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Nnaji's Notable Quotes #1
- NNAJI
- Sep 21, 2018
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 11, 2018
'‘Actions speak louder than words'’, or so they say. When artfully crafted by a wordsmith, a quote can speak absolute volumes and have a direct impact on those who lay eyes on it.
Whenever I stumble across an impactful quote I immediately save it, screenshot it or write it down somewhere - I cannot disregard words of wisdom.
My definition for quotes are two words, insightful reminders. They remind us how to act and behave in certain situations. Below are a few quotes that I believe to be noteworthy, so take note.
''Discipline yourself, and others won’t have to.'' -Coach John Wooten
I like this quote because of how universal it is. Remember how in school the well-behaved students never had to be spoken to by Teachers. But the students that misbehaved were always told off and given countless punishments.
Such is life.
Do wrong in your place of work and it is more than likely that disciplinary action against you will follow. Do wrong in the eyes of the law and you could be disciplined by the police, the courts etc. Nobody likes being spoken down to or treated like a child or a criminal... so in order to avoid it, discipline yourself. Start with your character, and how you advertise it through your actions.
''Judge a man not by what he does, but by what he does that he does not have to do.'' - Les Brown
Lesley Brown. If you have never heard of him, google him. As one of the world’s most renowned motivational speakers almost every sentence he utters is enlightening. But without a doubt this is one of the best quotes I have ever read, period.
Think of those who diligently donate and give to charities or those who feed and/or clothe the homeless. These people are not obliged to do their deeds, yet they still do. Any job you see someone doing, do not judge them for they are simply doing what they have to do to make their money.
Whilst writing this article, I remembered this quote... Why?
Nobody has told me to write all this, I certainly do not have to do this, and I am not getting paid for the time and efforts I have put into making this article and this website. This says a lot about me as person, I believe.
Back to Les, below is arguably one of his best speeches, so feel free to watch it later. Simply watching 5 mins of this video could alter your mindset and/or current perspective on something, anything. Watch it or don't watch it, it's entirely up to you. It is there regardless.
''The same boiling water that softens potatoes can also harden an egg. It's all about what you are made of, not your circumstances.'' -Unknown
I particularly like this quote because of how applicable it is to all who read it. My understanding of the quote is that it is often not the circumstance or situation but rather our attitude and reaction that determines the outcome. Think of a potato when it is first bought. Hard, solid, ready to be cut into different shapes and sizes. However if you put that potato in boiling water for long enough, it begins to soften, to the point where it can easily be turned into mash.
What about an egg? It is so fragile and must be held with maximum care, drop it and you will surely crack it – exposing the yolk within. However, put that egg in boiling water and before long, the exterior has toughened and the yolk has solidified. In this quote, I believe the boiling water represents the challenges and hardships life throws at us.
The potato and the egg are the two different types of people who handle such situations, differently. With every situation that we find ourselves in, we have a choice. Allow it to overwhelm us or use it to become emotionally and mentally stronger and embrace the opportunity to change - for better.
It’s about what you are made of and what you are willing to be. In life some people are potatoes, at some point they were indeed resilient and solid (emotionally strong), but as time has passed they have somewhat become engulfed by the bad situations.
Some people on the other hand are eggs, at first they may have been very fragile both mentally and emotionally, this could be as a result of past experiences (relationships, friendships etc.). However after some time, they overcome the situation and use it to fuel their transformation.
''Respect everyone automatically but give each person the opportunity to lose your respect based on their attitude and behaviour.'' - Unknown
So long as you are human, we are all equal. You are equal to me and I am equal to you. Fame, status, money – none of it matter. When all is said and done, we entered this world with nothing and we will depart from it with nothing.
Do not be gullible and instantly believe what you hear about others, allow people to individually advertise their character, ideologies and attitude to you through their words and actions. You ever had this instance with a friend or colleague... They tell you of how much they dislike someone, but to you, the person they are speaking ill of is actually a decent individual.
Such a scenario has happened to me many times. It's almost as if they are trying to convince you of how 'bad' that other person or persons are. Unfortunately, those that are gullible will be easily convinced and believe every word.
If people have told you that so and so is really rude, simply take it on board but do not take it as fact - seek to see evidence of their claims for yourself. The message behind this message is never judge others... too soon. Gather information and do your research, only then can you make a decision.
''Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.'' –Albert Einstein
The first time I saw this quote I was absolutely confused. Initially I thought there was some sort of typo. Indeed there is no typo, it just requires a little bit of thought from the reader in order to grasp the message. I will do my best to somewhat decrypt it, so you can further understand it.
The words ‘counts’ and ‘counted’ are very important and require a little analysis. Things which one ‘counts’ on are things that have major importance in one’s life, this could be family, friends, a support group or religion. On the other hand, things that ‘can be counted’ are materialistic stuff like clothes, gadgets, money or property.
So, all the things that we can count (money, assets, clothes) are not really important in life (they do not always count). In the same way, the things which really do matter (things that count e.g. family) are those which cannot always be counted (measured).
''If it doesn't affect your pay, don't let it affect your day.'' -Unknown
I like this one because of its simplicity and substance. Too many people let minor situations that happen at work affect their whole day and/or week. In fact, too many people let minor situations affect them, period. For what? For who? Believe me I have endured some stuff whilst working security, but I never allow it to affect me.
The key word there is 'allow'. I have a choice, we all do. I could easily choose to retaliate, but what would that achieve? This quote closely links to the quote which stated ‘the same boiling water that softens potatoes can also harden an egg...’
How you respond to a situation can often alter and/or determine the outcome.
Remember, you are only there to do a job and get paid for your service – nothing more, nothing less. If you are operating within your professional capacity and receive insults, they are insulting your uniform, not you. You cannot please everybody. Do your shift and go home.
Thank you for reading!
Stay safe. Stay blessed. Work hard. Don't stress.
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