day 4: a wise man once said...

today's prompt for the blog-everyday-in-may challenge is to discuss your favorite quote. now, i could easily make a month's worth of blog posts about quotes alone. i've said it before, and i'll say it again, sometimes, someone just says exactly what you're thinking. there's no need to beat a dead horse, or say something a million different ways, so i've found it's better to just quote them. 

one of my favorite quotes, ever, is by none other than mr. william shakespeare.

"love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." how simple. how direct. how true.

love all...how many times do we, as humans, pass judgement on someone else? whether it's because of a different religion, lifestyle choice, or what have you, how many times to you catch yourself spreading negativity to another person? this will make me sound a bit liberal (gasp!!!!), but rather than jump to discrimination, try to put love first. coexist. we are all human and possess the need, at some point in time, to be shown kindness and compassion. being different isn't bad, it's just different. love all... if you don't agree with something, don't judge someone who partakes, just don't do it.

trust a few...as a reformed cynic, this phrase in particular sits quite well with me. while i'd like to think that everyone on the face of the planet has the best intentions, this helps me to snap back to reality and remember that not all people have pure hearts. it really sucks, but it's true. when you do find those people that are worthy of your trust and confidence, hold on to them for dear life. they become your lifeline in so many ways. in my experience, the few that you are able to trust the most, are the ones who love all no matter what. they're the people that you can go to with any situation--good, bad, ugly, whatever--and there is no expectation of perfection from you. those people, while they are definitely few and far between, are the ones to trust without any apprehension.

do wrong to none...the simplest, yet sometimes, the hardest part of this whole quote. it says to do wrong to none. not do wrong to none unless they pissed you off, or hurt you, or were a "bad person." none. every person has value, in some form or another, and that value should be appreciated, regardless of the form it comes in. like the jerk who cut you off on the freeway. appreciate and understand that he may be fighting a bigger battle than you ever thought was possible. don't curse him and flip him off. 1) two wrongs don't make a right. 2) he likely can't hear or see you and you look like an idiot going crazy in your car, screaming at some stranger.

ol' willy challenges me everyday with this quote. it's so simple, yet complex, and forces me to evaluate the actions i take in my everyday life. i love it.

xoxo.