Quote Me!

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

Thinking about quotations I live by, I come up with three: from Goethe, from life, and from me.

The first comes from Goethe’s Faust. I’ve often commented on how I find that work inspiring. Even in retirement, I find myself unable to stop from working, being creative, or trying new things. And so, as Faust says to Mephistopheles, defining their pact: “When, to the Moment then, I say:/‘Ah, stay a while! You are so lovely!’/Then you can grasp me: then you may,/Then, to my ruin, I’ll go gladly!” Will I ever find a moment when all desires are satisfied? I can’t see it happening.

In life, I have often heard, “Everything happens for a reason.” We meet people at the right time, or events occur that benefit us. Of course, there are negative events that are harder to see any reason behind them, but our rational minds do tend to look for patterns, and I’ve often thought I’ve found the reason behind things that have happened to me.

The final quotation is one I have I’ve often used as my epigram, or perhaps my epitaph? It takes an old familiar quote and turns it, perhaps literally, on its head. The quotation?

“It’s like falling off a bicycle. You never forget how.”

Comment with your responses to these, or tell me your favorite quotations. As always: please like and follow!