Quotes that Made History - Quotes to Change Your Life
Steve Leder's book, For You When I am Gone, helps readers thoughtfully create a loving legacy, what he calls “ethical wills” for our children and our cherished survivors. It’s filled with ideas, and one of my favorites involves the simple, enjoyable exercise of listing five quotes that best capture your life.
Thinking about my own favorites, I reflected on the phrases that keep coming back to me, reminding me of lessons I've learned but sometimes forget. Those I offer below remain firmly fixed in my memory. I remember not just the words, but also where I first read them, sometimes even down to the page number. A truly memorable quote can feel like a personal advisor, and a group of them can guide a life. This exercise is accessible to anyone, and by trying it, we can better see our own values and understand who we have always hoped to be, and what we want others to know about us.
With that in mind, here are the quotes I chose. I had to narrow down my lengthy list (I was blessed with a good memory), so I’m sharing the ones that stood out to me from different times in my life. Each one represents a turning point or a source of strength when I needed guidance. They reflect the values that have shaped me through trials, even before I actually had the worst of them. They arrived as signposts pointing the way to resilience, hope, faith, and a far greater openness to change. I hope sharing both these quotes and what they have meant to me will encourage you to think about your own. Start with just five, and see what you find.
"Because you are precious in my life, and honored, and I love you, I will give men for you and people for your life." Isaiah 43:4. This translation varies across versions, but these words hung on a plaque on my wall in the 1970s. I first saw them in a gift catalog and bought them despite a cost I could barely afford as a very young wife and mother. These words have guided me through hard times and remain with me still. There have, miraculously, always been 'people for me,' even if I had to wait through some pretty lonely times. It inspires me to try to be there for others, too.
"Live as if you liked yourself, and it may happen." This line is from Marge Piercy's poem The Seven of Pentacles: The Influence Coming into Play. A friend gave it to me during my divorce in the 1980s. It offers hope to those in despair. The entire poem is a marvel; I find new truths in it every time I read it.
“The unexpected is bound to happen; the anticipated may never come.” The sage, Nisargadatta. This is not nihilism, but realism. We try to predict what will happen, but life often surprises us. Live with purpose, but stay open to change. We know so very little, and even that is uncertain. In the end, live in the present, which is all we truly have.
“This, the embodied self, was never born and thus shall never die. Having never been, it will never cease to be. Birthless, eternal, primordial, it is not slain when the body is killed.” From the Bhagavad Gita, chapter two. I encountered this in 2005 during a scholarly review of holy writings. It struck me as a profound, eternal truth. Something essential of each of us transcends this life, I believe. The entire chapter is a reminder that we cannot do all things according to our own will, intent, or whatever our fears detail - but attention to the field of duty that’s in front of us matters.
“Though I lack the art / to decipher it / no doubt the next chapter / in my book of transformations/ is already written.” From Stanley Kunitz's brilliant poem The Layers.
In closing, I want to thank Rabbi Steve Leder and everyone, living or gone, who has shared their wisdom with us. There is a world of it available to us! Keep your own eyes and ears open for the people or words that speak to your life, however they appear. Encourage others with them, as you are able. Each represents a story worth telling.