Memorable Quotes

It’s been a very relaxing week for me. I spent most of the last week just eating,sleeping,reading and generally taking things very easy. If you have been reading this blog for a while you would have gathered that I am a self confessed bibliophile.I love reading books and one of my favourite things to do in books that I own is to highlight or draw lines under sections that really resonate with me. This for me is one of the cons of getting books from the library as I am unable to do that as I read .But like I shared in my post last week, I am really trying to declutter and keep less stuff. This means getting some books from the library saves me money while also reduces the amount of books I have in my home.

I am so glad I have gotten back my reading mojo and the picture above is from my account on the app ‘Good reads’. The first couple years of juggling mummy-hood meant that reading took a back burner and I remember maybe half finishing one book in 2 years. I discovered ‘good reads’ last year (late I know) and it’s been such a useful tool in helping me track and sustain my reading habit.

Below are ten quotes that really resonated with me from some of the books I read this year. I wrote them down and circled them in the books that are mine.There are so many of them so I have chosen a few that are really profound and have made me pause to think about what they mean not just to/for me but also how I view the wider world in general.

Poverty is stressful and having too little money might make you a bad parent. However having too much or more money might not necessarily make you a better parent – David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Incremental changes cause ripple effects eventually. Learned behaviour can be likened to epidemics or the spread of a virus and can in turn change the social landscape for better or worse – The Tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell

The poor of the world may be guilty of this and that particular fault or foolishness, but if we are fair we will admit that nothing they have done or left undone quite explains all the odds we see stacked up against them. We are sometimes tempted to look upon the poor as so many ne’er-do-wells we can simply ignore. But they will return to haunt our peace, because they are greater than their badge of suffering, because they are human.- Africa’s tarnished Image by China’s Achebe

Our humanity is contingent on the humanity of our fellows. No person or group can be human alone. We rise above the animal together or not at all. If we learned that lesson even this late in the day we would have taken a millennial step forward- Africa’s tarnished Image by Chinua Achebe

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor – it must be demanded by the oppressed – Why we can’t wait by Martin Luther King Jnr

Human beings with all their faults and strengths constitute the mechanism of a social movement.They make major mistakes and learn from them,make more mistakes and learn anew.They must taste defeat as well as success and discover how to love each other. Time and action are teachers – Why we can’t wait by Martin Luther King Jnr

Just because you are spirit born doesn’t mean you are spirit full.Filled does not mean ‘full’- Hearing God by Nathan Finochio

A good change leader never thinks, “Why are these people acting so badly? They must be bad people.” A change leader thinks, “How can I set up a situation that brings out the good in these people? – Switch:How to change things when change is hard by Chip and Dan Heath

Effort is one of the things that gives meaning to life. Effort means you care about something, that something is important to you and you are willing to work for it. It would be an impoverished existence if you were not willing to value things and commit yourself to working toward them. -Drive:the surprising truth about what motivates us by Daniel Pink

People can have two different mindsets, Those with a “fixed mindset” believe that their talents and abilities are carved in stone. Those with a “growth mindset” believe that their talents and abilities can be developed. Fixed mindsets see every encounter as a test of their worthiness. Growth mindsets see the same encounters as opportunities to improve. – Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us

I could go on and on but trying to keep the blog posts as succinct as possible.

So did any of them resonate with you? Do you also ponder and think about certain quotes you come across? I know quotes are all the rage in today’s social media world. If I am being honest a lot of them do sound cliche and pseudo ‘self help‘. Which is why reading them in the context of a long narrative in a book gives them a bit more meaning for me. They also should not just be taken as ‘ absolute wisdom‘ as a lot of timesthey are the point of view of the writer/author which generally means it is subjective.