Quotes

“Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it.”

27 August 202327 August 2023 patmcgLeave a comment

I love the proactive attitude behind this quote from the author of The Little Prince.

Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Life imitates art. The Little Prince is narrated by a pilot who crash-lands his airplane. And sadly enough, the author himself crashed – and died – while flying an airplane in France a year after the novel’s publication.

But the author did enable his future, even under Nazi-occupied France. It just took some patience – The Little Prince was published in his home country only after liberation from the Nazis.

Quotes

“Hearing ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘never'”, and what to do about it

30 July 202330 July 2023 patmcg1 Comment

This quote that came up on a list of quotes to help you deal with rejection. It underscores the idea that rejection is a milestone, a sign of progress, a proper kick in the butt. It’s a sign that you need to work on something, be patient, or change your direction.

Whether it’s for a job, a goal, or a relationship, rejection is oddly empowering. You took a risk; you put it out there. You should be proud. Hopefully you leaned something and know how to move forward with new wisdom.

Hearing “no” doesn’t mean “never.” The only things you can do are to constantly pursue growth … and make sure you’re prepared to walk in the room.
Antoinette Robertson

I like how this quote focuses on self-reflection and growth rather than wasting your time feeling bad or, worse yet, becoming resentful.

“Every day of your life that you spend crying over some silly girl is a complete waste of time.”

24 July 202326 July 2023 patmcg1 Comment

Here’s another quote from the movie Boyhood, this one from the dad played by Ethan Hawke. I always admired this character as a single dad who is supportive, engaged, and loving to his kids but also has his own thing going on.

The high-school-aged son is hurting because his girlfriend Sheena left him for a college lacrosse player. The son is feeling bad about himself.

The dad gives a great pep talk, reminding his son, “If you truly take care of you, you will be amazed at how much girls like Sheena start lining up at your front door” and then:

I guarantee you that every day of your life that you spend crying over some silly girl is a complete waste of time.

That’s easier said than done, but so true.

entertainment · Quotes

“I just thought there would be more.”

22 July 202326 July 2023 patmcg1 Comment

Sometimes a movie can have a real impact on your life.

One movie like that for me is Boyhood, which follows a boy growing up in Texas from ages six to eighteen and, famously, was shot with all the same actors over the course of 11 years as they actually aged. 🤯

Towards the end of the movie, the mom has a bit of a midlife freakout when her son is heading off to college. She frets that all the important milestones of her life are over – two marriages, two kids, building a career. She worries about her next milestone.

You know what’s next? It’s my fucking funeral!

It reminds me of the chorus to Nirvana’s All Apolgies: “Married, buried!”

Anyways, the son says, “Aren’t you jumping ahead by like 40 years or something?”, to which the mom replies, over her tears:

I just thought there would be more.

That line has really stuck with the last few years. It made me realize I needed to be aiming for something interesting of my own after the kids leave, beyond just my career.

That creeping thought – is this all there is? – has motivated me to work on other things in my life like friendships, writing, music, and hopefully a few more surprises down the pipe. 😉

entertainment · Quotes

Fear and the 100-foot wave 🌊🏄🏻‍♂️

12 July 202312 July 2023 patmcgLeave a comment

Just like some movies are about lots of different things, the surfing documentary series 100 Foot Wave is also about lots of different things: surfing, yes, and stunning scenery around Nazare, Portugal. It’s also about family, friendship, aspirations, a community, sanity, the ocean, tragedy, triumph, and perhaps above all: fear.

These people are surfing the biggest waves they can find and risk their lives every time they go out on the waves. The fear is real: tragedy does sometimes strike.

The series starts off with an inspiring quote about fear and how facing it head-on can transform you.

The goal is to face fears, to go straight at the fear, to release it, to free it.

In doing this and facing this fear, I’m gonna discover a part of myself that I didn’t know was there.

Not everyone should jump on the next gigantic wave to change themselves, but everyone has a fear to face.

For me, it was living on my own and really being by myself for the fist time in my life around age 45. Now I’m pretty damn happy on my own. Or upgrading jobs when I had an easier option. Or even something small like sharing some ridiculous photos.

Yes, you do need fear, but don’t let it stop you from moving forward or let it become a mind-killer.