Each Monday, I would like to share a reminder about the importance of being mindful. These will come from literature, popular culture, music--anywhere one might get this sort of everyday life nudge.
As you likely know, I am back in school studying Classics. I spend much of my days reading and translating Latin texts and learning to read and translate Ancient Greek sentences. I am thrilled at the opportunity to understand these cultures and their literary and historical contributions at a deeper level. By reading works in the original, I feel a little insight is gained into who these people were and what they had to offer our world.
Today's Mindful Monday reminder is a quote--translated into English from the original Latin. It has been attributed to two wise (and serious) Romans: Pliny the Elder and Vergil.
Here's (one version of) the Latin:
audaces Fortuna iuvat.
Fortune favors the bold.
[In case you want a grammar lesson...
- Fortuna/ Fortune is the subject, a noun, and it is in the nominative case; it is singular and standing for Lady Fortune, the personification of the idea of fortune.
- iuvat is the verb and it is third person singular, present active indicative. It means "favors," "aids," "helps."
- audaces is the object and it is in the accusative case; it is a plural adjective, but here it is a substantive--standing in for a noun = bold (men).]
So often we think that we aren't brave enough/ strong enough/ tough enough/ smart enough to achieve our (highest) goals, but that simply isn't true. If you work hard and take a chance, you can achieve anything to which you set your mind. And it certainly doesn't hurt if it takes courage to do the thing, either. I was recently reminded, and this is entirely true in my own life, that we always think something is impossible until we have achieved it. Lofty goals can be scary and intimidating, but if you aren't working towards challenging ends and aren't progressing, what are you doing? Are you floating? Waiting? Hoping?
Today's challenge: decide, articulate, and even document a goal you'd like to achieve and a timeframe within which to achieve it. You'll be proud of yourself, you'll be motivated to work hard, and you'll keep the cycle of positivity flowing.
What bold thing will you work towards?Labels: Go Ahead--Try It!, Life, Mindful Mondays, Quotes
