I started doing a scrappy quote book on my Notes app back in late 2019 that were initially a collection of meaningful and memorable things I’d seen online. When I mentioned it to my friends (to sound more interesting) there would be some laughs, and also some appreciation of the quotes I had on there.
I knew it could be a cool part of my life if I kept adding quotes throughout my life. A treasure chest of cool moments shall we say.
Then in 2020, it transitioned to include things my friends had said and heard, and after I started my Digital Nomad journey in September, it broadened to anyone I encountered across the world.
I’ve put together a list of my top 21 to close up the year. These are a collection of meaningful, outrageous and funny excerpts from my life. Enjoy!
#1
Success is like being pregnant. Everybody says congratulations but nobody knows how many times you got fucked.
Outrageously accurate. I said this as a toast on my birthday with my closest friends and received stunned silence.
#2
Good UX, poor user.
Akshay Takru
After I decided to drink a cocktail from a bowl. There was in fact a wooden straw attached to the side of said bowl.
#3
Don’t worry about the next part of your life. You’re right in the middle of what you used to look forward to.
I think this is something we all struggle with more often than we realise — at least I do. During Lockdown 2.0, I was desperate to go back to the buzz of London. Then when I was in London, I was thinking about when I’d leave to travel. The curse of expectation is real, and this was a wonderful reminder for me to tame it.
#5
20 seconds of bravery every day will change your life in 6 months.
Being brave is so underrated. Once we overcome our fears, we become so much better, more confident and more aspirational. It’s a win-win-win.
#6
I’ve been mesmerised by the nothingness and everything ness of space.
Isa Janahi
I’ve seen a shooting star once in my life. I’ve seen the Milky Way with my own eyes. I’ve listened to podcasts about the physics of space, the universe and galaxies. Every time I experience something with space, I’m always in awe, and I hope that never changes.
#7
In the absence of metrics, we fall back to whatever is easiest.
The more I thought about this, the harder it hit. Every time we lose track of our diet, fitness, work, focus, phone usage, we just revert to the easy option. Measuring is powerful, and a little bit of measuring can go a long way.
#8
I want to keep the Number of countries always higher than my age. That’s the plan.
Jools Gallagher
I am blessed to carry a passport that allows me to enter many countries across the world quite easily. I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity.
#9
Dutch sounds like English in a blender.
Ellie Mann
This is a ‘can’t unsee’ moment right here.
#10
Whatever the theme is, I’m wearing something different
Rhea Kapoor
I will forever aim to have this level of confidence in my life.
#11
Sorry did I say that incorrectly or did you just turn off your brain?
During a Z2D workshop, when I said something without actually listening to the question that was asked. Deserved in hindsight.
#12
If there’s a gooch that can handle some punishment, it’s a cyclist.
Felix Onraita
Tour De France chat delved into the mechanics of 100km+ of cycling and resulted in some biological analysis.
#13
When in doubt zoom out.
I saw this on a random Twitter scrolling session and was again another good perspective moment.
#14
Being ambitious without expectations.
Samar Vijay
I absolutely love this quote. There are resemblances to Naval’s philosophies on work with this. The idea of “do interesting things and interesting people will come” is amazing.
#15
It’s the things I’m doing every day, that I know I’ll thank myself in 10 years.
Uche Nwankwo
A casual conversation during a weekend in Manchester led to this gem. I was attending a wedding of a good friend from University, whom I’d known for 8 years.
#16
Be proactive in your own happiness.
Marta Suarez-Mateos
Put yourself first. We don’t do this enough, sometimes we succumb to friends or family, and sometimes it is warranted. But we should be doing this more often than not.
#17
Someone once told me life is like toilet paper. sometimes you’re on a roll, other times you’re taking shit from arseholes. So here’s to being on a roll.
Drake
He’s not wrong.
#18
Zero expectations, Zero disappointment.
#StoicVibes
#19
Mediocrity isn’t my thing, but don’t let me stop you.
I’ve begun to hold myself to a higher standard than ever before. I’ve refined my inner circle to be only a value-add in my life, whether it be through business, humour or education. I want to strive for greatness, and if someone comes along that doesn’t, that’s cool.
#20
Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking the risk at all.
Zelal Dogal
A catchup with an ex-girlfriend led to this wonderful moment. While I was sharing some of my worries about leaving London, she sent over a poignant reminder.
#21
Fear is not conducive to success.
Rich Amoah
A quote from one of my previous articles. It’s so simple but so so powerful. We need to overcome fear often, we almost need to condition ourselves to embrace fear, because on the other side is freedom.
#22
Man if they quoted me, I’d be in jail.
Me
It’s a good thing I care about my reputation and this is the SFW version of quotes here. The NSFW version will be released in my autobiography.
Reflection time
It’s important to reflect every now and then, and the end of a year can be a good time to look back. I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the key moments in my year and now I ask you:
What is one personal and one professional highlight of 2021 for you?
Stay humble, stay blessed.
Sakky
