Thinking in Proverbs

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Immensely influenced by the philosophies of the Chinese, who usually think in symbols and proverbs, I too have long arranged and guided my thoughts with music and with words of wisdom. In fact, I listen to music as well as read a book every day. I also never fail to write daily—an entry in my journal, a short verse, or even a list of things. Through these ways, I remain in touch with the bard in me.

The wonderful thoughts I've listed below are just a few of those words of wisdom that continue and never fail to inspire me into weaving my own and into surging forward through any adversity Fate leaves out on my path. May these inspire you, too.

1. "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation."—Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist

2. "It's never too late to become what you might have been."—George Eliot

3. "Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless."—Bertrand Russell

4. "To have a good memory is both a blessing and a curse."—A.C. Crispin, Star Wars: The Han Solo Trilogy

5. “In the depths of Winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible Summer.”—Albert Camus

6. "Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought."—Percy Bysshe Shelley, "To a Skylark"

7. "As we grow older, we grow both wiser and more foolish at the same time."—Françoise, duc de La Rochefoucald, Maxims

8. "Dreams are expressions of repressed emotions."—Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams

9. "We are the children of our landscape; it dictates behavior and even thought in the measure to which we are responsive to it."—Lawrence Durrell, Justine

10. "Refusing to grow up is like refusing to accept your limitations. That's why I don't think we'll ever grow up."—Robert Smith of The Cure