INSIGHTS INTO INSPIRING QUOTATIONS

If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm - Vince Lombardi

What a clever use of words and a great example of the English First Conditional in action by the successful American football coach Vince Lombardi!  We use this tense to describe probable future events that have a high probability of happening.  It’s formed by using if + present simple (in the dependent clause) and will (in the main clause). It’s very easy to get confused with this construction by saying things like ‘If I will…. If she will’.  Remember: ‘if’ is a simple little word and it’s followed by a simple little tense! If you want to remind yourself about the rules for all the conditional tenses in English you can read about them on this page:

https://www.goforwardenglish.com/grammar-rays-a-c

 

If everything is under control, you’re not going fast enough - Mario Andretti 

Mario Andretti is implying here that the secret to success is to take risks (he’s a racing car driver with a record-breaking career) and he’s inviting you to ask yourself if you’re pushing yourself hard enough. This quote scares me (I’m one of life’s plodders) but I sometimes wish I could be that person! I am attracted to the sense of exhilaration suggested by not being so cautious all the time and the possibilities hinted at by “What if….?” 🏎 🏎 🏎

 

Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself - Chinese proverb

We’re all ultimately responsible for our own behaviour and success. Many people, not just teachers, can guide us and encourage us, but at the end of the day it will be our own efforts and motivation that help us progress.  My most successful students are the dynamic ones who have a plan for the future, a target to aim for; they’re aware of the effort involved in language learning and accept this challenge as part of the journey.  I can  teach them and support them in our lessons (and I’m only 'behind the door' the rest of the time!) but the best students understand that we never stop learning and that we should continue to work hard in between classes too.  

Not all those who wander are lost - J R R Tolkien

Here’s one for the non-conformists! None of us knows why we’re here and we all tread our own path through life. When our behaviour is deemed to be ‘different’ from society’s norms, it’s usually a cause for, at the very least, comment and at the worst, intervention.  Thank God for the people who forge their own paths, take risks, think differently and follow where their curiosity leads. They’re the bright sparks that move society forward and keep life entertaining! 🌈  ‘Lord of the Rings’ fans will already know that this quote refers to Aragorn (son of Arathorn!) and we all know what a wandering, but ultimately successful path he took! 🧙‍♂️

 

The only place you find success before work is in the dictionary - Stubby Currence

Yup! Whether it’s learning a language or guitar, you need to put in the hours! Sometimes it feels like two steps forwards one step back but mastering anything is always going to take effort. The good news is you feel SO good as you progress!  Have a look at my Top Tips page for inspiring ideas on how to keep English language learning relevant and entertaining - the ‘work’ doesn’t have to be backbreaking and the ‘success’ is worth its weight in gold!

 

A wise man, therefore, proportions his beliefs to the evidence - David Hume

Be sceptical. Examine the evidence. Stop jumping to conclusions! Are we taking too much of what we read on the internet at face value and not scrutinising what we see? Have we stopped teaching our children critical analysis in our mad obsession with targets and percentage results? I hope not but I’m worried this might be the case.  Guess I better start looking at the evidence! 🧐

 

The bigger the hat, the smaller the property - English Proverb

Ha ha! This is a proverb about boasting and calling unnecessary attention to yourself.  I like it particularly because it’s short and sweet and says an awful lot with hardly any words. You have to ask yourself, what is this person actually trying to hide? Remember that appearances can be deceptive - you don’t know that your neighbour with the Rolls Royce isn’t up to his eyes in debt, or the person with the large, flashy hat still lives in his mother’s house!  Its better known cousin is of course the classic English language put down of saying someone is ‘All mouth and no trousers’ to describe them as loud and boastful but actually ridiculous - I don’t think we’re unusual in the UK in believing that the image of a person with no trousers on is hilarious! 😂

 

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt

And that includes yourself!! Don’t confuse lack of self-esteem, confidence and self-love with the natural caution we all have to keep ourselves safe.  I think this is especially relevant in the age of social media and the constant messages telling us we’re not good enough. Mrs Roosevelt was spot on - don’t give anyone permission, ever, to make you feel unworthy, and if you don’t give them permission, they’re not allowed to do it 👍

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This being human is a guest house.  Every morning is a new arrival.  A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all - Rumi

This is the first line from the poem ‘The Guest House’ by the 13th century Persian scholar, poet and theologian Rumi.  In the poem, he likens life’s thoughts and experiences to unexpected visitors and encourages us to welcome them all, positive and negative, explaining that the unwelcome guest might actually ‘be clearing you out for some new delight’!  Rumi is advising us to meet all experiences head on, even the bad ones,  and be grateful to them for what they can teach us.  I think it’s a gentle reminder to try not to look on the dark side too often, even in our bleakest moments, and don’t forget - because they’re guests, they’ll leave eventually!

You can listen to the full poem here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPrOi6EsCfk

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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better - Samuel Beckett

Keep going! That’s how we progress, even if it’s three steps forward, two steps back. 

 

To have another language is to possess a second soul - Charlemagne

Is language what makes us human? What does it give us? Communication, expression, friendship, collaboration. It helps us expand our knowledge and experience and gives us closer cultural ties with other humans. Charlemagne was a Christian and was probably using the word ‘soul’ in the religious sense, but if you’re not religious you can still substitute it for an added dimension to life, whether it’s deep feelings or just to describe the spiritual part of a person.  Either way, I would agree that speaking more than one language has multiple benefits, and if you want some evidence you can read more here:

https://deepenglish.com/article/12-surprising-benefits-of-learning-second-language/

 

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted - W B Cameron

I like this quote because of its clever use of words and the wisdom behind it. W B Cameron has chosen to say ‘not everything that can be counted’, so I think we can make a distinction between three meals a day and three diamond rings. Naturally some things that can be counted count. In addition, there are things that you can’t quantify (like love, happiness, contentment for example) that do count very much.  The fact that he writes ‘not everything’ makes you think more deeply about what he could mean, engages your brain and encourages you to think about what you yourself value.

 

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have - Maya Angelou

This is true. Creative ideas generate more creative ideas, which create more in turn. And just for the record, everyone is capable of creativity.💡

 

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing - Walt Disney

….by a man who got things done. Nuff said! 👍

 

I did not come here to solve anything.  I came here to sing, and for you to sing with me - Pablo Neruda

Sometimes you don’t need advice, support, sympathy or criticism. Sometimes you just want to spend time with people and enjoy each other’s company. That’s all 😊

 

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see You haste so soon -  Robert Herrick

Here’s one for springtime. We hope that winter is behind us now we can see the daffodils springing up everywhere. This is the start of a poem written in 1648 and the author is using daffodils as a metaphor for life. His poem is a bit depressing really, but it does serve as a reminder that life, and youth in particular, moves quickly, so let’s enjoy it while we can! 🥳

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A bore is a man who, when you ask how he is, tells you - Bert Leston Taylor

This quote makes me laugh! Although Taylor was an American, it’s worth remembering it if ever you get to know people from the UK. You should be aware that when a Brit says “Hello, how are you?” the correct response is “Fine thanks. How are you?” - always! Even if your leg is hanging off! If they actually want to know, they’ll probably say something like, “No, really, how are you?” You can’t know this unless someone actually tells you. You’re welcome! 🤝

 

It is crooked wood that shows the best sculptor - African proverb

I love this proverb! Typically, it speaks common sense in very few words and manages to reference life skills and adversity in a very visual way. Wood that’s difficult to work with will test the person who is trying to carve it.  In other words, something that is particularly problematic will push you and you’ll have to prove yourself.  We don’t know what we’re capable of until we’re faced with challenges, but this reminds me how great you feel and how much you grow when you tackle them 😌

 

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it - The Song of Solomon

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ Here’s a biblical quote about love. It’s from a book of the Old Testament - the Song of Solomon - which comprises of a collection of love poems. Although the book itself is difficult to interpret, I think, even taken out of context, most people would agree with the sentiment in the quotation because we all recognise the strength and power of love. I also feel that it doesn’t just apply to lovers, but to anyone who has experienced love for a child or an old friend.  Thank goodness love is such a strong emotion - the human race wouldn’t survive without it!

 

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing - Helen Keller

At first glance this quote may appear to be full of bravado and irrelevant to life’s worriers (myself included!), but when you realise who said it, it makes you look again.  It was Helen Keller, not Bruce Willis, a woman who became blind and deaf following an illness at nineteen months of age and remained so for the rest of her long life.  She was an amazing person who achieved amazing things - this short video gives you a brief introduction if you don’t know about her:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2018/jun/01/helen-keller-deaf-blind-and-mighty-video

Take it at face value, or analyse its meaning till you’re blue in the face (but analyse it in your head in English please!)  I think it’s inspirational and it makes me strive to be this brave!