My favourite quotes

Just a collection of quotes I love, where I found them, and why I love them.

I used this picture as I need to remember why I started this post. I started it to embrace the quotes that help me and get me through. Some of these are my tattoos, my crutches, my nostalgia in the form of films and memories of loved ones past or present.

"Live life in every breath"

My all time favourite quote, so far. The above is my version of a longer quote:

"To know life in every breath. Every cup of tea. Every life you take"

This is from the film The Last Samurai when Katsumoto, a Japanese samurai warlord, is describing bushido to the main character. A somewhat out of place white guy called Nathan portrayed by Tom Cruise. I love this film and I think many people like to miss the point of it. That point wasn't to white wash another Japanese film. In the film Nathan is an arrogant American soldier and Katsumoto take's him to his village and shows him the value of honour, the importance of tradition and a reason for kinship. The more Nathan embraces Japanese culture the more he conquers his inner demons and finds his path to redemption. My version of the quote was my first tattoo and whenever I need to find some 'get up and go' out of nowhere I rewatch this film to remember to try and live my life in every breath. I need to rewatch it soon. Nathans character can relate to anyone getting lost in the trouble of their past rather than looking for the opportunity in the future. Embracing change and living life each day, in each breath, can help you do this.

"The only dependable thing about the future is uncertainty"

This is a quote from my least favourite character, Amarant Coral, from my favourite game, Final Fantasy 9. Amarant is an assassin for hire and is paid by a mad monarch to track down the main character and eliminate him. Amarant will do whatever he feels necessary to eliminate his target but ultimately falls short. The main character forgives Amarent for the attempt on his life but Amarent could not understand why and so asks to join him on his quest. Amarent doesn't actually say the above quote in the game, it is a quote written next to the character in the manual. When I was a kid I would buy a new game in town and on the bus journey home I would read through the manual of the game gleaning all the info on the world, the characters and the controls. Amarents quote always helps me remember to hope for the best but plan for the worst because nothing is quartered. I love Final Fantasy 9 and I have a Vivi tattoo. Vivi to me is the embodiment of childish wonder yet maturity of self and emotional strength, he has such an interesting character and the game is worth playing just for his internal journey. I need to revisit it soon.

“happiness is a choice”

This is a quote someone said to me after the funeral of a friend when I was a teenager. At the time I was angry that someone attempted to suggest that I should try to be happy at that time. Over the next few months I started to understand that it wasn't the situation that I was supposed to try and find a bright side of but more an appreciation of things from another perspective. I lost a friend, but I should look back fondly at the time I did have with them. Choosing to look at the laughs we had rather than the fact they aren't here anymore is choosing to find the happiness. I have tried to apply this to my life ever since, and although I have found it harder than ever over the last few months it stays in the back of my mind. I can choose to be optimistic in this circumstance. I should count the things I have and not the things I have lost. I can consider the benefits of keeping going rather than the ease of giving up. The quote originates from the American footballer Ralph Marston. It seems he has since turned to philosophy as he documents his journey to success and helps others try and find theirs. I will keep trying my best to choose to be happy.

"Only boring people get bored"

I found this when searching for the origin of one of my all time favourite quotes: "Boring people have tidy houses". I first saw that quote on a fridge magnet at the home of my fathers friend Chris. I have never known anyone else like Chris. He would unapologetically do things his own way no matter the circumstance. Unlike me, he was intelligent enough to back up why with a quick quip, and fantastic story or brilliant quote. Chris was a photographer living in London at the time and when teen me told my Dad I was interested in pursuing acting and modelling he passed on Chris' number. I went to stay with Chris for a few days whilst he created me a fantastic portfolio of shots. Many of them featuring his dog Lucy. When I asked Chris why Lucy featured so prominently in quite a few of my pictures he backed it up with a mixture of reasons I couldn't argue with as usual. Chris' house was disorganised and filled with the evidence of his travels around the world and the quote on his fridge embodied that evidence of adventure. When Chris died last year I had the honour of speaking at his funeral and I quoted the magnet I saw on my first trip to his disorganised house of adventures. I laughed at how I had attempted to live by it much to the chagrin of my partner over the years, it was something that had completely stuck to me. The original quote: "Only boring people get bored" is probably something better to live by and comes from another fantastic photographer Ruth Burke.

"Be happy in this moment, this moment is life"

I think this is a great piece of advice but it completely depending on circumstance whether or not you want to hear it. On your normal day to day it is important to embrace the fact that those moments are as important as the ones where you have just reached the peak of a mountain or travelled somewhere new. Though, I am sure if someone attempted to quote this to me moments after stubbing my toe, a moment which is also life, I am more likely to quote back Billy Connelly to them than smile and be happy. This quote is from a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher named Omar Khayyam who lived around 1100 AD. If a mathematician without flushing toilets, the internet or turkey dinosaurs can be happy I am sure I can be too. Whats my excuse?

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get"

I am pretty sure most people have seen the film this comes from, or at least heard the quote. In the case you haven't, this is from a film called Forest Gump. The film is all about the main character, Forest, and his life in America through the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Forest is inserted into many of America's main events through each time period as either a participant or an observer. As forest recollects his life at a bus stop to any stranger willing to listen he quotes his mothers saying 'Life is like a box of chocolates' describing how you just never know what is going to happen. The film gives us examples of perseverance, ignorance and a rather damning biopic of life in America over those time periods. I love this quote and let's ignore that most chocolate selection boxes have a guide in them. That ruins the fun! It stars Tom Hanks as Forest and he does give a fantastic portrayal of a man not reading the instructions to life, but living it as best as he has learned how anyway. The classic may not hold up in certain ways today but it is still worth a watch.

“If you want to be reborn, do it while you are still alive”

I absolutely love this quote. It helps wash away the excuses as to why I wouldn't want to try something knew or push in a new direction. Like trying to reinvent myself as a writer. The quote comes from a man named Shirapyon and an interview he did for a site called BoredPanda. I can't remember where I first happened upon the quote but the article goes through Shirapyon's personal journey of weightloss and taking himself from a self described 'Sad, bald middle aged guy" into a competition winning bodybuilder. There aren't many reasons why you shouldn't try to reinvent yourself if you are not happy with yourself. That is what my blog is for and this quote helped urge me to do it. Tap the quote into google and give the article a read as it is really inspiring. His sentiment towards the end that he fights against himself, not others is something I have taken to heart. It's hard not to compare yourself to the successes of others, but it is much healthier to compare yourself to the you of yesterday. That clearly leads to more success too and Shirapyon's story evidences.

"Being weak is nothing to be ashamed of. Staying weak is" This is a quote from a character called Fuegoleon who is a knight captain in the anime Black Clover. Fuegoleon arrives to assist a main character in a battle and chastises them for questioning their inability weakness when trying to help people. Fuegoleon assists in them in saving the civilians but not before he gives them this great piece of advice. If you have a problem with yourself, a weakness, that is fine. Not attempting to work on that or improve it is not. In my admitting how I feel I in my diary entries I am acknowledging my weakness. That was extremely hard for me and I do not like feeling how I do. Thanks to this quote I understand that feeling this way is nothing to be ashamed of, but staying this way without trying everything in my power is not ok. I should be ashamed of not trying to help myself, not how I feel. Another amazing example of powerful anime can be as a form of storytelling. Its not all for kids!

“You haven't failed if you haven't finished”

I first heard this quote from my actor friend Adei at the first screening of a short film we both worked on called Keep Breathing. The film, which is about consent, is testament to this quote with the ups and downs it went through to get funding. I have scoured the internet to confirm that Adei is the originator of this quote and I can't find an example of it anywhere else. I have had the pleasure of working with Adei on a few occasions on different film sets and during my time at The Actors Workshop in Nottingham where we won an award for comedy together at a Christmas event. I can confirm her quote as being something she lives by as she is absolutely smashing it in her acting career and the film industry is notoriously difficult to find success in. Thanks for this Adei! If you haven't quit something, then you haven't failed at it yet, a fantastic sentiment and definitely something to live by.

“Don’t wait for tomorrow every day of your life”

My Mum claims this quote and after having scoured the internet I can say that unless it exists somewhere that google has no access too- then she is the first. I believe this is something my Mum has lived by because if there was ever someone to flourish in adversity it was her. She takes each day as an opportunity to help someone or be better at something. She has endless positivity that is contagious and this has definitely influenced me to always try to be the best me I can be. The thing is, she has always mixed this with a hardy sense of realism. Try your best at everything you pursue but don't expect miracles, be realistic. She managed to hold a household of me and my siblings together despite our differences and somehow continues to keep us all close regardless of the relative distance. When I think of home I picture my Mum making a cup of tea and whilst she tells me about her latest random passion, the next dog she wants, or an update of something about one of my brothers I really shouldn't know. This is whilst my daughter is hassling her to go see the cows and we are all being jumped on by house pets. One of the hardest parts of the Covid lockdown has been the inability to not just drop in for a catchup and a brew with my Mum. Love you always.

If you have any quotes you feel I could add to my collection please either contact me via the site or leave a comment. By all means let me know where it's from or why it is important to you and I will add it to this page.