Quincy At SXSW

There is something about this that is simply worth sharing.

It's not often that I find a passage that I share here verbatim. But every so often, something, somewhere, rings true - and I think this definitely qualifies.

Quincy Jones was the keynote speaker at SXSW in Austin this year. Although I was not in the hall to witness this live, it is most certainly something that bears repeating. At the end of his address, he shared the following words with the crowd as they stood and joined hands and repeated them together:

"On this day ...

I will mend a quarrel.

I will search out a forgotten  friend.

I will dismiss a suspicion and replace it with a trust.

I will rather say, "I'm sorry I did" than "I wish I had" ...

I will always approach my creativity with humility and treat my success with grace.

I will fight against the dumbing-down of our culture.

I will encourage a young person who has lost faith and hope ... and constantly remind him or her to stop stealing music.

I will keep a promise.

I will forget an old grudge.

I will fight for a principle.

I will express my gratitude to God every day.

I will tell someone I love them.

And tell them again, and again, and again.

And again. And again. And again."