How Quotations Ennoble Us

Published on by balroop2013

A quote a day gives a new melody

If you are a regular reader of Emotional Shadows, you must have noticed that quotations form an important part of any post I share.

Sally G. Cronin, my author cum blogger friend has nominated me for three day quote challenge, which transported me back to one of the memorable moments of my life. Fond of collecting quotations, I had a notebook in which I would write one quote everyday. One day when our class teacher asked us to talk about our hobbies, I couldn’t say much and produced that notebook to save myself from that embarrassing situation. Her reaction surprised me. She took my notebook and promised to return it but she didn’t.

Next day I was summoned by the Principal. With great trepidation, I walked towards her room, wondering what had I done now, knowing well I was in for another punishment! I saw my notebook of quotations in her hand and was taken aback by her kind words of appreciation. The pride and encouragement that she infused in me doubled my love for quotations and writing them down most neatly.

A good quote is more than a book. It can leave a lasting impression on us… it can awaken aspirations, ignite the inspiration that lies dormant, it can connect us with great minds and their experiences, it can mold our perceptions and personalities.

Quotations have ennobled and enriched me.

It is hard to pick a quote as each one carries some profound truth about life yet we have our favorites.

My first pick has to be from my all time favorite poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling:

Quote from Rudyard Kipling's poem If

The above lines have adorned my table for many years and have inspired me:

  • To remain calm in provocative situations
  • To trust my abilities
  • To let people pass their judgment
  • To be patient
  • To respect my values
  • To listen calmly
  • To forgive those who tried to demean me

I have been a little rebel in breaking free from the rules. So the ‘three day quote challenge’ has been construed by me as ‘three quote challenge’ (just an interplay of words from left to right!) and I would like to share them together.

forgiveness quote

The above quote and many such have helped me reconcile to the whole idea of forgiving those who could have derived sadistic pleasure in enforcing their authority to establish their supremacy. I still read quotes about forgiveness to reassure myself that forgiveness purges us of any ill will that we may be carrying in our heart for those who were insensitive towards our emotional wellbeing.

Solitude

The above quote was a little puzzling for me but it has helped me in many ways:

  • In understanding the difference between loneliness and solitude
  • In introspection and self-reflection
  • In listening to the echoes of my heart
  • In resolving inner turmoil
  • In soaring on the wings of imagination
  • In enjoying my own company
  • In sky gazing when the clouds drift to reveal the rainbow.

Many thanks to Sally for nominating me for this challenge. It is customary to nominate some more friends for the challenge but I throw it open to all my readers who love quotations to write a post about their favorite quotes.

Thank you for reading this. Please share your valuable reflections, they are much appreciated.

If you have liked this post, please share it at your favorite social networks.

Balroop Singh.

 

51 thoughts on “How Quotations Ennoble Us”

  2. They say you get influenced by what you see, read and hear. Reading good quotes is a step in right direction! Thanks for bringing this out for all of us and inspiring us!

  6. Dear Balroop, how you made my heart sing this morning. It is at times a wonderful feeling
    of meeting with a sister spirit. I have all three quotes among my favourites. Kipling’s whole
    poem printed on a big weave that hangs on the wall. I still feel the impact when I read it.
    Furthermore, I often find visitors standing there reading and I quietly leave to put on a coffee.😊
    Thank you for this post
    Miriam

    1. I am delighted at your beautiful words dear Miriam, many thanks for sharing your feelings about ‘If’…Now I know why my fingers get so eager to click on your poem the moment I open my mailbox. Yes, the special vibes of sister spirit do reach me. I must have read this poem to each batch of students I taught, though it was never in the books. Yes! its impact is really enormous! I am amazed at its relevance even today though this advice was given by the poet to his son almost a century ago. Thank you for a lovely response. Stay blessed dear friend. 🙂

  7. Quotes are indeed embodiment of world of wisdom and we get instant inspiration and the aspiration to do something new and different comes from these few words. Never easy to share such profound thoughts in such few words and in just couple of lines. Only those great artists to writers who have experienced,seen the world beyond the normal eyes and engaged with such deeper work of life and living, it comes automatically to them. Henry David Thoreau is one of my favorite author and his Walden experiment to Walking in wilderness, I love every bit of his work and words.

    Yes, there is such ocean of difference being alone and being lonely, many of us use it interchangeable and we take these two words in the same breathe where as it has meaning that is much deeper then apparently appears and provides that finer difference that is so big and wide in its manifestation. There is so much to learn and absorb in self reflection and when silently listening to the heart beats and to the music coming our of nature in solitude but we rarely do…

    It is great to know that you have cultivated this excellent habit of building on the idea of writing quote every day and making everyday count, and the pile of knowledge you must have accumulated is all so brilliantly reflecting in every post of yours and with so many quotes that adds a completely new dimension to the subject matter and body of knowledge that is displayed in each post…
    Thanks so much Balroop.
    😀

    1. I agree with you Nihar, quotes are a storehouse of knowledge gathered from experience and their wisdom is so helpful in understanding life. Your reflections on the quotes that I have selected show how much you admire their brilliance. Many thanks for understanding their depth so well and endorsing their significance. You are right, cultivating the habit of reading and accumulating them has added another dimension to my writing. Thanks for sharing your perspective dear friend. Stay blessed.

      1. I was just going through some of the quotes which I had liked and thought good to add here as an inspiration from your lovely post.

        “Practice like you have never won, Practice like you have never lost…”
        “If it doesn’t open…it is not your door”
        “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain”
        “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise”

        The more we read these lovely quotes and connect with ourselves we release what all we can if we are determined and if we take a plunge, and then question us why have we not done, and what we are missing?
        Have a great week ahead.
        😀

  8. Kipling so captured the essence of maturity in that poem, If. The conclusion–“Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!” is powerful.

  10. Balroop, I’m all for breaking rules a little and you’ve done a brilliant take on this 3-day quote challenge.😀 If is one of my favourites and every word is profound; the other two are full of wisdom and depth…forgiveness is so important for one’s own well-being and although I agree with the positive elements of solitude there can be too much of this so it becomes loneliness. Three excellent and inspiring quotes, Balroop and beautifully presented and explained. I have been nominated for this before (and yet again here!!) and have wanted to partake but became stuck with posting three days in a row – your solution is perfect!! 😀❤️

    1. It is just a little juggling of words left and right – three day quote challenge or three quote challenge in a day… 🙂 seems perfect and I am glad you appreciate it. Any compulsions or pressures can’t reach me now because I have had enough of them…I consider myself a free bird now, pecking at whatever suits me. 🙂
      I am happy that you have liked these quotes though many more are buzzing around me, reminding me I have neglected them! Many thanks for standing by to share your lovely reflections…have fun with breaking the rules 🙂

  11. Three brilliant quotes, Balroop. I love Kipling’s ‘If,’ share Thoreau’s sentiment on solitude, and have experienced the power of forgiveness. Nice to see the little rebel in you! I think we could have gotten into quite a bit of trouble together had we been school mates 🙂 ❤

    1. Ha ha…love your thought Tina, I wish I had such school mates who would have welcomed trouble…what a blessed stage of life that is despite all the struggles and challenges! 🙂
      Thanks for liking my selection. Stay blessed dear friend.

  13. This was so beautiful B. I loved them all, but naturally, The Forgiveness quote was similar to what I wrote in my last book, P.S. I Forgive You. 🙂 xx

  16. Like you, I love quotes. Every time I see one that talks to me, I write it down in my notebook. Quotes help us grow.
    This poem is one of my favorite Balroop.
    I love reading what these quotes mean to you and the impact they have in your life.
    Keep sharing love and light my friend. You are inspiring!

    1. Yes Marie, quotes help us grow…many aspects of our personality undergo a subtle change, which can only be perceived as we move ahead with a new perspective. I am glad you too write down the quotes that speak to you. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your lovely words.

  18. Great quotes, Balroop, and I love the story about your notebook. That’s such a wonderful idea, and I’m glad your teacher and principal were impressed. I especially like the Kipling quote, but they’re all wonderful, and I can see why you chose them.

    1. Thank you Diana. I am glad you liked these quotes. Kipling’s poem speaks to me each time I read it and reminds me “neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you.”

  21. Beautiful quotes Balroop. Some quotes articulate deep thoughts in such a concise manner that we all can universally connect and relate to them very quickly, and they leave a deep impact too.

  22. The more blogs I read, the more I appreciate the value of quotes. It takes an excellent writer to express a wise thought in few words – a quote that helps others in their path to an enlightened life. Thank you for these three perfect quotes.

  23. Wonderful quotes, Balroop! And I agree wholeheartedly on the subject – quotes are great companions throughout our lives and there’s this great moment when you find a new one that speaks to your heart in a special way! 😄

  24. Many people take the challenge, but I’ve never seen anybody putting down their learnings as you did. I wish we all imbibe the knowledge we get from such quotes, else they are just another thing to adorn our homes.

    Btw, I too didn’t get the 3rd in its truest sense…your interpretation seems right.

  26. These are such beautiful quotes, Balroop.

    Reading the lines from ‘If’, brought to my mind, my own diary that was filled with poetry and quotes that moved me. I had copied out ‘If’ most carefully and memorised it.

    The poem inspires me even now, decades later.

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