If you have been reading here for the past few months, you have probably already gathered that I share a pretty strong connection with my faith. You can read more about it on my about page.
This is not what this post is about.
This is about how much I love community, and more specifically how much I love this blogging community. I love new visitors and I love comments. I appreciate the views and readership from people of all different walks of life.
Whether you believe in God…
or not
Whether you consider yourself a Christian, Muslim, Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, or anything…
or not
Bottom line: Everybody has a story to share, everybody has an opinion, and everybody reading this,
is Human.
Yesterday I thought I had a great idea while remembering some of my favorite quotes from movies, books, or speeches.
So I wrote them down.
These are just random quotes that have buried themselves in my head sometime in the last few years, and I want to know what, or how you feel about them. Some of these you’ll instantly recognize, others probably not so much.
“Everything happens for a reason”
“Hurt people, hurt people”
“Wherever you are, be all there”
“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try.'”
“No man can walk out on his own story”
“It is, what it is”
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”
“Fate seldom calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.”
“Forgiven people, forgive people”
“You really think your family is looking out for you?”
“What we do in life echoes in eternity”
Each one of these quotes came during specific “seasons” of my life, and I felt like I could just write all day. So instead, I decided to do something a little different. I wanted to try an experiment.
So what is the experiment?
Be Human, and share how one of these quotes make you feel.
- If you have already written about what one of these particular quotes means to you, please share the link in the comments.
- If you would like to write about what one of these quotes mean to you, please share the link in the comments.
- If you do not have a blog to link, but one of these quotes resonates within your soul… you get the drift.
I’ve removed their origins so as to take them out of your element and spark a little creativity.
Also, for those who need or want a challenge, just pick an unfamiliar one to write about.
(Of course you can just Google them, but what would be the fun in that?)
Ben,
“Do, or do not. there is no ‘try.’”
That’s the one for me. Yes, I am well aware of where it comes from, who said it, and what movie. But if I look at it without any kind of bias, and compare them to the other quotes you shared, THIS is the one that hits home.
I do not try in my faith. I do not try in my Christianity. I do not try in my relationship with God. I do not try in walking as a son in the spirit of sonship to God my Father. I do not try because I already know that He. Can. Do.
This is why I do not struggle. This is why I do not worry, fret, or concern myself with the distracting elements of life this side of Heaven. There is only Him, and He is more than capable of doing. For me to try would be futile. For me to try would only serve to muck things up.
Nope. It’s Him. Not me. It’s what He has done and what He is doing and what He is going to do that matter. Simple as that.
I’m with Donald. I’m trying to remove “try” out of my vocabulary…wait, dang it!
LOL! You fail Tony, you fail! 🙂
Amen brotha.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”
That is essential in whatever field/situation you are in. Business, life, relationship, etc. Love it.
Also… Gladiator rocks. So, I like your last one.
I honestly can’t remember who I heard this from first, but I do know this impacted me in such a way that it has changed my life, forever.
I’m with Dustin. Try doesn’t mean anything. Doing is what makes a difference.
In my Christian life, I hate the Pharisaical spirit. It’s the spirit of “appearance”. Of making it seem like I do, but do not. My prayer to God is that I never become one of them. If I do, one of ya can come to NYC and shoot me between the eyeballs. After coffee of course.
Totally with you, but since I’m holier than you it doesn’t effect me as much because where your card was Gold, mine is platinum.
Oh, I guess I should say that everything above this sentence is a complete lie, in case you’re new…
This is a great idea, Ben!
“No man can walk out on his own story”
Sadly – many men have. Honestly, I almost did. The pain that comes to us from the many wounds we receive can break us – breaks many men. How many men do you know – or know of that have walked on their family? Maybe not in the literal sense even – maybe they’ve checked out mentally, not available to their wives or children. But, this quote resonates with me because there’s a challenge in the words. If we let those words sink in – it can move us to live a better story. Only if we have hearts that are wide open.
By the way – I liked Rango. It was a little too dark for my 5 year old…but I liked the overall message of the film.
I was wondering if you knew where this was from. It’s crazy how this animated movie all of a sudden paused for me in the theater when this was said, and in an instant I reflected on all of the decisions I have made as a son, father and husband.
I really like the one “wherever you are, be all there”. Just went through my review at work and this has been a really tough year on our State as far as the economy goes so there isn’t much chance at raises – the business is in “survival” mode. In spite of how bleak it appears, there have been some really “So God” moments. Each morning, (the employees I work with) share with each other what is happening in our lives before we begin our work day. It has been a real blessing for me to watch God perform His miracles in a very “secular” and “greedy” industry. He is transforming everyone as they draw closer to Him. Just simply awesome!
Love hearing about those “So God” moments, and (knowing some of your employees) I think it’s incredible that are sharing.
Awesome!
Thanks!
>>>Everything happens for a reason
I think this is a cliche that really doesn’t mean anything, at least it doesn’t mean anything to me.
People often say this in bad situations-like a car accident, or a miscarriage. It often goes hand in hand with the statment, “God won’t give you more than you can handle”.
Where I find more meaning is from knowing that God can work everything in my life for His good. There are bad things that happen in my life. And, sometimes those things are because of my own foolish choices and sometimes it’s because we live in a fallen world. Point being, I don’t think they happen for a specific reason. Where the “reason” comes in is where God changes everything-where He shows up, gives me strength to get through it (it is waaaaaaay more than I can handle, that’s why I depend on Him), and makes something beautiful out of my brokeness. He heals my heart, and is glorified through the healing.
This quote is seriously probably one of my biggest pet peeves.
I’m totally with you in how knowing God works, His works. Him showing up always amazes me.
“Wherever you are, be all there”
Bam. I suck at this. Especially sometimes. If that makes any sense.
I’m a master of deception. I can make you think I’m paying attention when I’m not. And it’s despicable.
But I’m better these days. I swear. The important stuff…I don’t skip out on. The less important stuff is a work in progress.
Good to know you’re better these days 🙂
I too have fallen victim to trying to multi-task at home and with the important stuff. It’s just not worth it.
“It is, what it is” is one that I have thought/said over and over for the last few years. It helps me to remember that there are an untold number of things that fall far out of my realm of control–something that I continually need to remember. “It is what it is.”
An untold number of things… I despise that uncertainty, but I embrace knowing that God is, what He is.
Hurt people … Hurt People
This statement plays out everyday in my line of work. I am needing to remind our students that hurt people…hurt people. This sometimes helps explains to them some of their circumstances or even opens their eyes to their past hurts.
Sean, in your line of work I’m sure you can completely understand this.
The good news is, the opposite side of that: Forgiven people, forgive people.
“It is, what it is”
When I read this it took be straight back to a period in my life that I couldn’t explain. It was tough because I was obviously entering a new season but wasn’t sure why. The circumstances left me with the only response but “It is, what it is”. I was trusting God for my future and therefore the only response was to continue trusting that He was in control, and that whatever to make of my current situation, He would go with me into the future!
Trusting God, such a huge struggle for some of us yet His plan is PERFECT, so why struggle?
Thanks for visiting Rich!
I wrote a post back in November on my personal blog about “Wherever you are, be all there.”
3 Places You Need to Be.
Awesome, heading there now.
Here ya go my friend:
http://wp.me/pWdOA-LD
All kinds of win right there Adam, kudos!
“wherever you are, be all there”
I like to scan the horizon for the next new thing, never committing fully to the moment or the situation. That’s a problem, because it means I’m not engaging. I multitask to the point of distraction and everything is half-butted. That needs to end and I need to focus.
Half-butted… lol
I get ya, looking ahead to the future is sometimes a problem for me, because then I would try and control it, get distracted, and next thing I know my kids are off to college.
Boo…