"We are shaped by what we extend ourselves into; our attending and our participation inform our lives. We must be very careful with the objects and actions we present to ourselves and to our children because we are changed by them."
–– Eric Booth, American actor, teacher, and author
Source: Eric Booth. The Everyday Work of Art. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, 1997; p. 24.
via: Commonplace Book 2006-2009, 2009, p. 186.
"I often think that ritual gives us something to do with our hands rather than our heads, performing a set of actions that root us into our being again. Ritual is different from worship: a matter of instinct rather than construction, a gesture that lets us weave significance in the moment. It is so undemanding, so simple, almost passive. You follow the steps, and they take you down to find what you need."
–– Katherine May, British author and podcaster
Source: Katherine May. Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age. New York: Riverhead Books, 2023; p. 90.
via: Commonplace Book 2022, 2022, p. 103.
"The first action may be the tiniest, easiest-to-overlook thing. But it is surprisingly fierce."
–– Greg McKeown (b. 1977), British-American writer, public speaker and business consultant
Source: Greg McKeown. Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. New York: Currency, 2021; p. 111.
via: Day In and Day Out Notebook, 2022, p. 43.
"Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits for they become your character. And watch your character for it becomes your destiny."
–– Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013), British stateswoman and former British Prime Minister (1979-1990)
via: Sketchbook 28, 2015, p. 45.
"What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe."
–– bell hooks, pen name of Gloria Jean Watkins (1952-2021), American writer, academic, & activist
