MUSINGS, ADAGES, SAWS AND DITTIES

I collect quotes in a database, and also make up little sayings as and when. I call it Commonplace, the original usage of the world as a repository for information.

I have been doing this for over 30 years. I once sent a few into an online quotations page, who replied that I was not famous.

To which I can now reply, so what? And after publishing this.....so there.

Some might be relevant.

They are organised by subject.

Achievement

If you can't be the best, at the very least you should know who is.

You must be impatient enough to get the job done, and patient enough to do it right the first time.

In order to surprise others with what you can do, you must first surprise yourself.

Action

When you are knee deep in a pile of shit, getting out of it is a whole lot more important than which side of the shitpile you climb out of.

Afterwards

After the rain, the blue After the flood, the drought After the moment, the eternal After the silence, the symphony.

Ambition

It is a wise man who sets his goals high; it is a fool who dreams of things he cannot have.

Assholes

That guy has his head so far up his ass it is coming out of his neck.

Attitude

Adversity is a temporary thing; a good attitude lasts a lifetime.

Change

In a world where normal can turn to strange, the only constant thing is change.

Desire

On ne sait jamais d'ou viendrait le prochain desir.

Desire

I am an animal Drawn by precious odours To a caged feast A festival for eyes and mind Enticing both desire and memory To a crescendo of gnawing At madness's threshhold While you... You sit there still-lifeless A fruit entrapped 'Til time's conventions Turn ripeness To rotten.

Egotism

But enough about me, said the egomaniac to himself.

Experimenting

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly--at first.

Failure/Success

Failure is Success forgetting to tie one shoelace.

Family

A man cut off from his family has lost the staff of life.

Focus

F Free up your mind.

O Organise your thoughts

C Concentrate on the moment.

U Understand where you are and where you are going.

S Search for the SIMPLE SOLUTION.

Folly

There is nothing sadder than the child whose happy home has been made desolate by the foolishness of adults.

Genius

The mark of genius is to make the complicated seem simple.

Knowledge

Half the battle of finding something is knowing what you want; the other half is knowing where to look.

Leadership

Leaders don't follow the competition, but they sure as hell follow what their competition are doing.

Life

The difference in life between I guess and I know Is one that can twist mind and gut For rarely's the answer a clear Yes or No But those maddening words: Maybe, but...…

Life- The Six Rules of Biddle

If you please you can call this the first rule of Biddle: Tis: Twixt beginning and end there is always a middle. The door to the mind should be open, but There are times when it's best that the door remains shut.

Some people find pleasure in some money or toy But it's family and friends who will bring your heart joy.

Live life each day to the full, and then some But know yesterday came and tomorrow will come.

Count on yourself and you'll stand out in a crowd But to others be humble, and inside you'll feel proud.

The most important seven words on the way to the top Are never never never never never give up.

Life

A guide to survival in corporate life. Get up. Show up. Put up. Shut up.

Life

In life there are two types of people who rise to the top: cream and pond scum.

Life

Your life is like a paper bag If you cram too much into it, it tears. If you get too near the heat, it will burn up. Too wet, it has no strength. If you get your head too far inside it, at first you'll feel giddy, but then you'll suffocate. It doesn't need to be fancy to suffice. It will still work if crumpled, but eventually it will end up in the rubbish.

Life

From life's great trials we don't change; we only emerge as who we are.

Loss

Look at the spirit there lying-A dying ember Where words have crushed it out Like jackboots Or a whip, perhaps Twisting pain around a pole Or a taper Gasp! Another day has lit the soul To stumble-- down, and up, and out To something, Or just to darkness.

Love

True love is love that will survive disappointment, and will either laugh or cry at the accidents of chance.

Love

Love is about power felt in a friend.

Man

Man can be kind. Mankind cannot.

People

Companies should think less about the cost of their employees and more about the value of the people they invest in.

Perseverance

Quit now, and all you have left is Hope and Dreams, and when they leave they take away the sunshine.

Philosophy of Life

Start small. Think Big. Aim for perfect; get good. Think of others. Be yourself.

Preparation

Start before the beginning.

Smiling

Una sonrisa no tiene prisa. A smile isn't hurried.

Smiling

Smile…it becomes you, and after a while, you become it.

Success

Just because you made it this far doesn't mean you're going to get there.

Success

To succeed, the most important thing is not to know that you can do something, but to NOT know that you can't.

Team

T is for Talent and Trust E is for Enthusiasm and Empathy A is for Attitude and Appreciation M is for Motivation and Membership.

Every individual on the team must HAVE the Talent to make a difference, the Enthusiasm to make it happen, the Attitude to overcome obstacles, and the Motivation to persevere, and every individual must FEEL a Trust in his teammates that they can be counted on and will deliver, Empathy for their situation, their point of view and their weaknesses, Appreciation for their accomplishments, and a feeling of Membership no matter how great or seemingly insignificant the role.

A Team is never eternal; it is a holy creation of the Moment.

Weight

In matters of weight A fact I have learned Is that it is not what you ate But the calories you've burned.

Youth

Beneath the skin of the ancient warrior Beats the heart of the young brave.