“We all have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
― Confucius
There are so many beautiful and meaningful quotes to choose from and talk about that it was hard to pick just one. After going through hundreds of Dr. Suess and Sufi philosopher Rumi’s quotes on Goodreads, I was no close to picking a favourite – I loved them all.
Confused as ever, I let it go but later in the morning when I picked up today’s newspaper, I squealed. Literally. For there was my favourite actor in the world, Tom Hiddleston grinning at me from the front page. Now, I am fanatically obsessed with him. It’s probably a little weird considering I am in my late twenties but I can’t help it. You might want to read why here.
Anyway, I was just reminded of a conversation he had with a live audience at Nerd HQ a couple of years ago where he had quoted Confucius in French and the quote stuck with me (not just because he said it!) but the meaning behind it was quite clear – we’re here for a very short time and there’s definitely no time to waste or dwell upon the past or negativity. We hold onto to so much clutter, drama and excess baggage from a time that’s never going to come back, that it becomes so difficult to move forward. P.S. Tom definitely has a second calling as a motivational speaker. You can watch the clip with the quote below:
I suppose this quote made such an impact on me that at the beginning of this year, I was forced to reconsider all the bad decisions I had made in my life especially in the health department. I also realized that not only did I not want to die sick and unhealthy, I also didn’t want to perish with the deep regret that I didn’t make an effort to pursue my own dreams and goals. Too often, we just go along with the flow – we go along with other people’s plans and never stop to think if it’s something we personally wanted as well. I am guilty of it as well as wasting whatever time I have on unproductive activities and conversations.
So instead of continuing to be a Yes Man, I resolved to do more things that make me feel good about myself – exercising, writing and blogging being two of them. It’s funny because when the ball started rolling, I attracted supportive people such as you wonderful readers, bloggers and friends out there who share similar goals. And reading about your experiences and tips motivated me to keep going and working harder on myself.
Of course, I too have bad days (sometimes months too!) but since this time, I made a conscious and stronger commitment to myself to keep moving forward, those days seem to be reducing in number. I’m still stumbling, faking my way through, learning from the hundreds of mistakes I make and adopting alternative ways to get to where I want to be but the point is, there is progress even if it is slow.
Towards the end of the full conversation, Tom also mentions that he had seen a Youtube video of a boy who had only 100 days to live and he spent those last 100 days “being amazing and he did all the things that he wanted to do.” That just gives you so much to think about.
I started with a quote and it seems befitting to end with a similar quote by one of my favourite authors:
“Don’t live the same year 75 times, and call it a life.”
– Robin Sharma
You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
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Fantastic quotes and a great overall message, really enjoyed reading this.
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Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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Love your first quote.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Tom Hiddlestone and Nerdmachine and great quotes.You made my day. Thanks.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes I need a big dose of Tom Hiddleston when I am in the slumps or in need of some serious motivation. 🙂
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I’m on the Benedict Cumberbatch team but they are besties and Tom’s just so adorable. A real gentleman.
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Aah, a Cumberbatch fan! Yes, their bromance is really very cute. P.S. Can’t wait for the next season of Sherlock! 🙂
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I’m dying for it. Talking about it in a lot of my personal posts 😉
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Aah, can’t wait to read them ! 🙂
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Love that first quote! It’s so true
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Thank you so much ! 🙂
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Beautiful. Loved it. 🙂
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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My pleasure. 🙂 Drop by my blog when you have time. 🙂
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Definitely! On my way to visit right now. 🙂
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*grins*
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Loved the post and both your quotes ‘speak’ to me!
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Thank you! 🙂
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I shared the quotes with my family and friends 🙂
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Oh that’s great! I hope they liked it as well. 🙂
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Yes, everyone loved those quotes 🙂
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