Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away. – Oscar Hammerstein II
This bell is pretty to look at, but it exists to be rung.
What does that mean?
This is another Twitter-shortened quote. The whole quote is as follows: “A bell is not a bell till you ring it. A song is not a song till you sing it. Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away.”
It is said that this quote is from a hand-written inspirational note passed to the young actress portraying Maria in the play The Sound of Music. There is other information saying that the lyrics show up in the stage play in the reprise of the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” but omitted from the film.
No matter what the actual origin of the words, they’re incredibly powerful. Going from the longer version of the quote, this quote is all about the action, rather than the potential. A bell has the potential to ring, but is just a lump of inert metal until you ring it.
Similarly, a song is just notes and words on paper. For it to fully manifest itself, it must be sung. The quote finishes with applying the same pattern to love. It’s there, inert, in your heart. It only becomes real when you take action, and give it away.
Why is action important?
Consider the bell. It can be pretty just sitting there. But it’s actual function requires action. The bell must be rung for it to fulfill its purpose. Without that action, it is just a metal object, full of potential, but otherwise useless, except as a decoration.
This quote is about love, and that action is required for it to reach the full potential. Otherwise, it is just a pleasant thought held within your heart, right? By taking action, it can be seen and known by others, and, in the proper situation, returned to you. But only if you take action.
Action is all around us. Consider planes, trains and automobiles. Some may be pretty to look at. Some look fast just sitting there. But their true purpose is in action. To move their contents from here to there. Without action, they are just bits of metal, right?
Where can I apply this in my life?
This, the concept of action, applies to many parts of our lives. Ideas without action don’t happen, they just remain thoughts. At work, we are expected to take action of some sort, in order to turn thoughts, concepts, plans, and numbers into actual products or services.
Where would you be if your parents hadn’t taken action on their love? What other actions had to happen in order for to even exist? The thoughts in your brain as a baby, the desire to be over there, for whatever reason, is part of what got you crawling, then walking.
Where would you be if you hadn’t taken action on those thoughts? Time and time again in your life this has been an option. In some cases, you took action, and in others you did not. What, or who, is on your list of ‘the ones which got away?’ and how do you feel about them?
What opportunities did you miss? What of them are you glad to have missed, and what others do you regret missing? Not everyone will be able to take advantage of every opportunity. But if you’ve made a habit of inaction, you are going to miss a few you want back, right?
For me, the most important part of action is actually taking it. That sounds kind of obvious, so let me explain. I like to do planning. Think things through. That’s all well and good. I just made a bell. Now what? According to the quote, I have to ring it, right?
How do you go from a plan into action? I do it by making the first few steps small enough to not be intimidating, by having a ‘PlanB’ for the difficult parts, and then following through. What that means is I make sure I take one of those small first steps as soon as I have decided to act.
It might be as simple as doing some research on the internet, or finding a phone number of an expert to call for advice on one of the more difficult parts of the plan. Our brains know the difference between thinking and acting. Once we take action, our brains know something is up, and can help us take further action.
What is your bell at the moment? What is the shiny thing, just sitting there waiting for you to take action? Find a small step, and take action, ring that bell, even if it’s just a quiet little tap.
From: Twitter, @mister_quotes
confirmed at : http://books.google.com/books or http://www.mi-reporter.com/lifestyle/115570409.html
Photo by Dave_S.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I have a few of your others. I am now a follower. Thank you for your thought provoking examination of life.
Thanks for stopping by again, and for leaving such a kind comment.
While the blog started more as a lark and a personal challenge, I have grown to enjoy doing it, as much for the interactions as for the writing itself. I’m glad you find it of some use and interest.
This can be heard in the “Sixteen Going On Seventeen – Reprise” on the original Broadway recording. It is also a song by Reba McIntyre and there’s a faster version by Bobby Trammell. All three of these can be heard on YouTube. Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by and for leaving that information. Great work.
wonderful post.
Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.