An excerpt from:

Little Book

Of

BIG QUOTES

Volume I

Carlos Salinas

Foreword from the Author

I have composed these words in moments lost deep in thought, others after reflecting on conversations with other people, and yet others that have quickly appeared to me clearly in the ocean that is the human mind.

You may have noticed that there is no order or cataloging of the subject matter of the quotes. I did this for several reasons. First, I would like for each quote to take the reader by complete surprise. Second, there is no organization in life; one does not learn about love first, about pain second, and death third. So is the order of the quotes in this book.

I hope that as the reader you read these words with an open mind. Please understand that it is not my intention to change your way of thinking if it already works for you. I firmly believe what Socrates said, "I cannot teach anyone anything, I can only make them think." It is with this very spirit that I humbly present these words to your mind and hope that you do with them as you wish. Use what you can, disregard what you can't. I truly hope that you enjoy this book.

See you on page one,

Carlos Salinas

Be carefree, not careless.

Through every turn in life, through every little twist of fate, there is an opportunity to take a step back, find and reinvent yourself, and come back a bigger, stronger, better you.

The difference between those that can and those that can’t is attitude.

The taller you stand, the more possibilities you see.

It becomes a lot easier to understand people when you realize that not everyone wants or is after the same thing.

Late night conversations are ridiculously silly or ridiculously meaningful; but if you're lucky, they are both.

The best part of taking the high road is that you never have to ask for directions.

Amazing adventures lie at the threshold of the unknown.

A philosopher argues to prove himself right; a true philosopher discusses, hoping to be proven wrong.

Yes. You. Can.

There ain't nothing more dangerous than a nerd with street cred.

There is nothing more annoying than arrogance but there is nothing more attractive than confidence.

"Write me" whispered the story.

"Guide me" answered the writer.

A cat does not need to be told or reminded that it is a cat. It would also never be confused for a dog or any other animal. Be like a cat.

The best people to love are the ones that you don't have to try to love.

The writer and reader enter a dance; where the writer leads but the reader chooses the music.

The best question a writer can ask himself is:

"What if?"

They told me that I was an idealist.

I told them that they were awesome.

Parsimony:  a complex word for a simple thought!

Expect nothing.

Appreciate everything.

Don’t teach by talking. Lead by example.

Let your life be like a revolving door; people are free to go, come, and stay as they please.

Your imagination: where Narnia, Neverland, Wonderland, Hogwarts, and every other place you've read about exists.

Free-time is the greatest gift for the creative soul.

Life is meant to be full of Wow’s not Meh’s.

Let the cards fall where they may;
I've made up my mind,
I'm going to play.

Mind, body, spirit, and heart; never forget to exercise all four.

Normal: boring.
Weird: where all the fun is had!

Listen to what people say, but more importantly, take note of what they do.

You can't write and not read.

You can't read and not write.

Love is:
Bringing a blanket when someone's asleep;
Giving the last piece of food to the other person;
Staying awake to listen to them when you are dead tired;
And hugging them tightly when they need it the most.

Replace ‘I want to’ with ‘I will’ and see how awesome your life becomes.

Be grateful for everyone in your life; some show you how you want to be, the others show you how you don’t.

Be the light for yourself; never let another person be your light. They may shine with you, but should never be the only source of light for you.

We are the poets; we are the dreamers; whether they are the sweetest dreams, or nightmares; we paint them in words.

Life was never meant to only be lived on the weekends.

Sometimes you meet the greatest people in not-so-great circumstances

Don't stay where you are a beggar; go where you are king.

Never take anyone for granted because one day, either by destiny or by choice, they will be gone.

Even if love doesn't stay, be thankful for the visit.

Why should you write? The best answer I can give is because there is no one that has your exact same opinions, experiences, and perspective on things. You can write a great many things through your own lens and voice for the world.

The Goal:

To reach the highest human potential.

Remember, the sea is FULL of starfish.

Are there problems, or just opportunities to find creative solutions?

I know exactly where I'm going, if you want to join me, great. If not, I’ll still make it just fine on my own.

All things, positive and negative, come from the self. Choose wisely.

If you are defeated in your mind, nothing can help you. If you are victorious in your heart, nothing can stop you.

Each day we are given 24 precious hours that we cannot get back. Who are you spending yours with and what are you doing with this gift?

True peace is not in knowing all of the possible outcomes but in knowing that you will be fine through any of them.

As a person, you must be prepared to stand alone with your principles or stand in a group, alienated.

Just as a painter can paint a more perfect picture with the more colors he has, so can a writer describe a more perfect picture with a better vocabulary.

In love, 100 pennies do not equal a dollar.

Saying silly things just to hear her laugh. :D

A wise man knows how much he has learned.
A truly wise man sees how much he may still learn.

Always march to the beat of your own drum…because someone out there somewhere is marching to the same beat and it’s only a matter of time until your paths cross.

When I die, don't mourn my death, but celebrate my life.

Many things are deemed impossible...until they are done.

That feeling when she asks for nothing and you want to give her everything.

I’m sorry if I’m hard to console, I really am… but I cannot bend the truth to make myself feel better.

At times all we can do is pick up the pieces and hope for a better tomorrow. A better day is never too far away.

J

Seems to me that truly confident people don't have to go around saying or showing how confident they are. Same thing about people that say they don't care about something.

The more special and unique you are, the more difficult it will be to find someone that truly deserves you. Never –NEVER– settle for less than that type of person.

There is a BIG difference between being:

Confident and Arrogant,

Outspoken and Rude,

Independent and Isolated,

Strong and Insensitive,

and

Kind and Weak.

Unless it’s a soul-nourishing and breath-taking love, the kind that makes you wonder how you got along without them before you met them and makes you be a better, happier person, it is a waste of time. If the person cannot make you smile simply by thinking of them, they’re not the one.

It’s called ‘falling in love’ for a reason: it does not have to be forced and cannot be planned. It just happens naturally, and if you’re lucky, it takes you by surprise.

J

There's nothing like seeking greener pastures...and finding them.

J

Sow the seeds of kindness and reap the sweet fruits of friendships.

It just takes that one special person to make the bad seem less bad, the good even better, and everything else around you make sense.

You don’t get rained on if you rise above the storm clouds.

J

The worst thing anyone can do to themselves is settle for less than what they deserve in any aspect of their life.

What you do in your moments of weakness is who you really are.

You are the sculptor of your life; working on your masterpiece a little more every day.

I remember the first time I heard ‘I love you’. It was in Spanish

—‘Te amo’—

and it made it that much more special.

It seems to me that this world would be a much better place if people stopped asking themselves, “What can they do for me?” and instead asked themselves, “What can I do for them?”

Why write?

Because I have something to say.

The shortest distance between you and a goal is a PLAN.

Reading takes the reader to faraway lands, new cultures, new and exciting adventures; you meet new friends and enemies; it takes the reader from the heights of the imagination to the depths of human emotions; all without taking a single step.

That feeling when you realize you have two more bars left to turn up on your music’s volume.

 J

One of the hardest things in life to realize is that the person you love could never love you like you love them.

Look around you; nothing will ever be exactly the same as it is in this very moment. This is why you should live in it and enjoy it to the fullest.

Your SELF is the deciding factor in how you see things and what you do. You were born with everything you need; nothing less and no one else. Now put them to good use!

The world can be a bad place if we let it. The keyword being can. Let’s not let it.

(This was an excerpt from The Little Book of Big Quotes Vol. I by Carlos Salinas available through Amazon here https://www.createspace.com/4443122)