Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an acclaimed American country singer, guitarist, and songwriter. To this day he continues to gift the world with his kind and laid back presence. His songs aren’t too shabby as well. Yes, Nelson’s one of the most legendary figures in the outlaw country subgenre that started up back in the late 1960s. The astronomical success of his album Shotgun Willie in 1973, paired with the success of his albums Red Headed Stranger in 1975 and Stardust in 1978, launched Nelson into a whole new echelon of success. Not only has he given us so many treasures with his art, but he also has an uncanny knack for consistently sharing solid nuggets of wisdom. These quotes from Willie Nelson are some of our favorites.
1. On positive thinking
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
2. On cruelty
“Cruelty is all out of ignorance. If you knew what was in store for you, you wouldn’t hurt anybody, because whatever you do comes back much more forceful than you send it out.”
3. On getting along with people
“If you really want to get along with somebody, let the be themselves.”
4. On good music
“If a song was ever good, it’s still good.”
5. On unhappiness
“We create our own unhappiness. The purpose of suffering is to help us understand we are the ones who cause it.”
6. On freedom
“Freedom is control in your own life. I have more control now than in the past, and I’m learning the value of saying no. That’s very important.”
7. On counting your blessings
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
8. On first loves
“Ninety-nine percent of the world’s lovers are not with their first choice. That’s what makes the jukebox play.”
9. On relationships ending
“I been a long time leaving but I’m going to be a long time gone.”
10. On being cool
“When I see someone I think is cool, he’s a pretty well-adjusted individual. He’s not too affected one way or the other by what’s happening, no matter what’s going through his mind.”
11. On not thinking too far ahead
“I don’t like to think too far ahead.”
12. On solo drives
“When I’m driving the highway by myself is when I write best.”
13. On being present
“Be here. Be present. Wherever you are, be there.”
14. On waking up
“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
15. On happiness
“You will never find happiness until you stop looking for it.”
16. On contentedness
“If you can be content right now, then you’ll always be content, because it’s always right now.”
17. On accountability
“You’ll never get ahead by blaming your problems on other people.”
18. On writing
“I like myself better when I’m writing regularly.”
19. On the power of dreams
“Be careful what you dream, soon your dreams will be dreaming you.”
20. On divorces
“You know why divorces are so expensive? They’re worth it.”
21. On melodies
“There are only so many notes so there must be only so many melodies.”
