Quotations I Learned From This Year

How time flies! The year 2006 is about to end, and another one is on the way. There are so many things to still thank for this year, amid all the frustrations, disappointments, and unfortunate incidents. But one thing is certain... I know I have grown stronger and able to seize another day.

As for next year, let's just wait and see. Hope is definitely something I cling on to and I'm not willing to give that up.

As promised, here are the quotations I learned from this year.

From GREY'S ANATOMY

Quotes from Meredith Grey (beginning or ending narration):

"See, once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you. And once in a while, people may even take your breath away."

"We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves...that knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst most intractable mistake beats the hell out of never trying."

"I don’t know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I’d say it had a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure. Fear of pain. Fear of rejection. Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you’re wrong. What if you make a mistake you can’t undo. Whatever it is we're afraid of, one thing holds true. That by the time the pain of not doing the thing gets worse than the fear of doing it."

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."

"At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out, they fence you in. Life is messy, that's how we're made. So you can waste your life drawing lines or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines that are way too dangerous to cross. Here's what I know.If you're willing to throw caution to the wind and take a chance, the view from the other side... is spectacular."

"Pain. You just have to ride it out. You can only hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside."

"In letting go of bad habits, old memories, what's important is that we never stop believing we can have a new beginning. Amid all the crap, there are a few things really worth holding on to."

Quote from Callie Torres (to George O'Malley):

"Don't chase me, unless you're ready to catch me."

Quote from Nurse Olivia (referring to a woman who left her fiancee after finding out he is about to undergo a serious medical operation):

"If she can't love him back the way he loves her, then she doesn't deserve him."

From CHARMED

Quote from an Elder:

"At the end of the day, even we can't change what's meant to be."

Quote from a Leprechaun:

"It doesn't matter what breaks a person, only what they live with."

From CSI

Quote from Catherine Willows:

"When you lose a possibility, it kinda sucks!"

Quote from Sara Sidle:

"I have a problem with authority. I choose men who are emotionally unavailable. (motions to Grissom). I'm self-destructive. All of the above."

From Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom):

"Don't let go too soon but don't hang on too long."

From By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (Paulo Coelho):

"Life takes us by surprise and orders us to move towards the unknown – even when we don't want to and when we think we don't need to."

From The Purpose-Driven Life (Rick Warren):

"Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things, are what matters most in life." (Day 16)

"Relationships are always worth restoring." (Day 20)

"There are no shortcuts to maturity." (Day 28)

"Vulnerability is emotionally liberating." (Day 35)

And something I realized this year:

"Love is a cycle; a never-ending process unavoidable, especially to those who are vulnerable."