Quotable...

As a teacher I put "quotes of the week" up on my board each week (or at least when I remembered to...). As a coach I used to give players a note with a quote that was specific to them or our team for inspirational purposes. I often include quotes in staff newsletters, and notes to parents and students, and have books of well-known quotations in my office. Over the years, I have often relied on some of these words to get through tough times, or to help others through tough times.

My wife and I were shopping recently when she came across this Mark Twain quote engraved on a piece of polished wood, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” What a great thought!

It occurred to me that there are certain quotes I always rely on or come back to, and that led me to ponder whether we can define someone's personality or personal philosophy by that which they quote. Here is a collection of my favorites over the years, along with context. Please refrain from psychoanalysis based on my choices:

* "Every year Babe Ruth led the league in home runs, he also led the league in strikeouts." - My friend Chris "Rooster" Daly. Used often to encourage someone to "keep swinging"...

* "It'll feel better when it stops hurting." - My grandfather, James C. Bearden, to help lighten things for someone with a minor scrape or pain (not recommended for serious injury...).

* "Wherever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai from the movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai". Great for signing yearbooks when you really have nothing meaningful to say...

* " What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson - on a plaque my parents gave me that rests on my desk.

* "Fair is not always equal." - Legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Particularly useful if you have kids...

* "All great masters are chiefly distinguished by the powers of adding a second, third and perhaps a fourth step in a continuous line. Many a man has taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first." - Ralph Waldo Emerson. A good explanation of the importance of continuing to move forward. I've used it in every personal portfolio I've ever put together.

* "Doh!" - Homer Simpson. No explanation necessary...

* "Good is the enemy of great." - Jim Collins, author of the book Good to Great. A reminder to avoid complacency.

* "We're always modeling whether we realize it or not." - South Principal Al Diver. An especially good reminder for parents and educators.

* "We teach people how to treat us." - another Al Diver quote. A good reminder that others take their cues for how to treat us based on teh way we act and react to things they say and do.

* "Winning is a habit" - Vince Lombardi

* "Be wary of contempt before investigation." - Harry Gossett. Particularly good when you encounter people who never like an idea that is not their own...

* "Nothing more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have." - Harry Gossett - fits well with the previous quote...

* "Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

* "That dog'll hunt." - My friend Bob Kinder, used to describe any good golf shot, or any good attempt at virtually anything...

* "We must be the change we wish to see."- Ghandi

There are many, many more, but you get the idea. Feel free to add your favorites as comments!