She’s good for some inspiration lately that Toni. She posted her beautiful version of the Goethe quote below, and I promised to take a stab at it when I could compose a complete thought. Complete thoughts often wait until the weekend lately.
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” ~ Goethe
One ought, every day at least, to walk softly, sing boldly, create with abandon, pet something furry, notice someone, rest a little, dream a lot. ~Lainey
(something’s not so poetic about “a little” and “a lot,” but “oh, well”; something to strive for in the next revision)
Toni got this idea from Ann Kroeker who is also collecting the responses should you choose to play along.
If you do play along, please let me know in a comment. Although, I will also be heading back over to Ann Kroeker’s because it looks like a very interesting place to hang out.
I love it…especially the “create with abandon” part. Mostly I am too much of a perfectionist but my children are slowly teaching me the value of imperfect and unplanned creations.
Oh, I LOVE it!! Beautiful. I think “a little” and “a lot” work just fine!
I really like what you did with this–I need to remember to sing boldly, and I join you in calling people to create with abandon.
And your simple reminder to “notice someone” is so small, but so powerful. I remember reading about a lady who said that she was in a dark, depressed place in life. One day, as she was considering suicide, someone approaching her on the sidewalk–a stranger–looked straight at her and smiled. That person noticed her, acknowledged her, and smiled. She said she felt valued for the first time in a very long time. She thought, “Someone thought I was worth enough to smile at.” And it was the first step toward pulling her out of her depression. So you never know how powerful it could be to “notice someone.” Thanks for bringing that out. I know I’m going to be thinking about that all this week, at the grocery store, the soccer fields….
And then you mentioned resting and dreaming. I think our fast-paced lifestyle leaves little room for rest–even in our leisure, we tend to go at it full force. Rest is good.
What a great prescription. Thanks for joining us in thinking through what to include in any given day.
Oh, regarding “a little” and “a lot”: I couldn’t help but note that Goethe himself wrote “hear *a little* song” and “speak *a few* reasonable words.” He set the stage for “a little” and “a lot.” And I figure if it’s good enough for Goethe, it’s good enough for me…and anyone else.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to call my dog–I want to pet something furry.
It’s great to meet you!
Ann