Life is...and I quote

While researching some quotes to fit the theme of this years Christmas letter, I came across several that seemed to reflect my own philosophy quite well. First off, I typically cringe when confronted with motivational slogans and feel-good quotes, whether on the walls at work, or forwarded by well intentioned friends and co-workers. I know some folks really benefit from the shot in the arm a positive and motivational quote can provide, but I've never felt the need for that kind of encouragement. But as I grow older and have a tendency to reflect on the past more than I did in the past (almost never), when I see something that evinces an attitude or principle that grounded my actions, I'm more likely to notice and contemplate.

In the hope that my children might actually read some of my blog postings, or particularly this one, I'm listing those that I think account for my actions that may not have made a lot of sense at the time. Actions like moving the family to far parts of the globe, not once but twice. Or spending as much time at work and traveling as I did. Or not sitting down a whole lot, always feeling the urge to look around the next corner. It might also explain for folks like my folks why it is I seemed too flighty at times, moving from one thing to the next, never spending much time to become a master at anything. The other possibility is that these quotes only serve to help me believe that my behavior was due to something other than attention deficit disorder.

So here are some of the quotes, attributed where I could find attribution:

• Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. (Albert Einstein)
• Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
• Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.
• We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. (Walt Disney)
• Forget what’s done, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next.
• If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we’re not really living.
• The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.
• The hardest part of moving forward is not looking back.
• Power is having a clear point of view about what’s important in your life. 
• You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward.
• The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation.
• Keep moving forward and only look back to see how far you have come.
• There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
• Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.