These are a few quotes that I’ve come up with…
“Everyone is a steak holder, even if they aren’t a stockholder.” (21 Oct 2023 11:00 AM) — This is a phrase I’ve used over the years, but hadn’t added it to the quotes page until now. A Google search has no results for the phrase, but it should eventually point to this page. [View Search] The point of the quote is to convey the soft investments and returns we all have in the institutions, organizations, and businesses we partner with.
“Art, architecture, literature, music, cuisine, festivals, traditions, and accomplishments of our ancestors are all living witnesses of our ancient heritage. Culture rises above clashes and calls all people back to their better angels. Like unseen elders towering over us, they guide by example and collective wisdom.” (16 Oct 2023 at 9:00 PM)
“I was woke once. Then I pushed the snooze button.” (7 Oct 2022 at 8:00 PM)
“There’s no coupon code for freedom.” (1 Jul 2021 at 10:12 AM)
“Everyday is one day closer to tomorrow.” and “Today is one day closer to tomorrow.” (30 Jan 2021 at 2:00 PM)
“The pigeons became disappointed with the government and decided to stage a coo.” (22 Oct 2020 at 6:40 PM)
“I’m going to get a pet and name it Peeve. Then I can say, ‘Here’s my pet Peeve.'” (15 Oct 2020 at 11:43 PM)
“Kindness is the new currency. Thoughtfulness, generosity, respectfulness, and kindness – these things are like a currency. They have value.” (31 Mar 2020) The idea of kindness as currency came to me after thinking about how we sometimes do things in exchange for appreciation and sometimes an act of kindness or thoughtfulness will motivate us to do something more than money. I’d asked a company if they would send me some food products to review and they sent out a generous amount of their products which I appreciated. A search for the phrase “kindness is the new currency” revealed that others, apparently spontaneously, had that phrase come to them in recent years. It sometimes happens that multiple people can think of the same phrase or idea. But I recorded it here on my quotes page as something that came to me as well.
“Where does the expression ‘Tough as Nuns’ come from? Well, probably from things like this. In Sep 2016, 500 nuns trained in Kung Fu rode bicycles for over 2,400 miles through treacherous high altitude barren mountains from Nepal’s Kathmandu to the northern city of Leh in India.” (2 Oct 2019 @ 11:00 AM) Note: I subsequently did a search on the phrase “Tough as Nuns” and discovered there were only two instances for those words in quotes. So, the phrase hasn’t really been in common use.
“There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to a national security defense spending. Up to a point, you are provided with improved security. After that point, you are cutting into education, infrastructure, and social services. Thus, excessive spending on national security can be a threat to national security and the wellbeing of all citizens.” (31 May 2019 @ 1:11 PM)
“We should be sweet people, and to do so, we can look to the honey bee who gathers pollen from various plants to make honey. We can gather all that’s good from a variety of sources whether religions, literature, the arts, etc. Then provide positivity to the world around us.” (24 May 2019 @ 11:03 PM)
“People don’t just want a place to be. They want a place to belong.” (3 Aug 2018 @ 4:48 AM CDT)
“The Lake Tahoe area is impactful and transformative for those who visit or live there. The innovative responses to environmental, transportation, and development challenges are helping inform and inspire communities around the world. I want to give back to the land, lake, and community that has done so much for me.” (12 Jul 2018 @ 5:39 AM CDT)
“To gather public funds for education, jobs, housing, infrastructure, and renewable energy is socialism. However, when those same funds are used for war, it’s patriotism.” (17 Apr 2018 @ 9:26 PM CT)
“When we surrender entirely to the universe, it seems like the ultimate giving in, a place of complete vulnerability with all defenses down, yet it is the only position from which we actually end up having strength.” (27 Feb 2018 @ 7:51 PM CT)
“Cutting back on public education to save money is like a farmer who sells his tractor to get out of a financial crunch, or a truck driver selling the tires of the truck to make some extra cash.” (8 Feb 2018 @ 4:30 PM CT)
“The stressful thing about vacations is that it’s so hard to get any work done.” (13 Oct 2017 @ 5:48 AM CT)
“Why do we hate people who hate people to show that hating people is wrong?” (18 Aug 2017 @ 7:15 AM CT)
“I like capitalism. Yet, presently only about 1/10th of 1% of the people are actually participating in and benefitting form capitalism in a significant way. The rest are just producing wealth for those few at the top. Is socialism the practice of taking away private ownership from the masses? Or is it giving ownership and capitalism to the masses?” (30 July 2017 @ 9:26 PM CST)
“Joe was not able to push over a cow in the cow tipping competition. From then on, they called him a lousy tipper.” (17 Jun 2017 @ 6:57 PM CST)
“A good use of land is to let it return to its natural state.” (17 Jun 2017 @ 1:34 PM CST)
“We need to conquer the aggressive ego-driven narcissistic alpha dogs. They are controlling bullies who lead by fear and intimidation for self-promotion and selfish gain. United, we can become a ‘collective alpha dog’ and a people who are self-governed. Democratically leading with compassion, fairness, inclusion, and understanding for the greater good of all.” (26 Feb 2017 @ 8:25 AM CST)
“Tomorrow will be better than yesterday because of our choices and actions today.” (29 Jan 2017)
“Yes, we must ‘Speak Truth to Power!’ but we also must speak hope to power and speak appreciation and gratitude to power when power gets it right.” (20 January 2017 @ 9:27 AM CST)
“A feminist victory isn’t won by women becoming more militant. It’s won by everyone becoming more peaceful, caring, collaborative, forgiving, supportive, understanding, sensitive, nurturing, spiritual, transcendent, and unified.” (19 January 2017 @ 11:42 AM CST)
“ATTENTION – Just so you know, I’m not going to abandon Facebook out of frustration with people. Also, here is a list of the people I won’t be unfriending today: Republicans, Democrats, Trump supporters, Hillary supporters, Libertarians, Greens, Conservatives, Liberals, hunters, vegans, people driving diesel trucks rolling coal, bicyclists, people who drive hybrids, people who drive SUVs, Black Lives Matter activists, police officers, LGBT people, rednecks, evangelicals, Unitarians, atheists, Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, Israelis, wealthy people, poor people, soldiers, peace activists, people proud of the U.S.A., those who believe the U.S.A. can do better, those I disagree with, and finally, the ‘deplorables.’ Instead of unfriending, I’m going to seek out friendships with those who think and live differently than I do. I’m going to listen, seek to understand, and respect people. Let’s stop labeling and vilifying each other. Let’s find common ground and work together. There’s more we have in common and agree on, than those things we don’t agree on.” (Facebook post on 11 Nov 2016 @ 3:49 PM CST)
“We must become the butterfly that flaps its wings, and brings about a ripple effect of peace, love, healing, and unity that impacts the entire world.” (9 Nov 2016 @ 2000)
“We need to be grateful for those who have served in the military and put their lives on the line for our freedoms, but equally so, we need to acknowledge that there are others who sacrifice and may give their lives, fighting to bring peace rather than fighting to stop war.” (18 Feb 2016 @ 1039)
“Life is magical. Sometimes we notice it.” (5 Feb 2016 @ 0825)
“Your reputation equity will rise or fall depending on how happy your employees are.” (25 Jan 2016)
“To believe is to see with more than just our eyes.” (11 Dec 2015)
“Looking back, we also look forward. Then we know what really matters. Sincerity. Laughter. Smiles. Kindness. Caring.” (21 August 2015, in memory of Paul Carter)
“Living smaller isn’t so much an architectural challenge, but a challenge of rethinking what we need to live.” (16 May 2015)
“Why do we become intolerant of people who are intolerant of people to show that being intolerant is wrong?” (24 April 2015)
“Great teachers don’t tell us what to think, they teach us how to think.” (17 Apr 2015)
“I don’t write poetry, I live poetry.” (13 December 2014)
“Vegetarianism is the choice between calf or de-calf.” (6 August 2014)
“Life is too short to be lived in the third person.” (6 Aug 2014)
“Freedom isn’t free. Thank a peace activist.” (17 Jan 2014)
“We can’t focus our energy on the problems… We must focus on solutions that make those problems irrelevant.” (30 Apr 2010)
“Love is opportunity knocking on the door of your heart.” (25 Feb 2010 at 5:22 PM)
“Sometimes big problems are best solved using small solutions.” (27 May 2009 at 7:53 PM)
“Growing is ongoing. In every area of life, whatever mountain we’ve climbed, there is always another behind it. Whatever success we’ve had, another awaits. No matter how many hurts or failures we’ve learned and grown from, more are ahead. Every area of life is connected and interdependent. So solutions to life’s problems must be holistic.” (7 Sep 2011)
About
When I think up a catchy phrase, I’ll Google the phrase to see if anyone has come up with it first. Discovering a new saying or quote is difficult after thousands of years of human history, and millions of books being written. Yet, it’s still possible. It’s kind of like coming up with a unique and catchy domain name for a website. It’s possible, just difficult.
Here’s an interesting example… One of the quotes I came up with is “I don’t write poetry. I live poetry.” This is a variant on the quote attributed to Salvador Dali, “I don’t do drugs. I am drugs.” The quote, “I don’t write poetry. I am poetry” was already taken. So, I created a modified version of the quote. I like the modified version because it implies that poetry is action. I believe at the time I penned the quote it was not published on the web. Today a search of that phrase in quotes produces only three results. So, it’s still rare.
Graphics
Below are graphics using some of the above quotes.