Tag Archives: Shakespeare

#94: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

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– William Shakespeare, playwright

Our ability as humans to interpret the world around us is remarkable. Consider your thoughts about the following pairs of words:

  • life – death
  • win – lose
  • big – small
  • happy – sad
  • right – wrong
  • power – force
  • full – empty
  • leadership – management
  • optimism – pessimism
  • young – old
  • growth – decline
  • success – failure
  • strong – weak
  • natural – artificial

Exercise:

Is there a fundamental “goodness” or “evil” in anything?

How does your thinking about the world and others help you or limit you? How could you expand or shift your thinking to lead a far more fulfilling life?

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#47: “How far that little candle throws his beams!”

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“So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

– William Shakespeare, playwright

What if we look at ourselves as candles (or for a modern twist, light bulbs)? What if good deeds and acts of service are examples of turning up the wattage to shed more light in areas of shadow or darkness?

Exercise:

What areas of your life (or the world) need greater illumination? What are your personal beams of light that you can share with your world to make it brighter and a little less weary?

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#27: “Our doubts are traitors…”

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“…and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

– William Shakespeare, playwright

I had a hard time reading Shakespeare in high school – I just didn’t fully get it. Maybe it was my impatience or perhaps I can blame my English teacher!

This quote for me is about fear and how it stops just about all of us in our tracks. Perhaps if we really, really focus on the good we wish to do, then we will find that secret life lever that will have us try, leap, and attempt, in spite of this fear.

Exercise:

Where is fear keeping you from the good you might do?

Where can you find the courage to overcome this fear and make the attempt?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.