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Inspiration Quotes

The Prophet [Book]

    By: Kahlil Gibran

    18 Quotes ➜
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    Book Overview: Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. The Prophet has been translated into over 100 different languages, making it one of the most translated books in history and the American editions alone have sold more than nine million copies. The Prophet is a collection of poetic essays that are philosophical, spiritual, and, above all, inspirational. Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such sprawling topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.

      “If you’re feeling creative, do the errands tomorrow. If you’re fit and healthy, take a day to go surfing. When inspiration strikes, write it down. The calendar belongs to everyone else. Their schedule isn’t your schedule unless it helps you get where you’re going.”

      Seth Godin, Blog

        “Where is the fuel to keep us going? Anger gets you only so far, and then it destroys you. Jealousy might get you started, but it will fade. Greed seems like a good idea until you discover that it eliminates all of your joy. The path forward is about curiosity, generosity, and connection. These are the three foundations of art. Art is a tool that gives us the ability to make things better and to create something new on behalf of those who will use it to create the next thing.”

        Seth Godin, The Practice (Page 255)

          “I’ve never believed that one should wait until one is inspired because I think that the pleasures of not writing are so great that if you ever start indulging them you will never write again.”

          John Updike, via Daily Rituals (Page 195) | Read Matt’s Blog on this quote ➜

          Seneca Quote on Using Rulers To Make What’s Crooked, Straight.

            “Without a ruler to do it against, you can’t make crooked straight.”

            Seneca, The Daily Stoic (Page 36)

            Beyond the Quote (Day 393)

            Role models serve as rulers for our lives. Without role models, there’s no reference to compare the line of our lives against. How to know which direction is “straight” and which is “crooked?” It’s like when you’re lost at sea. Having a reference point like the North Star or a compass to guide your direction is everything. Otherwise, who knows which direction leads to land? All direction is arbitrary without a guide. This is how it is in our lives, too.

            Read More »Seneca Quote on Using Rulers To Make What’s Crooked, Straight.

              “I’ve never believed that one should wait until one is inspired because I think that the pleasures of not writing are so great that if you ever start indulging them you will never write again.” ~ John Updike, via Daily Rituals

                “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.  Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” ~ Patanjali, Indian Philosopher

                  “Waiting for inspiration is another way of saying that you’re stalling.  You don’t wait for inspiration; you command it to appear.”

                  Seth Godin, Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?

                    “When we’re plagued with self-doubt or a lack of motivation, we can breathe in the inspiration of others. Seek out the passion that other people have for their work, the compassion they bring for other people, the goodness in their hearts that inspires them to do their work. We don’t have to copy what they’re doing, but instead be inspired by their spirit.” ~ Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

                      “You open doors when you open books… doors that swing wide to unlimited horizons of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration that will enlarge the dimensions of your life.” ~ Wilfred Peterson, The Art of Living

                        “The professional does not wait for inspiration; he acts in anticipation of it.” ~ Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro

                          “Getting started is a form of active inspiration that naturally produces momentum. You have probably experienced this phenomenon before. For example, going for a run may seem overwhelming or exhausting just to think about before you begin, but if you can muster up the energy to start jogging, you’ll often find that you become more motivated to finish as you go. In other words, it’s easier to finish the run than it was to start it in the first place.” ~ James Clear, Blog

                            “How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such a fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself as anything less than a god?  And, when you consider that this incalculably subtle organism is inseparable from the still more marvelous patterns of its environment – from the minutest electrical designs to the whole company of the galaxies – how is it conceivable that this incarnation of all eternity can be bored with being?” ~ Alan Watts, The Book