Inspiration and Quotes

[Alethea]

What quotes do you like? Where do you take inspiration? What does it mean to you?

Now granted, a fair number of these I got right here from you guys, so I hope you'll forgive my ninja-ing them for this list.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, Guinness in one hand, steak in the other, yell 'Holy Sh**, What a Ride!" - Author Unknown

"A good system of moderation will utilize self discipline efficiently by focusing on building habits: semi-automatic behaviors that require little willpower to maintain once they've been established. It's about establishing a consistent, almost automatic pattern of behavior over time. Much of the challenge of successful... self-discipline is throttling your enthusiasm so you don't burn out." - Reinhard Engels, maker of Shovelglove, Every Day Systems

"Successful self-discipline requires plenty of carrot as well as stick. Too many systems of self-improvement programs treat pleasure as a necessary evil, to be reluctantly doled out in pitiful little doses. Everyday systems make pleasure integral." - Reinhard Engels, maker of Shovelglove, Every Day Systems

"We've invented one class of machine to spare us physical exertion, and another class of machine to inflict it back on us again, but in an infinitely more boring, painful, and useless manner." Reinhard Engels, maker of Shovelglove, Every Day Systems

"A sedentary life is the real sin against the Holy Spirit. Only those thoughts that come by walking have any value." -- Nietzsche

"We often learn best when we direct our attention on intentions and actions related to the immediate goal, rather than overfocusing on the goal itself." -yoga journal

"Materialism can be a form of self-violence, cutting you off from what makes you happy." - Helena Echlin

"Yoga teaches us to sit with uncomfortable physical sensations, to breathe and relax into them." - Helena Echlin. This can extend to many aspects of life. Don't run from the negative.

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." - Theodore Roosevelt. My favorite president.

?"If you want to know where you were in the past, look to your body. If you want to know where you will be in the future look to your mind." Dali Lama

"The material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you." - Henry Rollins

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves…" - Dao de Ching

"Sure, you will stumble, you will fall, you will fail. Ultimately however, you will succeed if you refuse to give up." Steve Kamb (ever though you'd be in a list with the Dali Lama and Teddy Rooseveldt, Steve?)

"He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.†- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"We welcome the challenge." - Steve Kamb, 11 Rules of the Nerd Fitness Army

"Live strenuously." - Mark of Daily Apple

"When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God.

When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world." - B.K.S. Iyengar

"Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice." - B.K.S. Iyengar

"When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity." - Steve Pavlina

"If you want to achieve some really big and interesting goals, you have to learn to fall in love with hard work." - Steve Pavlina

"Hard work is painful when life is devoid of purpose. But when you live for something greater than yourself and the gratification of your own ego, then hard work becomes a labor of love." Steve Pavlina, who aparently was really into working hard.

"You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile." Brian Tracy

"Those who want to beat a dog will certainly find a club" - Slovak proverb. I take this to mean, those who want excuses will find them.

[Alessan]

"Live hard, die hard, and love hard in between, 'cause tomorrow ain't promised and today is slipping away..."

[Dantes]

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."

--Reggie Leach

Life doesn't come to you, you must go to it.

"If you lick the lollipop of Mediocrity once you'll be sucking it forever"

-- Tim O'Conner (My old High School principal speaking to 1600 guys aging from 13-18, Great hilarity ensued but I've never forgotten it.)

I take it to mean that the more you let yourself slip the more you will slip and you will continue on slipping until the slip has become the norm and you begin to hate yourself.

The other interpretation is ehhh not so PC hahaha.

[Philociraptor]

"Only the strongest will survive, lead me to heaven when we die."

-Blow me Away by Breaking Benjamin

Agent Smith: "Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?"

Neo: "Because I choose to."

-The Matrix Revolutions

I'll add more later, have to return to class.

[spezzy]

my favorite quotes are more attitude related than "workout hard" related. both by vonnegut...

"so it goes"

I have that tattooed on my wrist. That way its right there as a constant reminder that no matter how bad things get, it's going to be ok. Shit happens, deal with it, and learn from it. move on.

also,

"I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'"

[spacecoyote]

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." --Sir Isaac Newton

I love this quote because to me it displays humility ("I know I'm not the best"), respect ("those who have helped me deserve recognition"), and determination ("just because I'm not the best now doesn't mean I never will be") all in one fell swoop.

[Crizomaticus]

My favorite:

It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. -Bruce Lee

[Alethea]

My favorite:

It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. -Bruce Lee

Theres a variation on that which is taught as a principle of Tai Chi:

"Hold on to the essential, let the rest go".

[Knightwatch]

"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license." -- P. J. O'Rourke

"Hemingway once wrote 'The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part." --Se7en

"Do as little harm to others as you can; make any sacrifice for your true friends; be responsible for yourself and ask nothing of others; and grab all the fun you can. Don't give much thought to yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, live in the moment, and trust that your existence has meaning even when the world seems to be all blind chance and chaos. When life lands a hammer blow in your face, do your best to respond to the hammer as if it had been a cream pie." --Dean Koontz

"The wide world remained dark, and a greater darkness threatened. But he and Linda had found a small place of light, because she knew how to endure and he knew how to fight, and together they were whole." --Dean Koontz

"Evil itself may be relentless. I will grant you that, but love is relentless too. Friendship is a relentless force. Family is a relentless force. Faith is relentless force. The human spirit is relentless, and the human heart outlasts - and can defeat - even the most relentless force of all, which is time." --Dean Koontz

"Piss and vinegar can't be summoned on command. The muted colors of a muted life will not suddenly brighten because you think it a good idea they should." --John D. Macdonald

[Alethea]

Nice, Nightwatch! Your Koontz quotes are from my favorite stories.. I wish I had a dog more intelegent than I am... And the Macdonald one is something I'm learning to overcome. : )

[sumdawgtwigg]

Henry Rollins is a huge inspiration to me, I like alot of his ideas and the way he takes on life.

[Henchman 47]

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think this quote could be used to all aspects of life.

[JasonFitz1]

Wow this is an impressive collection of quotes. I gathered 33 of my favorite quotes here (disclaimer, most of them are about running!): http://strengthrunning.com/2010/07/quot ... t-running/.

I think one of my favorites is “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.†– Bill Bowerman. It's not the flashiest quote, but it's really actionable on a day-to-day basis.

- Fitz.

[Knightwatch]

"First, decide who you would be. Then, do what you must do." --Epictetus

[Alethea]

Today's quotes brought to you by my favorite depressive, Sir Winston Churchill, a kick-ass writer, Ernest Hemingway, my favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt, one of the most successful and controversal generals of WW2, George S. Patton, Mark Twain of course (what list of quotes is complete without at least 1 from him), and my favorite batshit crazy drug-addled maniac, Hunter S. Thompson.

“Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small… never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.†– Sir Winston Churchill

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potentialâ€. – Sir Winston Churchill

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.†– Ernest Hemingway

“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.†– Ernest Hemingway

“The shortest answer is doing the thing.: - Ernest Hemingway

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life†– Theodore Roosevelt

“There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to “mean†horses and gun-fighters, but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.†– Theodore Roosevelt

“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.†– Theodore Roosevelt

“I rarely took exercise merely as exercise. Primarily I took to it because I like it. †– Theodore Roosevelt

“The worst lesson that can be taught to a man is to rely upon others and to whine over his sufferings. †– Theodore Roosevelt

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.†- George S. Patton

“Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction. Anything done vigorously is better than nothing done tardily.†- George S. Patton

“If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.†- George S. Patton

“If a man does his best, what else is there?†- George S. Patton

“If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do… the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.†- George S. Patton

“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.†Mark Twain

“Buy the ticket, take the ride.†Hunter S. Thompson

“Walk tall, kick ass, learn to speak Arabic, love music and never forget you come from a long line of truth seekers, lovers and warriors.†Hunter S. Thompson

[SteveK]

Today's quotes brought to you by my favorite depressive, Sir Winston Churchill, a kick-ass writer, Ernest Hemingway, my favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt, one of the most successful and controversal generals of WW2, George S. Patton, Mark Twain of course (what list of quotes is complete without at least 1 from him), and my favorite batshit crazy drug-addled maniac, Hunter S. Thompson.

“Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small… never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.†– Sir Winston Churchill

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potentialâ€. – Sir Winston Churchill

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.†– Ernest Hemingway

“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.†– Ernest Hemingway

“The shortest answer is doing the thing.: - Ernest Hemingway

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life†– Theodore Roosevelt

“There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to “mean†horses and gun-fighters, but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.†– Theodore Roosevelt

“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.†– Theodore Roosevelt

“I rarely took exercise merely as exercise. Primarily I took to it because I like it. †– Theodore Roosevelt

“The worst lesson that can be taught to a man is to rely upon others and to whine over his sufferings. †– Theodore Roosevelt

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.†- George S. Patton

“Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction. Anything done vigorously is better than nothing done tardily.†- George S. Patton

“If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.†- George S. Patton

“If a man does his best, what else is there?†- George S. Patton

“If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do… the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.†- George S. Patton

“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.†Mark Twain

“Buy the ticket, take the ride.†Hunter S. Thompson

“Walk tall, kick ass, learn to speak Arabic, love music and never forget you come from a long line of truth seekers, lovers and warriors.†Hunter S. Thompson

Alethea, those quotes are all fantastic - thanks for sharing

[CapN_Tommy_Sunshine]

"Don't be afraid my love, it's just a little bit of blood." From the song "Take My Hand" by The Creepshow. Don't know why, but this line has been inspiring me recently (not that I have been bleeding or anything during my workouts or life in general).

[Knightwatch]

I'm a big fan of Robert Frost's "Two Tramps In Mudtime" This last part of the poem often comes to me when i'm running or wanting to cut my workout a few sets short...

my aim in living is to unite

my avocation and my vocation

as my two eyes make one in sight

only where love and need is one

and work is play for mortal stakes

is the deed ever really done

for Heaven, and the future's sake

[Alethea]

"I say we jump." - Steve Kamb.

Nice, man. This has been running through my head for hours.

[GreekFootJeff]

This quote is written on the wall at my CrossFit gym. I don't know who said it, but I try to apply it to all aspects of my life...

"Someone once told me the definition of Hell: Your last day on Earth, the person you become will meet the person you COULD HAVE become"

[sandman]

If I could get this made into a poster, it would be going up on the wall in a heartbeat:

[LynnyLee]

My husband looked over my shoulder right as I came to the T-Rex poster. He is still laughing.

[Alessan]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97

Wear sunscreen

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists

whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind;

you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before

you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future;

or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind;

the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts,

don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy;

sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…

The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults;

if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters,

throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…

The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives,

some of the most interesting 40 year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t,

maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t,

maybe you’ll divorce at 40,

maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…

Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,

It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…

Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines,

they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents,

You never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings;

They are the best link to your past

And the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,

But for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle

Because the older you get,

The more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old,

and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble

and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse;

but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy,

But, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia,

Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal,

Wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

[Alethea]

Thats kinda funny, because as a primal, sunscreen is bad. : P

Also, "throw away your old bank statements." might be the key to happiness, but not financial freedom. : P

Excellent song, though. I'm glad you posted it!

[Knightwatch]

IF you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling, "IF"