the jar of wisdom
I’ve had this glass jar sitting on my shelf since December. I set it up for the DWR Modernmart event back then and had it on my table for passerbys. What’s inside? Little paper fortunes, pieces of wisdom, well wishes. Whoever stuck their hand in the jar pulled out a nice saying, and a few lucky people ended up with a gift bag filled with Five and a Half goodies to take home.
I’d like to reenact the jar of wishes online, for all you who couldn’t be there to draw from the real jar of wisdom. Only this time, it requires a bit of participation on your end. And yes, there are gift bags involved!
Interested? Here’s what to do:
Write in the comments section of this post your own original well-wish or piece of wisdom. (Include your name, e-mail and website.)
From the submissions we get, we’ll choose our favorite 3, who will each receive a Five and a Half journal. Also, Shawn will hand-letter those 3 sayings into notecards (with each credited to its author of course) which will be printed and mailed to all of you who participate (we’ll ask for all your mailing addresses when the cards are ready, don’t put your mailing addy in the comments section for the world to see!).
To get you started, here are a few of the pieces of wisdom and well wishes that we had in the jar of wisdom (I was in such a hurry I didn’t think of any of my own):
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” ~Mark Twain
“If life seems to have more questions than answers, try to be the one who asks the questions.” ~Lucy as Madame Fullcharge, Peanuts
“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” ~Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Remember, these examples are by other people. We’d like to hear your own original sayings, created by you.
Okay, now it’s your turn!
{Update, April 22nd, 2008: Thanks for writing in with your quotes! We’ve picked our favorite three and are making them into notecards to send to the first 22 of you who wrote in with your original sayings. We’ll post pics of the notecards online soon!}
This is a metaphor that I came up with the other day and just got a liking of it:
Sometimes the circle of life is a bit too much circle for me.
Invite contentment in for tea, and let worry keep on walking.
surrender to joy!
What a clever idea! I think I’ll make one for my desk and inspire people like you have (and of course send y’all pictures of it)!
SERIOUS:
I want you to love you more than I do, but if you’re not yet there, then look down from the pedestal I keep you on and know that you are worthy.
SILLY:
Give me coffee or give me death! Wait, don’t do that, just give me my coffee.
Fresh air always cures writer’s block (and so does starting a pretend fight online)!
Each moment is a choice to create your own joy!
The love a child brings to a mothers heart, is unmistakaly the best gift she can receive.
There is no spring without winter.
When your inner child wants to come out to play, don’t be a strict parent!
“life, liberty, and the pursuit of pancakes.”
“if they taste so good, why is sharing them so hard?”
“Help another person in some way every day and you will be ok”
“Don’t worry in advance - it only makes your current situation more uncomfortable. If something bad should happen, then there will be much time left to worry.”
“you incubate garden beauty like a symphony”
Unfurl the fiddleheads!
It’s ok to look back over your shoulder at the past, just make sure you’re not going to run into anything first.
“small changes can always affect the big picture”
“He fell down the ugly tree and hit every branch.”
The truth is there are no ugly trees and no one in life falls from a tree, we just take our time to be brave and climb each branch to get to the top.
“a little more gas, a little less clutch”
these are words of wisdom from my dad when he was teaching me to drive a stick-shift car… he repeated them ALOT that afternoon… but i finally got it! i have found these words to be helpful in all sorts of situations. they get me to pause/cling/clutch less and act/live/do more.
“Expect the best, but be prepared for the worst”
And just because my english is not very good, the spanish version: “Espera lo mejor, pero estate preparado para lo peor”
Just breathe.
Oh, I love this idea!
Here’s something I wrote in response to a blog post one of my friends runs. I think it applies to all people:
“…building walls may protect you from people who might take advantage of you but it also keeps away the people you could really grow with, build with.”
I liked the comment (entry) about ‘more gas, less clutch’. You gotta love a good car metaphor. So here is one I stole from my brother and use often. Sometimes in life you have to quit being so careful. Just jump in and do it! In other words…
“floor it until you hear glass break”
When Opportunity Knocks, don’t knock it back!