There are some words and sayings which seems to perfectly describe what you never even knew you felt. In this scenario, the sentiment precedes the words. You already experienced it inside, and the word or quote declares it out loud.  And then there are the quotes that resonates with your aspirations and guides your evolution. So in this scenario it doesn’t quite declare what already exists inside you but rather shapes you to become your future self. These are some reflections on my list of word(s) and/ or quotes that are either self-declaratory or aspirational.

 

This is a ‘declarer’ word, saying aloud what I always felt. Until I lived in India circa 2011, saudade was basically what followed me relentlessly throughout all of my adolescence and 20’s. That debilitating yearning. It’s possibly the reason why I always feel so indebted to India. It rid me from the claws of saudade…the unbearable but indefinable something for nothing.

A ‘declarer’ quote. For me this described my imagination of the afterlife. A place where we no longer discuss and argue but congregate for accountability. It is most definitely not what Rumi intended in his poem, but it struck me in that raw, visceral and emotive way and said aloud what was simmering romantically in my subconscious.

This would be a ‘self-shaper’ quote. I didn’t already know or feel it, but it’s message appealed to me and it’s become a poetic mantra. Give generously of yourself – time, knowledge, attention, patience, love, care – and it will keep you rich inside. When you are not giving the best of yourself to your family, your work, your society – then you live in poverty.

Another ‘self-shaper’. This requires a lot of discipline but no one can underestimate the quality of our lives when we speak cleanly. When we restrain from giving life to unsubstantiated gossip, when we discern what is a topic of actual value worth discussion and when we actively seek to bring something kind onto the table. Unfortunately I feel I struggle with this more as I get older then when I was younger. I haven’t quite worked out why that is. But this is definitely a message to keep me closer to the higher self.

Final Words

Neither a ‘declarer’ or a ‘self-shaper’. Just what feels right for my journey.

Note:- All images in this post are sourced from Pexels or Canva.