Take your work seriously, but never yourself.
Margot FonteynRead
Life forms illogical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?
Interpretation
Life is unpredictable and beautiful, and we should cherish its fleeting moments.
In this quote, Margot Fonteyn reflects on the unpredictable nature of life, suggesting that its beauty often appears in unexpected ways. She emphasizes the importance of being present to capture these moments as they occur, acknowledging that they may never come again, thus encouraging a mindful and appreciative approach to experiences.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a motivational talk about embracing life's unpredictability.
Take your work seriously, but never yourself.
The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.
Genius is another word for magic, and the whole point of magic is that it is inexplicable.
Dancers are both athletes and artists.
The essential thing about mothers is that one needs to know that they are there, particularly at that age when, paradoxically, one is trying so hard to break away from parental influence.
When I'm dead are they going to remember me ? I don't really think about it, it's up to them. When I'm dead, who cares ? I don't.
Each time I think I've created time for myself, along comes a throwback to disrupt my private space.
The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.
I'll never go so far to call cancer a gift. It's a really terrible disease. It's taken the lives of so many of my fellow friends in the oncology unit. But like any life-interrupted moment, there are silver linings.
One of the pitfalls about writing about illness is that it is very easy to imagine people with cancer as either these wise-beyond-their-years creatures or these sad-eyed tragic people. And the truth is, people living with cancer are very much like people who are not living with cancer. They're every bit as funny and complex and diverse as anyone else.
Everybody just wants to appreciate time as it's passing, to be in the moment. It's the hardest thing to do. You're either in the unknown future that you're working toward, or you're in the past that becomes a little abstract.
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