This past week I went on a cleaning frenzy. Many of you may
have seen the video I put up on Facebook. I had the time and for some reason I
was compelled to clean. I went through every drawer, cubby and shelf and threw
things away that predated my time in this apartment! Now I am accountable for
everything in this apartment. One thing was saved from my cleaning wrath – one
tiny sheet of paper taped to my bathroom mirror with a quote on it has
endured.
I love quotes. If you want me to get chills or tear up in a movie or book say something powerful. On second thought, it doesn’t have to be powerful; it just has to be meaningful. I have Bible verses that still hang in my room at my parents’ house from high school days. Freshman year of college I was the bottom bunk (by choice). I taped all kinds of quotes and verses to the bottom of the top bunk to inspire and remind me each night and each morning.
Senior year of college I typed up the simple phrase “Know Thyself” in Greek to hang above our door leaving the apartment. This was a reference to the oracle’s inscription in the Matrix movies which itself is a reference to the ancient inscription found in Apollo’s temple (the oracle’s home) in Delphi, Greece. It reminded us each day to remember who we are as we went out into the world. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t lose focus. Know who you are and make choices that affirm that.
We had another quote that year, perhaps the most thought provoking. To this day it is in my favorite quotes section on Facebook. This quote came from the 22nd episode of season four of How I Met Your Mother, “Right Place Right Time,” and was stuck to the back of the door leaving the apartment. This is the full quote. The bold part was what we had hanging on the door.
I love quotes. If you want me to get chills or tear up in a movie or book say something powerful. On second thought, it doesn’t have to be powerful; it just has to be meaningful. I have Bible verses that still hang in my room at my parents’ house from high school days. Freshman year of college I was the bottom bunk (by choice). I taped all kinds of quotes and verses to the bottom of the top bunk to inspire and remind me each night and each morning.
Senior year of college I typed up the simple phrase “Know Thyself” in Greek to hang above our door leaving the apartment. This was a reference to the oracle’s inscription in the Matrix movies which itself is a reference to the ancient inscription found in Apollo’s temple (the oracle’s home) in Delphi, Greece. It reminded us each day to remember who we are as we went out into the world. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t lose focus. Know who you are and make choices that affirm that.
We had another quote that year, perhaps the most thought provoking. To this day it is in my favorite quotes section on Facebook. This quote came from the 22nd episode of season four of How I Met Your Mother, “Right Place Right Time,” and was stuck to the back of the door leaving the apartment. This is the full quote. The bold part was what we had hanging on the door.
The great moments of your life won't necessarily be the things you do. They'll also be the things that happen to you. Now, I'm not saying you can't take action to affect the outcome of your life. You have to take action. And you will! But never forget, that on any day, you could step out the front door, and your whole life could change forever. You see the Universe has a plan kids; and that plan is always in motion. A butterfly flaps its wings, and it starts to rain. It's a scary thought, but it's also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working... Making sure that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be... exactly when you're supposed to be there. The right place. At the right time.
The purpose of this post is not to debate fate, freewill, coincidence or even providence. I like the idea of that entire quote, but that one line really stuck out to me. It was a reminder that between walking out that door and walking back through it was when most of my life was going to happen – good and bad. The most important events in life are sandwiched between the most insignificant.
I’m going to play my nerd card here and give you another quote from the movie Thor. As Thor rushes to battle on another planet he is warned of the dangers he may face. Thor arrogantly responds, “I have no plans to die today.” Heimdall, the guardian of the road between worlds, simply responds, “None do.”
Life simply happens. There will come a day when you walk out your front door, like any other day, and learn of terrible news. A loved one will have passed before you walk back through the door. Maybe like Thor was warned, you won’t walk back through the door. Maybe you’ll be fired from your job or even fail a test. But bad luck doesn’t have a monopoly on the doorway. Just as likely, good things will happen too. You meet the girl of your dreams. You get accepted into grad school. You receive a promotion. Life is made up of significant moments interspersed between the most ordinary.
Each morning that I read that before I whipped open the door and sprinted across campus to make it to my 8 a.m. class I was a reminder that something big could happen today. And that’s still true.
So what quote survived my cleaning spree? Here it is:
 |
| The only non-ironic bathroom selfie I'll ever take. |
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Isn’t that so true? Almost any example you can give, from
the most beloved king to the craziest of dictators, had to have enthusiasm to achieve
their version of success. Enthusiasm is almost always integral to success.
I have many expressions, mottos, sayings and rules. Ask any HUGer and they’ll laugh and start reciting some of these. One that I’ve truly tried to live by is this, “You’ve got to choose what you’re buying and sell what you’re selling.” No, I’m not talking about economics. I’m talking about life. I have to choose what I’m buying. The world can try to sell me all kinds of lies, discouragement and false notions. But just because they are selling it doesn’t mean I have to buy it. If the world is trying to tell you that you are a failure, worthless or anything else, what does it matter? Don’t buy it! I don’t get offended when the television commercials try to sell me something I don’t want. I simply don’t buy it. It’s the same thing.
In the same way, we have to really sell what we are selling. Whatever we expect others to see and understand from us must be fully sold by us and that is only done if we are enthusiastic. It’s even as simple as telling a joke. Sometimes a joke isn’t all that good but the person sells it with everything they’ve got. And because of that it works. That’s enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is oh so very important. It encourages, it motivates, it uplifts and it gets things done. And that’s why this little piece of paper taped to my bathroom mirror survived the mass cleaning of 2015. Sure it looks like it should be thrown out. It’s crumpled from the steam of thousands of showers in my unventilated bathroom. But I need those words to stare back at me everyday while I wash my hands, brush my teeth and put in my contacts. Everyday I walk out my door, where life is daring to meet me, and all I can do is choose to be enthusiastic.
I have many expressions, mottos, sayings and rules. Ask any HUGer and they’ll laugh and start reciting some of these. One that I’ve truly tried to live by is this, “You’ve got to choose what you’re buying and sell what you’re selling.” No, I’m not talking about economics. I’m talking about life. I have to choose what I’m buying. The world can try to sell me all kinds of lies, discouragement and false notions. But just because they are selling it doesn’t mean I have to buy it. If the world is trying to tell you that you are a failure, worthless or anything else, what does it matter? Don’t buy it! I don’t get offended when the television commercials try to sell me something I don’t want. I simply don’t buy it. It’s the same thing.
In the same way, we have to really sell what we are selling. Whatever we expect others to see and understand from us must be fully sold by us and that is only done if we are enthusiastic. It’s even as simple as telling a joke. Sometimes a joke isn’t all that good but the person sells it with everything they’ve got. And because of that it works. That’s enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is oh so very important. It encourages, it motivates, it uplifts and it gets things done. And that’s why this little piece of paper taped to my bathroom mirror survived the mass cleaning of 2015. Sure it looks like it should be thrown out. It’s crumpled from the steam of thousands of showers in my unventilated bathroom. But I need those words to stare back at me everyday while I wash my hands, brush my teeth and put in my contacts. Everyday I walk out my door, where life is daring to meet me, and all I can do is choose to be enthusiastic.
