"Ring out the false, ring in the true” Alfred Lord Tennyson

I wish I could say I planned out this post months in advance for the New Year celebration, but I just found it today. It reminded me of the old saying, “ring in the new year.” And seemed a great way to with the EVRD Community a Happy New Year!

This quote comes the poem, Ring Out, Wild Bells:

Ring out wild bells to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

By Alfred Tennyson

You can find more history about the poem and Alfred Tennyson on Wikipedia. Or find some more quotes by Alfred Tennyson on Brainy Quotes.

A small side note… I did the graphics for this quote differently than in the past. That is my actual handwriting in the image. I will be experimenting more with this style in future posts.

Section: Quotey

Tags: Alfred Lord Tennyson

"If you can’t be who you are where you are, you change where you are, not who you are.” - Caroline A. Wagna

I wish I remember where I originally found this quote. I was cleaning out an old notebook and found this quote scribbled on a page labeled February 25th.

So I did a little research. This quote is from an interview with Carline Wanga on The Path.

I was a surprised to see this quote from a LinkedIn interview mostly talking about the context of climbing the corporate ladder. It was not what I was expecting. But it is a great quote, and taking on it’s own is very powerful.

If things don’t feel right. If life feels overwhelming. Anxiety, stress, discomfort… how much is your environment. The stress and conflict you are feeling is often just caused by your surroundings, not by you. It’s always good to have a change of scenery.

What does this quote mean to you? How often have things become better in your life after a change in scenery?

Section: Quotey

Tags: Caroline Wagna

"You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to.”

I remember hearing someone say this when I was a kid and thinking it was funny, and not giving it much thought. I came across this line again recently, as a much older person, and it held a lot more meaning for me.

Every day, week, month, year you are giving obstacles. You have problems that need dealing with. You have people that want to argue, complain, and negotiate with you. But do you have to respond?

I used to think yes. If someone is arguing with me or confrontational, I need to defend myself. I need to prove why this person is wrong or why I am right. As I’ve become older, do I really need to do that?

Not every obstacle needs to be addressed. Sometimes going through the obstacle doesn’t help in away. it just drains more of your energy and time. Energy and time that can be put into actual improvements in your life.

I don’t know who first created this quote. If it was just a funny line or had a deeper philosophical meaning. But it re-entered my work when I was in a more philosophical mind and help a deeper meaning.

What does this quote mean to you? Have you ever been told this before?

"If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you'd be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled- have you no shame in that?"

Our bodies are less under our control than our minds. Yet, we often we are very aware and protective of our physical bodies, but not of our mind.

Our bodies are subject to health issues, weather, attacks, all that we have no control over. What we do have control over is our mind. What we give our attention to. What we allow to take up our thoughts. And we often don’t protect it.

We give up our time and brain power to social media, to streaming, to worrying about events we can’t control, and to other person’s thoughts and ideas.

Protecting your mind is a learned skill and one that needs to be cultivated. It’s something you need to catch yourself and refocus your mind. Hopefully this quote will stick with you, and help you protect your mind as you do your body.

“Happiness is an inside job.”

William Arthur Ward

This quote is often linked to William Arthur Ward, a well-known American author and motivational speaker. He was famous for writing inspiring ideas that encouraged people to live better and more positive lives. Ward believed that being thankful, honest, and having a sense of purpose could help people feel truly happy, even when life is tough.

Ancient philosophy and modern psychology remind us that happiness is something we create from withing. By thinking positively and taking control of our own thoughts we craft the world around us. This quote is a simply reminder of that.

“The most important decision you will ever make is to be in a good mood.”

Voltaire

A great quote to remind yourself of every now and then. It’s easy to lose track of. It’s easy to let a negative mood impact your entire day. It’s easy to let a minor event expand in your inner dialogue and take up the rest of your day. It’s easy to go down that path.

It’s just as easy to decide not to. To decide to not let events and thoughts change your mood or your day. Things are not happening to you, they are just happening. Your thoughts and perceptions are what is happening to you. Make them good and positive ones.

Context

This quotes comes to us from the Bhagavad Gita. A 700 verse Hindu scripture that follows a dialog format and is considered one of the most influential Hindu scriptures. The writing dates back to the second century BCE.

I can't give this scripture enough justice in these short paragraphs. So, if you have not explored the Bhagavad Gita, please do so. The book is filled with wisdom and guidance for our lives.

Consideration

This quote should be taught to every student at the end of their education. The lesson needs to be internalized.

At this age, you are leaving education and entering a new phase in your life. You are figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life (no big deal). What career do you want to have, what work do you want to do with the rest of your life?

We can debate if this is pressure is good. And yes, you can always change your mind. However, put yourself back at this age in your mind. It felt like your entire life was being decided.

The focus of these discussion is often what kind of work are you good at? What gives you the most money? The most chance for success? What offers the most reward?

Building a life based on what you think the rewards are is a recipe for disaster. Yet that is what we are often taught. The rewards are not guaranteed. Only the work is.

If you are only guaranteed the work, do work you find meaningful. The reward needs to be in the work. Are you happy if you just did the work? Is it challenging? Do you enjoy it? Do you feel like you're making a difference in the world or just your life?

Let the reward be just that.

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Quotes are such a short statement that can mean so many different things to different people. Every week or so, I’ll be sharing a new quote with the community. If you’d like to follow along, please subscribe using the button below.

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Quotes have been a part of EVRD since the very beginning. The quote section of Everything Random became so popular, it spawned it’s own website called Quotey.net.

This section is a call back to those humble beginnings. A section to share some of my favorite quotes and what they meant to me. My hope is they will inspire, motivate, and entertain the community here.

Every week or so, I’ll be sharing a new quote with the community. If you’d like to follow along, please subscribe using the button below.

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Quotes are such short statements that can mean so many different things to different people. If you have a favorite quote, please let me know. You can leave a comment or send a message using the link below.

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I hope you enjoy discovering and reading these quotes as much as I do.