by Marty Coleman | Feb 18, 2010 | Herbert Zbigniew, Luck, Paul Valery |
Aren’t you lucky! It’s a ‘two-quotes-for-the-price-of-one’ luck napkin.
I put these two together on the same napkin because they are the carnal and intellectual sides of the same coin.
I like being older. I like having more wisdom than I used to. I like to think that I am a better person than I used to be. But I also know that that ‘wisdom’ is, in many cases, the stacking up of suitcases full of experiences. They are stacked in such a way that my ‘wisdom’ seems to have come from some far off place, but the reason I can see things as I do is because I have this great view from atop the suitcases.
I also know that that great view can make me think more of myself than I should. I can start to preen and strut that I have such a great view, that I have had such good luck. I start to think I made it all happen. That is the exact thought, if personified, would put the rocks in my path to make me trip.
Once again, humility is key in understanding luck and and living with good fortune.
Quotes by:
“Wisdom adjusts itself to luck” – (top) Herbert Zbigniew, 1924-1998, Polish poet
“Man preens himself on his strokes of luck.” – (bottom) Paul Valery, 1871-1945, French poet
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 17, 2010 | Lew Wallace, Luck |
Lucky you, day 2 in my Luck series!
You know why sports heroes always sound so humble when they win the big game? Because they are well-mannered, that’s why. They know how they have felt in the past when they have lost and the winners have rubbed it in their faces. They know what a lack of character it shows. I know it might seem like such a cliche, but the truth is most sports figures know how lucky they are to be where they are. To win the big game they know that no matter how great one throw or one defensive move was, it wasn’t JUST that moment that really won the game.
What luck have you had in life? Have you been grateful, understanding the plethora of people who made it happen beyond your own control, or are you filled with your own self importance, the self-made man or woman who did it on their own! I don’t mean to diss the self-made person, but understanding how good fortune really works should always leave a person with some humility.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“One is never more on trial than in the moment of excessive good fortune.” – Quote by Lew Wallace, 1827-1905, Union General, American Civil War and Author of ‘Ben Hur’
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 16, 2010 | Luck, Ovid |
Thanks to Donna G. and Jacqueline U. for suggesting ‘Luck’ as a new topic. Not sure how much of a series it will be, but it’s a series of one at least.
It’s pretty simple really, if you want to be lucky in life, put yourself out there to be lucky. With the lottery yes, you can just buy the ticket and go home. If you are the lucky one, even if you are ensconced in your solitary world, it will happen. But in most other ‘luck’ phenomenon you have to be out and engaged with the world for that luck to find you.
So, whether you are searching for a metaphorical fish or a real one , you won’t have the ‘luck’ you want unless you are out there casting your line.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Luck affects everything: let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish.” – Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso), 43 BCE – 19 BCE, Roman poet
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 15, 2010 | John F. Kennedy |
Early on in life, when our opinions and ideas about things are not yet fully formed, and we might be parroting our parents or teachers or friends, we often raise our voices to express our opinion in inverse proportion to how comfortable we are with them. It’s as if we are trying them out to see how they fit but don’t want to admit it so we flaunt them with the assuredness only available to the young.
As we age we hopefully start to realize a few things. First, we don’t have to always prove ourselves. Second, we don’t have to change our mind to fit someone else’s opinion just because we listen to them, and third, we can still love those we disagree with.
I had a conversation recently with someone who said ‘people never change’. By that she meant, their base personality doesn’t change, and I, for the most part, agree with that. But I also feel like experience and wisdom and circumstances and habits can all modify, contract or expand one’s personality in new and better directions…IF one is deliberate about facing one’s self, willing to learn and grow and become more of their best self.
Then they will be comfortable in their own skin.
Speaking of, I forgot to mention which Super Bowl ad was my favorite. There were a few, but the one I liked best was the Dove Men + Care commercial that showed a furious montage of a man’s life from birth until his daughters are grown up. Then it cuts to him smiling serenely while laying on the grass. He is comfortable in his own skin is the idea.
Of course, Dove is advertising the reality that while a man might be comfortable in his metaphorical skin of life, his actual skin might need some help.
I thought the commercial was spot on for men about my age, and who knows, maybe the products are too. I will report back, ok?
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” – John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, 32nd President of the United States
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 13, 2010 | Heart - 2010, Robert Heinlein, Valentine's Day |
Yes, this is a blatantly Valentine’s Day napkin.
Compatibility matters. Mutual interests matter. Attraction matters.
But nothing matters like working for your partner’s happiness. Nothing brings
about joy like realizing that what brings your partner happiness is something
within your grasp to give.
That’s a blissful moment of love.
Drawing and commentary © 2019 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to our own.” – Robert Heinlein, 1907-1988, American author
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 12, 2010 | Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Heart - 2010, Valentine's Day |
Getting close now! Heart #9
Nothing is more exciting than feeling like you are going forward with someone you love. At the same time it’s important that you always remember that not all forward movement is in unison, some is by one person, some by the other. The important thing is to share that back with your partner…AND for you, as the partner, to care about what they care about.
If you sing in a choir and your wife doesn’t, share with her about that, let her know what it is like for you, so she can feel a part of your life. If you like to read, then share some of the stories, some of the ideas, feelings you have about what it is you read with your partner.
The best love is when two people know they are separate individuals but love leaning on and helping each other to achieve both the individual and the shared goals in life. That is really so fulfilling.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Love is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900-1944, French author Author of ‘The Little Prince’
Did you know he died while flying a reconnaissance mission over France during WWII?
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 10, 2010 | Abraham Lincoln, Heart - 2010, Valentine's Day |
A dark heart (#8) in the series today
I am not drawing this today because I feel dark or burdened in my heart. Actually the opposite is true. I am feeling some pretty good things lately about my family, my friends and myself.
I drew this today because around Valentine’s Day we always start to define who we love and why. We make decisions about who to send a card to, who to write a note to, who to ask out if you are single, how much to spend, how big a deal to make of it all with your spouse perhaps.
Kids have to decide who to give little valentine cards to at school. It’s all about figuring out who to show some love to at some level.
But this quote is deeper than that, it’s not about the cute love, it’s about the deep love. The love that allows you to criticize or question or even rail against the Gods if you have to.
I had a conversation a few years back that I still remember well. A friend mentioned that talking to this one person was hard because they weren’t sure they were going to get a trustworthy response. They needed to hear questions, doubts, ideas, criticism about what they were planning to do, but they thought this one person was simply going to agree with them, no matter what they said their course of action was going to be. They knew the heart was in the right place, but they wanted to hear more than just the pretty heart talk, they wanted the truth heart talk as that person saw it.
I appreciate those who combine both the sweet & kind with the real & true when they show me love. Sometimes more one than the other, sometimes both, sometimes only one. But I can trust that they are watching out for me and that ability to be both for me is the proof.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“They have the right to criticize who have the heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865, 16th American President
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 9, 2010 | Heart - 2010, Helen Rowland, Valentine's Day |
I am still rockin’ the ‘heart’ series ~ #7 here
The thing to remember about both of these actions, corking and uncorking, is they are deliberate. You get to choose to let your imagination out or keep it in, you choose whether to think sensibly or not. It may feel like it is something that just happens, and of course there is an element of that, but overall you choose your path in love. And that path starts with you uncorking your imagination.
If you have trouble figuring out what your imagination is, or how to tap into it, perhaps you can use this analogy: The imagination is a road you travel. There are stop signs along the road. Each stop sign is you or some other voice, telling you you can’t do something, can’t think something, someone won’t like you or your idea, you will be laughed at, you will fail, you will be hurt, you will look stupid, you aren’t smart enough, you don’t have the skills, and on and on and on.
So, the key is not to worry so much about whether you have an imagination, but to methodically come to each stop sign…and run over it!
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.” – Helen Rowland, 1876-1950, American author of ‘Reflections of a Bachelor Girl’ – 1909 and ‘A Guide to Men’ – 1922
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 6, 2010 | Anonymous, Heart - 2010 |
Day 5 of the Heart Series.
I have seen this to be true. They try and try and try to love and love and love. Then when that ‘too much love’ doesn’t stop the abuse or alcoholism or philandering or stupidity, they think it’s because they haven’t loved enough and the cycle starts over.
The strong woman, and in some cases the man, who can turn the corner and realize it isn’t the amount of love that is failing, it is the recipient of the love that is, will be able to get out of the situation and regain their emotional health.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“To a woman in love, loving too much is not loving enough.” – Ms. or Mr. Anonymous
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 5, 2010 | Frankie Byrne, Heart - 2010 |
Day 4 in the heart series
It’s as simple as that. Without the respect, no amount of dressing up the ‘love’ to go out will make a difference.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Respect is love in plain clothes.” – Frankie Byrne, 1922-1993, Irish radio broadcaster, known for her ‘Dear Frankie’ advice segment for 22 years.
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