A few unexpected quotes for the year ahead | Michael Bungay Stanier
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A few unexpected quotes for the year ahead

I may have followed this flowchart more times than is wise.

Source: Redback Cards

Disrupt/inspire Your Year

Well, hello 2023. Nice to see you here. You arrived a little more quickly than I was expecting, but so be it. Shall we dance?

I’m sure you’ve had a think about your hopes for the year ahead, maybe made a resolution or two (but not a resolution per se, those are out of vogue now, so more a declaration or a fervently held wish or some such). Perhaps you’ve come up with your Grand Plan or maybe your One Word for the Year.

I thought I might add a little grist to how you’re thinking about the year ahead with some provocatively delightful quotes that are all, in some way, a call to action, and a call from Future You to Present You to make the most of this moment.

Rather than just scanning them quickly, why not pick the one with the most resonance for you and take it away to mull over? Play around with how it might colour the year ahead of you.

“Can’t say I’ve ever been too fond of beginnings, myself. Messy little things. Give me a good ending anytime. You know where you are with an ending.” ~ Neil Gaiman

“Were you raised for autonomy or were you raised for loyalty?” ~Esther Perel

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

“If you want to be useful, you can always start now, with only 1% of your grand vision. It’ll be a humble prototype… but you’ll be in the game. You’ll be ahead of the rest because you actually started, while others are waiting for the finish line to magically appear at the starting line.” ~ Derek Sivers

“Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.”​ ~ Mae West

“To oppose something is to maintain it.” ~ Ursula Le Guin

“Today’s movement must be so rich that it cannot be reduced to either one of two preset outcomes: victory or defeat. It must be so prolific that it spills through its containment, composting failure, reworking the meanings of success, celebrating with experimentation, unlearning mastery, and doing the tender work of listening to the perpetual conversation between hope and its many shadows.” ~ Bayo Akomolafe

“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelf, write it.” ~ Beverly Cleary

“Passion is never enough; neither is skill. But try.” ~ Toni Morrison


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