Although I don\u2019t know when I began collecting quotes, I do know that I learned about the power of words early in life. As a student at Trinity Lutheran School, I began memorizing Bible passages as soon as I entered first grade.<\/p>\n
As I got older, I discovered that these words I\u2019d committed to memory often came in handy when I was confused or frustrated. They also could be used to win arguments with my siblings.<\/p>\n
When I was in my early teens, my widowed Aunt Marge advised me to memorize beautiful poems, \u201cSo you can recite them to yourself when you\u2019re scrubbing the floor,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
That bit of advice both surprised and moved me. When I would see her working hard to care for her two daughters, I often wondered what lovely poem was on her mind.<\/p>\n
More beautiful words entered my life when I chose English as my college major and, later, taught English to reluctant high school students. However, this was more of an exercise in appreciating fine writing than it was in taking those words to heart.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until I began my journey of self-discovery that I found myself startled, encouraged and inspired by the words of others. How did that author know I needed to hear those very words?<\/p>\n
Were there universal truths that could be revisited over and over again and make an impact every time?<\/p>\n
Was I the only one who needed frequent reminders?<\/p>\n
I really didn\u2019t care what the explanation was. It was enough to know that despite distances of time and geography, there were others who had thoughts that touched me and, frequently, lighted my path.<\/p>\n
When I began writing myself, it seemed natural to include quotes from my growing collection.<\/p>\n
I also noticed that although I never intentionally memorized these words, they often had lodged in my memory and would show up at appropriate times\u2014providing answers or encouragement.<\/p>\n
One day a quote-loving friend and I were talking about the power of words. I said, \u201cI think a good quote is a seminar in a sentence.\u201d\u00a0 My friend agreed and the description stuck.<\/p>\n
Two summers ago, I gathered some of my favorites in a little book called, of course, Seminar in a Sentence<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. I intended it as a handy guide to pull out whenever a quick seminar was needed.<\/p>\n The pocket-sized book has quotes organized by subject including Dreams and Dreaming, The Creative Spirit, Work and Love, Beginnings, Create Abundance, Small is Still Beautiful, Taking Risks, The Power of Ideas and several others.<\/p>\n