I love Downton Abbey. So much. In fact, back in 2015 when I gave up television for a time, Downton Abbey was my only exception (so I suppose I didn’t truly give it up, but anyway). What I love about the show is the wisdom and life lessons packed into every episode. In a previous post I went into detail about something Lady Sybil said: “No one hits the bull’s eye with the first arrow,” and today I thought it would be fun to share some more of my favorite quotes!
“My dear, all life is a series of problems which we must try to solve, first one and then the next and the next, until at last we die” – Violet
I wrote more about moving on to the next problem (the Freitas Family motto) in another post.
“Life’s altered you, as it altered me. And what would be the point of living if we didn’t let life change us” – Carson
Ugh, love this, especially because I am resistant to change more often than not. Because we can’t see the future, it’s easy to look at change as a scary or bad thing. However, as Carson says, the whole point of living is to grow and develop so I am trying to embrace it more.
“The presence of a stranger is our only guarantee of good behavior” -Violet
Isn’t that the truth? Although I write about etiquette and preach about always keeping others in mind, I am no where near to perfect on that front! I snap at my family or allow myself to get carried away with my emotions when I’m with those I’m closest with. It’s a good reminder to always behave well, and to have strangers around if you are ever going to deliver news and are not sure how the other person is going to react 😉
“I remember my mother telling me, that in the end, happiness is a matter of choice. Some people choose to be happy and others select a course that only leads to frustration and disappointment” – Mabel
When I hear this quote, the first thing that comes to mind is dating. I dated for six years before meeting Joe and I would often choose a course (read: guys) that lead to frustration and disappointment. A combination of not being right for each other, along with thinking that I could control the outcome, made for a tough time.
I’ve realized that trying to manage and control every aspect of my life is what leads to frustration for me. You may have a different attribute that causes you trouble, so whatever it is, identify it and stop choosing it!
“If you must pay money, better to a doctor than an undertaker” – Mrs. Patmore
As someone who always complains about having to pay doctors, I need to bear this in mind…
“Real love means giving someone the power to hurt you” – Branson
I wrote a long post in 2017 about vulnerability (not solely related to romantic relationships!) and it’s so freeing once you get the hang of it. Goes along with that relinquishing control thing from earlier…
There you have it, my top favorite quotes from Downton! I am so excited for the movie to come out in September.
What favorite quotes do you live by?
-AJF
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