Friday, December 19, 2008

Being Quotable

A quote does not make a man, especially when it is secondhand.

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching."

--St. Francis of Assisi

"Be the change you wish to see."

--Mahatma Gandhi

These things need be.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Judith...what a terrific post indeed! Some of the greatest lessons can be learned through the words and experiences of others. The trainer / facilitator in me thanks you for the tremendous examples that can be used to show how leaders lead. Words and actions that are consistent can get a lot accomplished!

Thank you Ma'am!

Judith Ellis said...

Dave - I appreciate and value your words and the spirit of action imbued in them. We are helpers one to another and you encourage me to further action. Thank you.

Often times we extract words out of a body of work. But it is indeed the whole of the work, expressed through the thoughts and actions of the author, that makes the different, otherwise we would not have such succinct-power-pact quotes. any single quote did not make them and it will not make us. But it can give us pause to think and lead us to action.

Think about it. It is rare that we quote from anyone who has only produced or done little. It is usually through a body of work or through immediate actions that we quote others.

Anonymous said...

Judith...you are so correct about quotes. Invaluable in teaching because they can be used to help folks assign meaning to a concept. They often lead to questions and Google searchs for additional information on the individual. meaning of the quote or both.

Of course, I'm thinking I'm "talking" with a person whose words have lead me to think, be inspired, and act. For which I can not thank you enough!

Judith Ellis said...

There is a single quote that means more to me than any other:

"Love thy neighbor as thyself."

I am forever in hot pursuit of this goal, as my neighbor is ANYONE who is near.

Neighbors can include perfect strangers.

Dave - It is my pleasure to say anything that may be useful, really.