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My Favorite Quote

"How we spend our days, of course, is how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard.
Annie Dillard is a famous author known for The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. I read her memoir titled An American Childhood, but my favorite quote isn't from this book. Instead, it is from Dillard's other memoir about her experience as a writer.
I don't recall where or when I stumbled across this quote. The powerful thing about quotes is that the moment you see them on the billboard, classroom poster, or the internet, they stay with you forever. Sure, you won't think about the quote every single day, but sometimes it comes floating in and out of your brain. They are so powerful that I take a few seconds to reflect upon my past actions. Once I see these quotes, I wonder if my past actions lived up to the quote.
This is my favorite quote because my personal goals usually relate to productivity. Sometimes, I get mad at myself on the weekends because I enter a rabbit hole internet search. The quote gently reminds me that the outcomes in life are determined based on our daily actions. Success happens because of habits and practice, not a spark that emerged out of nowhere. When I practiced an hour every day for a piano competition, I had good results. On the other hand, when I searched up random things on Google, I thought I was wasting my life because it did not contribute to my goals. Of course, I am exaggerating the consequences but these types of bad habits won't let me have a fulfilling life.
The quote is also a wake up call for others when it comes to their relationship with technology. The majority of people in my age use social media, messaging services, and entertainment services (YouTube, Netflix, Tik Tok). Although these apps can be entertaining, no one would want their life to be defined based on their incessant use of these services because they don't contribute to most people's own goals (personal, academic, career, etc.). When people think about the meaning of life, the last thing that pops up is spending time on social media. It is wrong for me to generalize about other people's own definition of the meaning of life, but I think the general population's meaning of life revolves around contributing to the community and leaving a legacy.

If you have any quote you would like to share, please comment below!


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