Smart-mouthed old guys

At ripe old age of 26, I am re-exlporing vocation and to where it is that I am supposed to be taking this pleasure cruise called life.  Don’t worry, I am not seriously expecting to find any answers.  Just trying to tame down the kurfuffle in my head.

In my intentional pondering of vacation, I mean vocation, I came upon two inspiring and challenging quotes from a couple of the oldest guys in the books.  Enjoy!

Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation. ~ Aristotle

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. ~ Shakespeare

Words Worth Hearing

• He always takes individual human beings as seriously as their shredded dignity demands, and he has the resources to carry through with his high estimate of them.
                ~ Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

• Let the fragments of love be reassembled in you.  Only then will you have true courage. 
                                 ~Hayden Carruth, Sitting In

Words Worth Hearing

Yesterday I brought you the first installment of Song of the Week.  Today I plan to add another weekly post focused on quotes.  I’ve collected inspirational quotes for as long as I can remember.  In junior high and high school I was notorious for pinning, posting and taping quotes to anything that would hold them.  I was all about PMA and the power of inspiration.

Over the past eight years or so though, I’ve had to face the reality that a positive mental attitude doesn’t usually make up for a lack of talent.  It doesn’t matter how inspired I am, my psuedo-sister Sarah’s always going to beat me (and pretty much everyone she ever runs against). 

Additionally, I learned that a positive mental attitude doesn’t change your circumstances.  Positive mental attitude cannot prevent someone’s world from crumbling.  Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, loss of a job or loss of face, it’s going to happen whether you’re inspired or not.  PMA might help you later on once it all sinks in, but upon the initial impact of shit hitting the fan, nothing is going to help.  It’s going to hurt, leave you scared, leave you scarred. 

At any rate, I slowly stopped collecting quotes over the past couple years, because deep down I was starting to believe it was all a crock.  And then Winter 2006 happened and I knew for sure it was all a crock.  So many things and people had failed me in life and now words had fully and completely failed me too.  It was at that point that the transition was complete.  I gave up on being inspired.  Instead, I spent my emotional energy on preparing for the other shoe to fall.  PMA stopped standing for positive mental attitude.  Pessimistic mental attitude was more like it.

But with that attitude prevailing in my head, I found myself living in a state of dread and fear.  And that’s just wrong.  I was not meant to live in constant anticipation of dissapointment. 

So it’s time to get inspired again.  I’m back on the prowl for words that encourage me to strive and affirm my reality.  I hope to share one or two quotes on the blog each week.  I’d also love to have you share any cool quotes you come upon as well, so share away!

 Here are this week’s quotes:

• We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.  C.S. Lewis
• May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.  May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.  Edward Abbey