I am a quote guy.
#gofigure
Hush.
I have a couple of notebooks full of them. I have a file on my computer designated as “Picture Quotes 1” and “Picture Quotes 2”. While I don’t purchase books of them, I do find good websites to save of quotes from certain people or from certain time periods. A personal favorite, John Wooden. Dude could coach and dude just knew what life was all about! There are so many good things written about him, his habits, and the things he said.
#heisabasketballguy
I know, crazy coincidence, I know!
However, my favorite are quotes that just fall into your lap.
These I’ve not found sources, so if you know, I’d love to give them their due.
- This first one was on the Univeristy of Iowa Women’s Basketball Instagram site. Sunday was Senior Night and there are five women who will be leaving the program. They played a huge roll in the success of the last two years, but stepped up in a big way this year when Caitlin Clark moved on. Iowa has a great group of freshmen, but in crunch time, these senior have proven themselves over and over again.
- The quote: “Better people make better Hawks” which I paired into “better people make a better you”. We talked about this yesterday in class and I asked everyone to close their eyes and think about their friends. Then, I asked if these friends are pushing you to be a better person. I truly believe you are the company you keep, and my sixth graders struggle with keeping good company. I urged them to simple think about where they wanted to be and if those friends would support them and lift them up, or laugh at their dreams and try to pull them down.
- The second and third came from *sigh* TikTok. This one sits right on my chest:
- “If you can be in a bad mood for no reason, you might as well be in a good mood for no reason.” Again, this was part of my message on my board for a recent day of school. My class is one that is very disengaged. They lack focus and drive that I find exhausting and I tell them about how I feel. But I also tell them that I could grump around all the time because of their attitudes, but instead, I make the choice to be positive because if I can help one of them learn to engage in their learning, it’s all worth it.
- “Easy isn’t always simple.” This came from a “Star Wars quotes” stream I follow. We talk A LOT about the choices we make on a daily basis and how we are made from those choices, both good and bad. I talk about how it’s never easy to say “no” when a friend wants you to come do things you know are wrong. But it lead to you asking the question, “Why are they my friend?”.
You never know were inspiration can come from, whether it an old basketball coach, a college basketball team, or the bane of the world, TikTok. You just have to be open to the possibilities of what is out there and wait for those moments to come, hoping that you’ll be willing to see them and take advantage of them.
My hope for you, that those moment of inspiration come often, that you see them, and they make an impact on you and those around you!
#deepthoughtsbyDarin
It’s all good. I like deep thoughts! 🙂


March 5, 2025 at 4:17 am
Darin, I love every one of these quotes and your own take on their meanings. This particularly delighted me: “Better people make better Hawks” – I am not a big sports fan (gasp!) but the hawk is such an incredible symbol. Connecting this to just being a better person, being mindful that “you are the company you keep,” is so true. Even adults need the reminder. We can bog each other down or encourage each other to stretch the wings and rise above. And I do know Wooden! His quotes are gold. A favorite story about him is the way he made his team start each each by putting on their socks – to much impatience I am sure – but the wise coach knew that even the simplest thing cannot be left to chance when it comes to success. Here’s a quote to that end: “All things great are wound up with all things little” – Lucy Maud Montgomery. I savored this post – thank you for it.
March 5, 2025 at 4:25 am
P.S. Tried to respond to your comment about the buzzard photo I mentioned on my “Three” post – thank you for that request; I will slice about it soon! I just so happened to write about a hawk yesterday. Here’s that post, with a recording of its cries, for when you have a moment: https://litbitsandpieces.com/2025/03/04/hark-the-hawk/
March 9, 2025 at 11:05 pm
I am a (usually quite lazy) quote girl. I just ordered stickers for the booth I’ll be working at a conference … and the “design” is a James Baldwin quote: “Write. Find a way to keep alive and write. There is nothing more to say.” ❤