Favorite Quotes

This is a small sample of some of my favorite quotes and a brief explanation of why I think they stand out. These are all quotes that I find meaningful, although I also have a fair number of funny, clever or impressively constructed quotes as well as more, sort of, general movie and book quotes that I have gathered over the years. I have always felt that writing down quotes was important. One reason for this is that I spent most of my childhood assuming it was something most people did so I should do as well, and another is that I get frustrated when I hear a brilliant line or read a sentence that speaks to me, enlightens me or expresses something inside me that I would never be able to say so eloquently. Unfortunately, I've found it difficult keeping a concise collection of quotes and I often find them in half filled notebooks or on scraps of paper. Over time I have come to find that these are just as valuable as proper collections though because, although the quote I search for may not be at my immediate disposal, I will eventually recover it and be reminded of a time in my life when I felt, or still feel, that it's author could express my emotions better than I could.


1. "There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be." All you Need is Love (The Beatles): This quote is comforting to me. It is a reminder that, even though I may not be happy with some of my choices or where I am at that moment, that place is where I am meant to be because it is where I am. Did that make sense? It's a bit of a mental rubix cube I guess.
2. "Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted." John Lennon: I have to admit, much of my love for this quote comes from the fact that it justifies my love of doing nothing and how much I value the time that I get to spend alone. Often I feel as if society considers down time a waste of time. Essentially this quote is exactly how I feel about that time, I enjoy it, which gives it purpose. I don't know that I've ever seen my feelings put so perfectly into words.
3. "Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles." Charlie Chaplin: I have already confessed that I am absolutely obsessed with Criminal Minds. This is my favorite quote that I have discovered through the show. I find it is an excellent reminder that my troubles may seem global and stable, but they rarely are. I find remembering this is the most helpful way to make it through difficult or stressful times.
4. "The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation." Marc Cohen (Rent): When I was younger I spent a great amount of time trying to make sense of this quote. Like so many things, once I'd realized it, the meaning was seemed obvious. The reason I like this quote is simple; it takes the majority of my and feelings and thoughts about war and condenses them into a single perfect sentence. This is my favorite quote from Rent, which is my favorite musical.
5. "You are never given the ability to dream without getting the ability to make it come true." Mickey Mouse: This is a quote I found reading through one of my yearbooks. Each of the graduates gets a space to put a few words (fifty if I remember correctly) and someone put this quote. I'm not sure I completely agree with this but I like the premise of it. I find it very inspiring and uplifting.