advice that jump out and grab you. These truths are universal and timeless. They're relevant no matter how the world changes. They temporarily shift your perspective. They make you better- until the brain settles back into a continuous motion and little reflection cycle.
I've been pondering on the following quotes to bring myself back down to earth a little. Some are new, and some have been my favorites for a long time.
1. "It's good to do uncomfortable things. It's weight training for life."
- Anne Lamott
2. "Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why."
-Kurt Vonnegut
3. "Even the smallest shift in perspective can bring about the greatest healing."
- Joshua Kai
4. "Happiness like creativity is not diminished if you share it."
- David Amerland
5. "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
- Kurt Vonnegut
6. "Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness."
- Yousuf Karsh
7. "All of our miseries are nothing but attachment."
- Osho
8. "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."
- Epicurus
9. "Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother's busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted.
He's making sure you're fully absorbed. He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix. He's making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it's worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world."
- Chuck Palahniuk
10. "All cruelty springs from weakness."
- Seneca
11. "They lose the day in expectation of the night and the night in fear of the dawn."
- Seneca
12. "Associate with people who are likely to improve you."
- Seneca
13. "The success you will get will always be in proportion to your dedication towards the work."
- Shiva Negi
14. “I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.”
- Herbert Bayard Swope
15. "There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."
- Mahatma Gandhi
16. "We do not always see the things that are nearest to us. We pass by riches that lie close at hand and chase after rainbows."
- Paramahansa Yogananda
17. “Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”
- Natalie Goldberg
18. "My rule is to break one sweat a day."
- Matthew McConaughey
19. “I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money.”
-Tara Westover
20. “I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.”
- Natalie Goldberg
21.“Be tough in the way a blade of grass is: rooted, willing to lean, and at peace with what is around it.”
- Natalie Goldberg
22. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”
- Herman Melville
Parting Words
Whether you're like me and constantly chasing the ever-elusive and mysterious "happiness" I hear so much about, or if something else is weighing on your mind and body, I hope something in this list helps. If only to spark a thought that leads you down a new path or catalyzes a change in thinking.
We're all wading through uncharted territory, but just like the blade of grass, we can place roots and find peace with what's happening around us.
———————————————————————
Hi,
Thank you for reading! If you like what I do and want to support me, consider buying an art print here.
Talk soon,
RJ
About the Creator
RJ
Find me on Instagram at @awriterwhodraws
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