Category Archives: Chinese Proverbs

Apr 22 1 comments
Chinese Proverbs, Thorns

What Do You Scatter? – Thorns #1

ALERT:  Do you know the person in this drawing?

thorns 1

Do You Scatter Thorns?

Do you excuse your snark and judgment as being hip?  They aren’t hip, they’re thorns.  Thorns meant to hurt and denigrate.  You might get followers and fans and people laughing at your words, but you are hurting others and you will, without a doubt, be hurt yourself in time.  The path you covered in thorns will one day be the path you yourself must follow, and the thorns will be even more plentiful.  Even if you avoid the thorns on the path, more thorns than that will have grown inside your heart and will strangle your love, compassion and care.

What can you scatter instead of thorns?

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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman

Quote is a Chinese Proverb

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Jun 21 5 comments
Chinese Proverbs, singing

Happiness is Enough

Happiness is Enough

Your Purpose

As an artist, your obligation is not to produce propaganda that everyone listens to, understands and obeys.  That is other people’s jobs. Your job as an artist is to express yourself, whether there is logic, reasoning and greater purpose in the expression or not.

Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs and what’s wrong with that?

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Drawing by Marty Coleman, who saw Wings in concert at the Fabulous Forum in LA in 1975.

Quote is a Chinese proverb

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Jul 25 0 comments
Bad Habits, Chinese Proverbs

Directions – Bad Habit Week #1

I am going to make a habit of this.

It’s ‘Bad Habit Week’ at the NDD!

 

 

This could easily be called addiction week as well, but I wanted to use the word habit because it applies in more cases.   Not everyone is an addict, but everyone has habits.  Some can be quite debilitating and destructive so whether we call it an addiction or a habit, it still is a subject that everyone deals with at some level.
The problem with habits is that often times we don’t realize we have them until we get in a relationship. When that happens the other person is close enough often enough to see the habit in action, we can’t hide it.  But if we are lucky they are also close enough to say something about it to us. It might be something as simple as leaving the top off the medicine bottle.  It might be something as severe as continually hurting someone’s feelings with a facial expression and verbal response.


Even if we are lucky enough to have someone who will point out our bad habits, we still have to decide in our own brain to do something about it.  And one thing is for certain, you won’t change a habit by continuing to do the habit.  You must adjust.  It might be a complete different direction, it might be a slight course change, but whatever it is, you have to decide to do it.


The key is to not be overwhelmed by the task. You don’t have to change your life goal by redefining a new destination, you just have to change take one small step in a new direction.  It might be a decision to buy healthier food today at the grocery store. It’s not a decision to ALWAYS and FOREVER ONLY buy healthy food. It’s just a small decision today to buy healthier food.  Do that one thing and you have changed your direction and that is enough.  Worry about the next trip to the store when you take it, not today.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad DailyQuote is a Chinese proverb


Napkin Dad Trivia – I learned to fly airplanes when I was 13 years old.

Mar 03 0 comments
Chinese Proverbs, giving, love, self

Giving

Thanks to CK for the quote today. 
Everything is part of a cycle.  It isn’t just one thing about you that can help fill others. It’s all sides of you.
  • That includes your kindnesses, wisdom and expressions of concern.
  • It also includes your humor, intelligence and expertise.
  • Don’t forget your athleticism, competitiveness and enthusiasm.
  • Don’t denigrate or downplay the value of your beauty, looks, clothing, smile, hair, and body.
  • Your creativity as well; your art, voice, green thumb and love of culture.
  • Most importantly,  don’t make the mistake of thinking your struggles, successes and failings aren’t helpful to others.
The world and the people in it may need all sorts of sides to you.  To give yourself, you need to feed all those things in you as well.  That is why being enthusiastic about your life, pursuing with passion what you have available to learn and experience, isn’t a selfish thing.

I have a friend, from whom I got this quote actually, who is a great example of this.  She has her own personal goals in many aspects of her life.  She pursues them with a passion.  BUT, she doesn’t just do it just for herself. Every step of the way she is revealing herself and her passion to others. She is encouraging others in concrete ways to pursue their own dreams and goals as well.    It is not one-sided, and she is not alone. There are many who do the same for her as well.

Everything is part of a cycle.  Fill yourself to fill others.  Fill others and you will be filled.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote is a Chinese Proverb
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One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – Imitation (guest napkin)

giving 2011 love self growth sustainability “chinese proverb” proverb receiving selflessness
Jan 03 0 comments
Chinese Proverbs, sea

>Pearls Lie Not On The Seashore

>Of course, this is not true. You can go to a jewelry store and purchase one. You can steal one. You can inherit one.

But you can’t find your very own pearl, uniquely yours, never owned or touched by another person, unless you dive for it.

Even then you need to know to look for the ugliest thing at the bottom of the sea, an oyster, to find the pearl. Then you have to use a very sharp knife to pry open the oyster and see if a pearl even exists inside it. A lot of work is what that is.

And for what? For a piece of sand, the most commonplace of natural material, surrounded by hardened oyster phlem. Yum. Who will do that? Someone who REALLY desires it. not sort of desires it. REALLY desires it.

So, let’s unmetaphorize this (yes, I just made that word up). I REALLY want to make a success of the napkin drawings. I want to have them seen by the largest amount of people as possible. I want people who like the drawings and my commentary to be willing to buy napkin merchandise from me. I want to make a living at it. That is my pearl.

If the pearl were on the shore, it would just wash up at my feet. But it isn’t on the shore. I have to go out and call, write, post, purchase, think, collaborate, spend, draw, research, talk, listen, learn, focus, discipline, and more. And I have to do that every day. I am excited to do it. But I REALLY have to want this pearl to do this amount of work, right? Especially since there is no guarantee. But that is ok. I really want this pearl. I am going to dive deep for it in 2010.

Wish me luck and when the merchandise is ready to purchase you know what to do!

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote is a Chinese Proverb


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