"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Herbert Bayard Swope


"I pay no attention whatever to any body's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Kind of goes with Monday's thought doesn't it? He didn't let anyone define him and look at what he did with his life. No, his life wasn't perfect, but oh what wonderful music he made.

"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure—try to please everybody." -Herbert Bayard Swope

Believe me, I tried for many a year (too many to count or remember) to try to please others. It doesn't work!

So try with me just for today to be less perfect - yes, try not to be perfect! Say no more to others and yes more to yourself.

You can't please others all the time. . . it's futile.

Love,
Chatty

4 comments:

^..^Corgidogmama said...

Well ok then....I give up.
Everytime I try to make everybody happy...everyone ends up PiSsEd, including me!

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

Pleasing others does NOT work. It doesn't earn you love, it doesn't earn you time, it doesn't do anything but nibble away at YOUR life.

We have a saying out here, maybe up there: "My dog ain't in that fight." Meaning, "I have my boundaries. Your life is over there. My life is here."

Families teach the destruction of boundaries. Don't get me started. I think I am totally alone in this bloggie world in my attitudes towards families and marriage! But let me say, I have seen a ton of miserable people entangled with families and spouses. Something ain't working.

Let me add in to your Mozart quote the fact that Thomas Edison has the guts to do exactly as HE pleased. He slept when he was tired, he worked when he was alert, he ate when hungry -- none of it by the clock, much of it earning him derision, UNTIL of course all his discoveries...but it takes nerves of steel to define yerself.

Chatty Crone said...

You ladies are right. The more I try to please, the more I don't end up pleasing - plus - I get mad at myself for trying to please when I know better.

I like "My dog ain't in that fight" although I have never heard of it before.

And ODP - you are not alone with your feelings in BLog world.

And girl you're right - it takes NERVES OF STEEL to define yourself.

Unknown said...

But you can please yourself all the time!
Well, you know what I mean :)