words of wisdom
 

do you have any favourite sayings that inspire and uplift?

It would be good to see some Haiku too.


Success is a journey

not a destination

half the fun is getting there.

GITA BELLINI.

Ah, I've not heard that before, it's a good quote :)

"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it" - Roald Dahl.

Sorry, I don't know any haiku, but hopefully that's the kind of saying you mean, lol.

"Not to decide, is to decide."

That's how I live my life.

There are a lot of Haiku like this, as you pointed out. There are also Japanese sayings called "kotowaza" (ことわざ). There are a ton of them, some of them very similar to those of other countries. It's fun to trace the origins of those types of phrases.

One of my favorite Kotowazas is
猿も木から落ちる (saru mo ki kara ochiru)
Which I guess would be
Even monkeys fall from trees (in English).

I think you can figure out the meaning for yourself, but to me it means that you should never get cocky... it also means that you shouldn't be discouraged when you make a mistake because even the pros will sometimes slip up.

Another one, that I don't particularly like is
石の上にも三年 (ishi no ue ni mo san nen)
Which I guess would be something like
Even if it's just a rock you're sitting on, you should do it for 3 years
Which is really trying to say:
Patients-persistance-endurance etc etc.

I know it's too old a phrase for this, but sometimes I wonder if it wasn't created to tell school kids who are sick of their clubs they've joined (which they incidently usually continue for 3 years). When I hear this phrase I think: I have better shit to do with my time than sit on a rock for three years... and to take it less literally, I think that while there is something to learn from everything, you shouldn't always let tradition stop you from doing what you feel.

Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.

(Panditavagga, from Dhammapada)

"Knowledge comes by eyes always open and working hard, and
there is no knowledge that is not power."


quoted from Jeremy Taylor

One should seek serenity to cultivate the body, thriftiness to cultivate the morals. Seeking fame and wealth will not lead to noble ideal. Only by seeking serenity will one reach far. - Zhugeliang

"Tobi ga taka o umu."

I'm not sure this is by to be honest. It means--if I am correct--"From a kite, a hawk is born."

It's my motto. XD