Whenever I hear a a quote or an idiom that I find interesting or insightful, I try to write it down in a notes file on my phone to keep in my head. Here are a few I’ve gathered and small explanations as to why they are meaningful to me:

• “If you want the benefit from my vast years of experience, I’d say that you’re much more likely to regret the things that you didn’t do rather than the things that you did.” ~ The Gentlemen (2024)
  • This quote is from Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series “The Gentlemen” which is a spinoff of his 2019 film of the same name. I am a huge cinema person and an amateur filmmaker, so I watch a lot of movies. I really like a lot of Guy Ritchie movies, but my favorite might be “The Gentlemen”, so when I heard that he was making a TV series spin-off  of the movie I was very excited to tune in, although I am not someone who really watches much TV (again, big film buff over here). I can’t quite remember the context that this quote was said in, but I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be particularly profound b/c the series is action/comedy, if I had to place it in the box of a genre. Nevertheless, that quote really speaks to me because I am someone who has always struggled with getting things done b/c I tend to overthink. I usually focus too much on how to do something perfectly rather than simply doing it. The idea that you’ll rarely regret what you get done, but what you didn’t do really opened my eyes and I’ll think about it whenever I find myself falling back into that old habit.

• “Something that takes years to acquire, will likely take years to lose.” ~ Movement by David
  • This is a quote I heard from a youtuber whose channel is called Movement by David. His channel is focused on mobility and flexibility, which are two physical traits that are incredibly important to all athletes, but is especially important to me. I am very serious about basketball and this year I am focused on taking a quantum leap in my ability as a player in order to play professionally next year (2026/27) and a huge area where I need to improve is my general athleticism. The core of being a great athlete is mobility and flexibility, which is why I watch a lot of Movement by David videos. In one video he says this quote, in reference to the importance of consistent mobility work, and I found this to be an inspiring quote to help keep you going in the pursuit of acquiring skills or traits, because it reminds you of the ever lasting impact of your effort.

• “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” ~ Malcolm X
  • I am someone who is incredibly passionate about my political views and I try to stay informed and educated as much as I can outside of my studies and athletics. I have many heroes who are political figures (Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Omar Mukhtar; to name a few), but my favorite is most likely Malcolm X. When I was in 9th grade I read Malcolm X’s autobiography and ever since I have listened to many of his speeches and debates and consumed a lot of content surrounding him and the civil rights movement. Although he has a few quotes I really like, I chose to show this one because my personal interpretation of it makes this a quote about an issue I really care about, which is self-determination. I think this quote emphasizes that for peace in all of its forms to truly be achieved, people must have the freedom to govern themselves and not be controlled by a foreign oppressive state (like how France still retains colonial control in West Africa by controlling the currency and fiscal policy of the region, or Israel. Don’t think I have to explain what exactly is wrong with Israel), or by local oppressive governments (as in corrupt or authoritarian regimes).