Is Chateaubriand talking about FIRST people or ... ?

[Rich Kressly]

I was hunting down the origins of some of my favorite quotes today when I came across this:
"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."
- Francoise Rene Auguste Chateaubriand

...and then I started thinking about all of the FIRST people I know or have met. Kamen, Flowers, Lavery, Baker, JVN, Wayne Cokeley, Dave Beck, Al Ostrow, Joe Troy, Dina Campagna, John Larock, ...

Thoughts?

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."
- Francoise Rene Auguste Chateaubriand

...and then I started thinking about all of the FIRST people I know or have met. Kamen, Flowers, Lavery, Baker, JVN, Wayne Cokeley, Dave Beck, Al Ostrow, Joe Troy, Dina Campagna, John Larock, ...

Thoughts?

Profound.

Yes I agreed, it does describe all the dedicated momentous FIRST'ers.
The state of FIRST becomes our lives.

[tiffany34990]

very profound indeed...it sure fits countless of people in FIRST...

we are one with FIRST, FIRST is one w/ us....and it's just great!!!

[Daniel Brim]

A quote I like is "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum and I can move the world"-Archimedes

FIRST is our lever and the mentors are the fulcrum. That's the way I see it.

[Warren Boudreau]

This is something we should all strive to achieve. Whether in FIRST or your "real" work.

Basically, he was saying that it's not about making tons of money. Unless, of course, you enjoy making tons of money,

It's all about being happy doing whatever you are doing.

In other words, "Don't worry, be happy."

[JVN]

"Find a job you enjoy, and never work a day in your life."

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

<insert profound quotations here>
...

Thoughts?

<start Dave thinking> So I have learned that Chateaubriand is more than just a piece of meat!!! <end Dave thinking>

-dave

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by dlavery

<start Dave thinking> So I have learned that Chateaubriand is more than just a piece of meat!!! <end Dave thinking>

-dave

I hate it when he does that ...

[Mike Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

I hate it when he does that ...

To make Dave feel smarter, and Rich dumber (dumber for the fact that rich on occasion talks to me)

(Big Mike Starts thinking)....holy crap my head is on fire.......I could say something funnier than Dave about Chateaubriand but i don't know how to say Chateaubriand....(Big Mike stops thinking, and dumps a cup of water on his head)

[Jessica Boucher]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

but i don't know how to say Chateaubriand....(Big Mike stops thinking, and dumps a cup of water on his head)

shätōbrēäN'

Or: http://www.bartleby.com/61/93/C0259300.html to listen to it.

[sure_smile]

*tries desperately to come up with cooler comeback than big mike and dave, spontaneously combusts*

in other news, (keeping with my theme of the day), me cavegirl. me love FIRST.

and in even more news, you should all go read the comic 'pearls before swine'

[Elgin Clock]

I think that this is talking about anyone who is passionate about anything.

If your passion is what you make a living doing, all the better for you.

But, then there is the flipside of the coin.
Don't make a living doing what you love, cause then when you want to do it in your free time, you will come to hate it.
I can see both aspects being true.

[John Wanninger]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I think that this is talking about anyone who is passionate about anything.

If your passion is what you make a living doing, all the better for you.

But, then there is the flipside of the coin.
Don't make a living doing what you love, cause then when you want to do it in your free time, you will come to hate it.
I can see both aspects being true.

'Work' and 'play' can be totally different occupations - in fact, there's no limit to the number of things you can be interested in.

I think this speaks about one's approach to life; it's about finding 'magic' in all of life's tasks and situations, whether simple or overwhelming. It's about allowing the present to be new, and to be celebrated.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

But, then there is the flipside of the coin.
Don't make a living doing what you love, cause then when you want to do it in your free time, you will come to hate it.
I can see both aspects being true.

Ah yes. That can be very true.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by dlavery

<start Dave thinking> So I have learned that Chateaubriand is more than just a piece of meat!!! <end Dave thinking>

-dave

Dave,
You are so deep.
My first thought when I read this thread was a quote of one of the greatest thinkers of my generation, Maynard G. Krebbs, "WORK!?!?!?!?" (rising inflection on the last exclamation.)

Elgin, I have been doing what I love, all day long, every day, and have not hated it yet. (Thirty two years last Saturday, but really 40+ if you go back into my hobbies in grade school.) I only hate it when I can't do it right.

Thank God, someone is willing to pay me for playing around. America, what a county!