“I’d always imagined myself as the kind of writer who would help other people tell their stories, but increasingly I found myself gravitating toward the first person. Illness had turned my gaze inward.”
Suleika Jaouad, Between Two Kingdoms (Page 107)
Reflection Quotes
“When in trouble, just let go. Go back to idle.”
Delia Owens, Where The Crawdads Sing (Page 41) | Read Matt’s Blog on this quote ➜
Men go forth to wonder at the heights of mountains,
the huge waves of the sea,
the broad flow of the rivers,
the vast compass of the ocean,
the courses of the stars,
and they pass by themselves without wondering.
Saint Augustine, via Becoming Wise (Page 163)
“History always repeats itself until we honestly and searchingly know ourselves.”
Krista Tippett, Becoming Wise (Page 3)
“One has not understood until one has forgotten it.”
Suzuki Daisetz, via Sunbeams (Page 109)
“‘The things we see,’ Pistorius said softly, ‘are the same things that are within us. There is no reality except the one contained within us. That is why so many people live such unreal lives. They take the images outside them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself.'”
Hermann Hesse, Demian, via Sunbeams (Page 89)
“To be rational today, we have to do just three things: First, we must look inward. Next, we must examine ourselves critically. Finally, we must make our own decisions—uninhibited by biases or popular notions.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 122)
“Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.”
Nathan W. Morris (Read Matt’s Blog On This Quote)
Don’t leave your masterpiece unfinished.
(Read Matt’s Blog on this quote)
John Cowper Powys Quote on The Past and How It’s Not Set In Stone, But Open To Interpretation
“The mistake we make is to turn upon our past with angry wholesale negation… The way of wisdom is to treat it airily, lightly, wantonly, and in a spirit of poetry; and above all to use its symbols, which are its spiritual essence, giving them a new connotation, a fresh meaning.”
John Cowper Powys, Sunbeams (Page 26)
Beyond the Quote (Day 408)
Not only do we try to deny (often angrily) the events of our past, but we often turn on our past as if it’s without any use at all. Like it just is what it is and any time spent looking back is wasteful. But, that’s not entirely true. While, yes, our past is composed of unalterable events, what it’s not composed of is unalterable interpretations. We are free to interpret the events of our past however we choose. But, when we believe that looking back isn’t worth our time—because we “aren’t going that way”—we miss the chance to update our interpretations and give the events of our past fresh meaning.
Read More »John Cowper Powys Quote on The Past and How It’s Not Set In Stone, But Open To InterpretationJames Clear Quote on Learning and How Reading and Reflecting Hold the Keys To Knowledge
“Reading can teach you the best of what others already know. Reflection can teach you the best of what only you can know.”
James Clear
Beyond the Quote (318/365)
And if you’re not doing either, where is it that everything you know is coming from? From social media? From click-bait websites? From news conglomerates? Or maybe from friends and family members? But, where then are they getting their knowledge from? From those same sources? The question you have to ask yourself is, how does the quality of this information compare to the quality of the information that might be obtained from reading and reflecting? I suspect that it may not only be substantially below in quality, but of little to no quality at all. I suspect that it’s a no comparison.
Read More »James Clear Quote on Learning and How Reading and Reflecting Hold the Keys To KnowledgeLeslie Ralph Quote on Feeling Complete and How To Feel Whole Even With Holes In Your Life
“How can anyone feel complete when they only ever accept a fraction of themselves?”
Leslie Ralph, Tiny Buddha
Beyond the Quote (304/365)
Many people try and fill the “holes” in their lives with another person. The “holes” being fears, doubts, insecurities, and traumas that might have been a part of their past that leave them feeling un-whole. Like parts of them are missing. Like there are voids that they can’t quite figure out or understand. Like only “half” of a person who needs another “half” to feel completed. But, there are two problems with this way of thinking.
Read More »Leslie Ralph Quote on Feeling Complete and How To Feel Whole Even With Holes In Your LifeHannah Brencher Quote on Baggage and How We Might Best Move Forward From Our Past
“We all have a bag. We all pack differently. Some of us are traveling light. Some of us are secret hoarders who’ve never parted with a memory in our lives. I think we are all called to figure out how to carry our bag to the best of our ability, how to unpack it, and how to face the mess. I think part of growing up is learning how to sit down on the floor with all your things and figuring out what to take with you and what to leave behind.”
Hannah Brencher
Beyond the Quote (301/365)
Part of me loves this idea. Just sit down on the floor, unpack all of the memories, feelings, and experiences and figure out what to take and what to leave behind. Sounds great, doesn’t it? We could all just pack up our bags with all of the good and take all of the “bad” to the curb and part with it forever. But, as great as it sounds, the other part of me knows that it isn’t that easy.
Read More »Hannah Brencher Quote on Baggage and How We Might Best Move Forward From Our Past
Epicurus Quote on What The Wise Will Accomplish in Their Life
“Epicurus once said that the wise will accomplish three things in their life: leave written works behind them, be financially prudent and provide for the future, and cherish country living. That is to say, we will be reflective, we will be responsible and moderate, and we will find time to relax in nature.”
Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 183)
Beyond the Quote (119/365)
If there was ever a time to prioritize reflection, responsibility/ moderation, and nature, this would be the time. COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on the world—our world. It took almost everything that we grew to rely on as part of our daily lives and flipped it all upside down. Family dynamics aren’t the same. Work isn’t the same. Education isn’t the same. Extracurricular activities aren’t the same. Food isn’t the same. Friends aren’t the same. Shopping isn’t the same. Exercise isn’t the same. Entertainment isn’t the same. Everything has been affected. And when the landscape all around us is shifting as rapidly as it is under these circumstances, what we need now more than ever is stability and stillness within.
Read More »Epicurus Quote on What The Wise Will Accomplish in Their Life