It's like driving at night in the fog. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
Edgar Lawrence Doctorow
American Author
The people who make a difference are not the ones with the credentials, but the ones with the concern.
Max Lucado
American Author and Minister
"Life [is] a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge, the quality that gives a touch of divinity to matter."
—Charles Lindbergh
"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself."
--Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish Author and Philosopher
A man came to a guru and challenged him, 'I will give you an orange if you can show me where God is.' The guru answered, 'I will give you two oranges if you can show me where God is not.'
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
"Give, give, give - what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine."
Isabel Allende
Chilean-born Author and Journalist
"If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
Vincent Van Gogh
Dutch Post-Impressionist Painter
"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
Audre Lorde
American Writer, Poet and Activist
“By the accident of fortune
a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love and kindness
he may rule the world forever.”
Lao-Tse
Chinese Philosopher
BEWARE OF GARBAGE TRUCKS
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you
let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee
ruin your day? Unless you're the terminator, for an instant you're
probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful
person is how quickly they can get back their focus on what's
important.
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a
New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and
we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right
lane when, all of a sudden, a blue car jumped out of a parking space
right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded,
and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the
other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head
around and he started yelling bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was
friendly. So, I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost
ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' And this is when my taxi
driver told me what I Now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage,
full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As
their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let
them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't
take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happy you did. So this was it: The 'Law of the Garbage
Truck.' I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run
right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to
other people: At work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I
said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'
Well, now 'I see Garbage Trucks. I see the load they're carrying. I
see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make
it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move
on.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks
take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life,
starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
--By David J. Pollay
Use what talent you possess:
the woods would be very silent
if no birds sang except those that sang best.
Henry Van Dyke
American Educator
It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while
DARING GREATLY
so that his place shall never be
with those timid souls
who know neither victory or defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President Of The United States
A miracle, my friend, is an event which creates faith. That is the purpose and nature of miracles. They may seem very wonderful to the people who witness them, and very simple to those who perform them.
--George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish Playwright
"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.
- Shira Tehrani
Does the thought you are now thinking take you where you want to go? If not, what thought would?
Gregg Levoy
American Journalist, Author and Professor
You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.
- Irish Proverb
Psalm 23
(For the Work Place)
The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray a
nd do all things without
murmuring and complaining.
He reminds me that He is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions
that I might honor Him in all that I do.
Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system
crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping
co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body
that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop---
for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power
will see me through.
He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens
to let me go. His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check
His retirement plan beats any 401k there is!
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer
and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!
--Author unknown but greatly appreciated
The best motivation always comes from within.
- Michael Johnson
"If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy."
- Anonymous
And Joy is Everywhere;
It is in the Earth's green covering of grass;
In the blue serenity of the Sky;
In the reckless exuberance of Spring;
In the severe abstinence of gray Winter;
In the Living flesh that animates our bodily frame;
In the perfect poise of the Human figure, noble and upright;
In Living;
In the exercise of all our powers;
In the acquisition of Knowledge;
in fighting evils...
Joy is there Everywhere.
"Joy," by Rabindranath Tagore
Indian Poet
Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.
- Albert Einstein
God gives us our relatives - thank God we can choose our friends.
- Ethel Watts Mumford
You have a solemn obligation to take care of yourself,because you never know when the World will need you.
--Rabbi Hillel, 30 B.C. - 9 A.D., Jewish Religious Leader
Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery,
by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.
--Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, British Essayist, Poet, Statesman
"Real love stories never have endings."
Richard Bach, American Author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
"Selfishness may be sweet only for oneself, but no harmony of the whole can come from it. "
--Tenrikyo Osashizu
"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner."
- Anonymous
It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Life is truly a fantastic voyage! It is full of twists, turns and unexpected situations, and nobody escapes this fact of life. It’s also fact that if you play your cards right, you learn valuable lessons from the trials and tribulations life presents us. These lessons often build our character, shape our lives and teach us coping skills
__John H. Sklare, Ed.D
"Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."
-George S. Patton
"When Thoreau was on his deathbed, a friend asked him, 'Have you made peace with God?' Thoreau looked up at him and said: 'I wasn't aware that God and I had quarreled.'
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
"Respect the past in the full measure of its desserts, but do not make the mistake of confusing it with the present nor seek in it the ideals of the future."
-- Jose Incenerios
Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.
-- Vaclav Havel
Education means inspiring someone’s mind, not just filling their head.
- Katie Lusk
You don't need to get anyone else to agree with your truth. You just need to live it.
Alan Cohen, Inspirational Author and Speaker
Write the wrongs that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble. Let go of all emotions such as resentment and retaliation, which diminish you, and hold onto the emotions such as gratitude and joy, which increase you.
Arab Proverb
In times of change, those who are ready to learn will inherit the world, while those who believe they know will be marvelously prepared to deal with a world that has ceased to exist.
Eric Hoffer
American Social Philosopher
In order to be walked on, you have to be lying down.
- Brian Weir
There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer, no disease that enough love will not heal, no door that enough love will not bridge, no wall that enough love will not throw down, no sin that enough love will not redeem...
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough, you could be the happiest and most powerful being in the world..."
Emmet Fox, 1886-1951
The true way to soften one's troubles is to solace those of others.
- Madame De Maintenon
"No problem is so big that it can't be solved by a good miracle.
--Author Unknown
The problem is not that there are problems -
the problem is expecting otherwise
and thinking that having problems is a problem.
--Theodore Rubin, American Author and Psychiatrist
"Life in itself is an empty canvas,
it becomes whatsoever you paint on it.
You can paint misery, you can paint bliss.
This freedom is your glory."
Osho, 1931-1990
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
Jack Kerouac
We'd like to ask those besides Kye Nam and Dr. Honeyghan to post their quotes in the new thread called Quotable Quotes.
Thanks for your support.
-TBNet
I had looked for happiness in fast living, but it was not there. I tried to find it in money, but it was not there, either. But when I placed myself in tune with what I believe to be fundamental truths of life, when I began to develop my limited ability, to rid my mind of all kinds of tangled thoughts, and fill it with zeal and courage and love, when I gave myself a chance by treating myself decently and sensibly I began to feel the stimulating, warm glow of happiness, and life for me began to flow like a stream between smooth banks.
Andrew Young, 1807-1889
Scottish Schoolmaster and Poet
Today
Author Unknown
We shall do much in the years to come,
but what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
but what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer
but what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
but what have we been today?
We shall bring each lonely life a smile,
but what have we brought today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
but whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
but what have we sown today?
We shall build us mansions in the sky,
but what have we built today?
'Tis sweet in idle dreams to bask,
but here and now do we do our task?
Yes, this is the thing our souls must ask,
"What have we done today?"
"Lord, I don't ask for a faith
that would move yonder mountain.
I can take enough dynamite and move
it if it needs movin'. I pray, Lord,
for enough faith to move me."
--Norman Allen
"Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division. It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. You can give it away, throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever."
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
"All your life you are told the things you cannot do.
All your life they will say you're not good enough
Or strong enough or talented enough.
They'll say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight
Or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this.
They will tell you 'no', a thousand times 'no'
Until all the no's become meaningless.
They will tell you 'no', quite firmly and very quickly.
And you will tell them 'YES.'"
From an Athletic Shoe Advertisement
"While you have a thing it can be taken from you... but when you give it, you have given it. No robber can take it from you. It is yours then for ever when you have given it. It will be yours always. That is to give."
--James Joyce, 1882-1941, Irish Author
"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children."
Kahlil Gibran
Lebanese Poet and Novelist
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most...We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
- Marianne Williamson, American author and lecturer
It is not good for all our wishes to be filled;
through sickness we recognize the value of health;
through evil, the value of good;
through hunger, the value of food;
through exertion, the value of rest.
- Greek Proverb
A Flower In A Garden
A Poem About Endurance And Perseverance
In the shadow of a house lies a garden
choked with brambles, briers, and weeds.
In the back of the garden is a flower
driven to the brink of extinction by its needs.
The north wind blows unceasingly
through the pine trees on the hill,
rustles and rattles the brush in the garden,
whistles over the house's window sill.
Twice the flower sickened and nearly shriveled
but was called back to life by the sun and the rain
from the realm of resignation and despair
where the only remaining legal tender is pain.
The west wind blows from over the sea
bringing cold stinging rain and sleet
from the vast realms of the boundless ocean
to the place where many paths and errands meet.
The garden was drenched as the rains poured down,
the soft soil turned into mud;
the flower was drowned in deep waters,
but refused to yield its life to the flood.
The east wind blows out of the foetid swamps
with a breath foul and dank;
evil voices gibber and crow
amidst the stench of waters putrid and rank.
Pestilence and pain, anger and hate,
intolerance and bigotry, jeasousy and greed;
they all flowed through the garden,
but the flower paid them no heed.
The south wind blows from over the fields and meadows,
bearing the scents of wildflowers and trees;
the chirping of birds and the sounds of a brook
float downwind on the warm and sleepy breeze.
Lift up your face to the sun, little flower,
and soak up that golden yellow light;
forget the darkness and the anguish,
and may all your remaining days be bright!
Robbie Hatley, Tuesday January 27, 1998
There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.
George M. Adams, 1878-1962
American Author
"Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me... the gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Our joys too - be not content with them as joys. They too, conceal diviner gifts."
Fra Giovanni, 1435–1515
Italian Architect and Philosopher
Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
--Hans Christian Andersen, 1805-1875
"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
- Theodore Roosevelt
DIFFICULTY AND ADVERSITY
"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."
-William Ellery Channing
The world does not remember us by our style or by our wit; it does not remember us by our knowledge or our words; no, the world remembers only one thing: The world remembers love.
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
Samuel Smiles, 1812-1904
Scottish Author and Reformer
Step number one for changing the entire world, is falling in love with it as it already is. The same is true for changing yourself.
--Mike Dooley, Inspirational Author, Speaker
Voices And Choices
It happens to me too,
the voices and choices
are too much at times
and I need a quiet place
just me and the moon
or me and the sky
a place where I can hear God whisper
reminding me to breathe
asking me to 'hold on'
and when I hear this
I know everything will be O.K.
--Ron Atchison
ON DIVERSITY
Diversity is the sometimes painful awareness that other people, other races, other voices, other habits of mind, have as much integrity of being, as much claim on the world as you do. And I urge you, amid all the differences present to the eye and mind, to reach out to create the bond that... will protect us all. We are meant to be here together.
--William M. Chase, 1849-1916
American Artist and Teacher
Turn Your Face To The Sun
Maithri Goonetilleke
Beloved,
There are days when nothing seems right. When every shell you pick up on the winding shore is broken. When the silken treasure slips through your fingers too quickly. When comforts are empty. And the world is noise.
On those jagged edged days, when the wind is screaming for a reason only she understands. And you find yourself all alone.
Turn your face to the sun.
There is goodness in the world, that even the river of tears cannot erase.
There is love in the world, that the numbed armies of fear can not destroy.
Sometimes that goodness is everywhere apparent. It pours from the heart of every moment. From the light of every smile.
On those soft days, love hides in the eaves to drop like sweet honey on your forehead and sings her lilting lullabies in the arms of the winds.
But on some days, Beloved. On days like today....
We need to look, to see.
So turn your face to the sun.
Even when she is nowhere to be seen.
Go inside yourself. Find a speck, a splinter of beauty to be grateful for.
'Yes', the day has worn you. And 'Yes' our mistakes have been so many.
But say 'Thank you' anyway.
Take account of all that is in your possession.
A mind. A heart. A body.
A life that breathes, even if for just one more day.
Now count the eyes that have smiled
at you on your wild journey,
the hands that have held you tenderly,
the ears that have listened,
the prayers that have been made on your behalf.
And whisper your 'Thank you' again.
Count the sky that has watched you grow
with His painted eyes,
The heaving waves that find their echo
in the tides of your breathing,
The little birds that have sung
you their songs,
The stars which have been a lamp
to your path,
and are your
rightful inheritance.
Count unexpected laughter,
Count undeserved grace,
Count Passion and Love making and Dreams yet to be born,
And bow your head and say 'thank you',
Now count the lives who still need your light,
The hungry, the sick, the helpless,
Count the children who will die today
and imagine if with the breath of your body
you could help just
one.
Turn your face to the sun,
And know yourself as a child of the light.
You are the Goodness that cannot be extinguished,
The love that burns through the darkest night.
And perhaps,
In turning
You will see what i have seen,
that this day where everything seemed wrong,
was not your curse,
It was your gift,
Your chance...
To find inside yourself a forgotten 'thank you',
To smile in the face of the grim suppressors,
To stand in the heart of the glowering darkness
and turn your face to the sun.
When we come to it
We must confess that we are the possible...
We are the miraculous, the true wonders of this world
Free to choose our ends, and our new beginnings
That is when, and only when...
We come to it.
--Maya Angelou
American Author, Poet and Actress
"While we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."
--Barack Obama
President-Elect of the United States of America
Forgive My Fear
Ryan Chokureva
I walk on space,
On air so thin
I fear to fall.
Dear God forgive me
For my fear to love
For being so small
In a world so big
Forgive me for not wanting pain
For seeing it first before joy
I know I shouldn’t look first,
At how easily I bruise
Or harden my shell to outside touch,
Or hide within my self,
Or stare with dead eyes
Forgive my fear
Of reaching out over empty spaces,
For taking all the love you give
And giving nothing in turn
When next I shy, nudge me to try
When next I sigh, nudge me to smile
When next love needs, steady my feet
That I may be here,
To brave my fear.
"One thing alone I charge you. As you live, believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life.
—W.E.B. Du Bois
Think Big
Walter D. Wintle (Adapted)
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you won’t.
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a person’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
For many a game is lost
Before even a step is run
And many a coward fails
Before his work is begun.
Think big and your deed will grow;
Think small and you will fall behind.
Think that you can and you will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think that you are out-classed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life’s battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can.
Try to make at least one person happy every day. If you cannot do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you cannot speak a kind word, think a kind thought. Count up, if you can, the treasure of happiness that you would dispense in a week, in a year, in a lifetime!
Lawrence G. Lovasik
Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars... or your two
legs... or your hands... or your hearing? Add up what you have, and
you'll find that you wouldn't sell it for all the gold in the world."
Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955
American Motivational Author
If people offer their help or wisdom as you go through life, accept it gratefully. You can learn much from those who have gone before you.
But never be afraid or hesitant to step off the accepted path and head off in your own direction, if your heart tells you that it's the right way for you.
Always believe that you will ultimately succeed at whatever you do, and never forget the value of persistence, discipline, and determination.
You are meant to be whatever you dream of becoming."
Edmund O'Neill
BUILD YOUR WINGS
If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.
Ray Bradbury
American Author
All the flowers
of all the tomorrows
are in the seeds
of today.
Indian Proverb
Giving someone what you yourself are longing for brings unexpected rewards, among them a powerful feeling of connection with others.
—Jill Neimark and Stephen Post
To Believe...
Author Unknown
To believe is to know that every day
is a new beginning.
It is to trust that miracles happen,
and dreams really do come true.
To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds,
To know the wonder of a stardust sky
and the wisdom of the man in the moon.
To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,
The innocence of a child's eyes
and the beauty of an aging hand,
for it is through their teachings we learn to love.
To believe is to find the strength
and courage that lies within us.
When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.
To believe is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.
To believe is to know that wonderful surprises
are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.
If only we believe.
Joy
Rabindranath Tagore
And Joy is Everywhere;
It is in the Earth's green covering of grass;
In the blue serenity of the Sky;
In the reckless exuberance of Spring;
In the severe abstinence of grey Winter;
In the Living flesh that animates our bodily frame;
In the perfect poise of the Human figure, noble and upright;
In Living;
In the exercise of all our powers;
In the acquisition of Knowledge;
in fighting evils...
Joy is there
Everywhere.
Avoid those pretenders who decide for you; take the reins in your own hands. You have to decide. In fact, in that very decisiveness, your soul is born. When others decide for you, your soul remains asleep and dull. When you start deciding on your own, a sharpness arises.
Osho, 1931-1990
The Strangest Dream
Ed McCurdy
Last night I had the strangest dream,
I never dreamed before.
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war.
I dreamt I saw a mighty room,
The room was filled with men.
And the papers they were signing said
They'd never fight again.
And when the papers were all signed,
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads,
And grateful prayers were made.
And the people in the streets below,
They all danced round and round.
And guns and swords and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground.
Last night I had the strangest dream,
I never dreamed before.
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war.
Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."
Helen Keller, 1880-1968
American Author, Educator and Activist
If you just look at all that already exists in your life, all that you already have: unlimited air to breathe, ample lighting to see, music to hear, books to read, stars to dream by, trees to gaze at, floors to dance on, friends to cavort with, enemies to befriend, strangers to meet, woods to walk through, beaches to comb, rocks to scale, rains to cleanse you, rivers to float you, animals to comfort you, you do have to admit, there's more of it than you could ever, ever, ever spend.
But try anyway.
Mike Dooley
Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts."
From the book: 'Anne of Green Gables'
Written by Lucy Maud Montgomery
GIVERS AND TAKERS
The takers are the people who believe their lives will always be the total of what they can get from the world. They are always thinking get, get, get. They plan and scheme ways to get what they want in money, in love, in happiness, and in all kinds of good... but whatever may be their spiritual ideals or lack of any, no matter what they take, they can never know peace or security or fulfillment.
The givers, on the other hand, are convinced life is a giving process. Thus their subtle motivation in all their ways is to give themselves away, in love, in service, and in all the many helpful ways they can invest themselves. They are always secure, for they intuitively know that their good flows from within.
Eric Butterworth
American Author, Philosopher and Minister
Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.
--William Arthur Ward, 1921-1994
May peace fill all the empty spaces around you
And in you, may contentment answer all your wishes.
May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh.
And may the coming year show you that every day
is really a first day, a new year.
Let abundance be your constant companion,
so that you have much to share.
May mirth be near you always,
like a lamp shining brightly
on the many paths you travel.
May you be true love.
Author Unknown
LISTEN
The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
American Author, Storyteller and Medical Doctor
Unknowingly,
we plow the dust of stars,
blown about us by the wind,
and drink the universe
in a glass of rain.
Ihab Hassan
American Author and Literary Theorist
From The Dream
From the pain comes the dream.
From the dream comes the vision.
From the vision come the people.
From the people comes the power.
From this power comes the change.
Peter Gabriel
English Musician and Social Activist
Don’t give up before the miracle happens.
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
In every forest, on every farm, in every orchard on earth, it's what's under the ground that creates what's above the ground. That's why placing your attention on the fruits that you have already grown is futile. You cannot change the fruits that are already hanging on the tree. You can, however, change tomorrow's fruits. But to do so, you will have to dig below the ground and strengthen the roots.
T. Harv Eker
Motivational Speaker and Author
What we focus on, we empower and enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: Which do we want more of?
Julia Cameron
American Teacher, Author, Artist and Poet
Sometimes we feel that we've got to climb a mountain or raise a monument to leave our mark on the world. What we fail to recognize is that often we make a difference simply by existing, by handling what life gives us. Maybe the way we deal with our challenges and our rewards inspires someone else to achieve worthwhile things in their own life.
Blaine Lee
Inspirational Author and Speaker
We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ...And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968
American Civil Rights Leader
A student asked the Master during a meditation retreat, "I am very discouraged. What should I do?" The Master replied, "Encourage others."
Author Unknown But Very Much Appreciated!
The greatest happiness in the world is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
Victor Hugo
You can find only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours and God's. Much of our stress comes from mentally living out of our business.
Byron KatieAmerican Author and Inspirational Speaker
Think Big
Walter D. Wintle (Adapted)
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you won’t.
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a person’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
For many a game is lost
Before even a step is run
And many a coward fails
Before his work is begun.
Think big and your deed will grow;
Think small and you will fall behind.
Think that you can and you will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think that you are out-classed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life’s battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can.
Today
Author Unknown
We shall do much in the years to come,
but what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
but what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer
but what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
but what have we been today?
We shall bring each lonely life a smile,
but what have we brought today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
but whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
but what have we sown today?
We shall build us mansions in the sky,
but what have we built today?
'Tis sweet in idle dreams to bask,
but here and now do we do our task?
Yes, this is the thing our souls must ask,
"What have we done today?"
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN
Listen to the Mustn'ts,child,
Listen to the Don'ts
Listen to the Shouldn'ts
The Impossibles, the Won'ts
Listen to the Never Haves,
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
Anything can be.
--Shel Silverstein
Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best,and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!"
Christian D. Larson
American Author and Educator
Everybody Was Sure
Author Unknown
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure
Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but
Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
View the past as your enemy, and it will be an albatross.
View it as your friend, and it will give you wings.
--Alan Cohen, Inspirational Author, Speaker and Teacher
What we do is a measure of who we are. If we imagine our work as labor, we become laborers. If we imagine our work as art, we become artists.
Jeffrey Patnaude
American Author, Teacher and Speaker
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862American Author, Poet and Naturalist
Now the alternative to despair is courage. And human life can be viewed as a continuous struggle between these two options. Courage is the capacity to affirm one's life in spite of the elements which threaten it. The fact that courage usually predominates over despair in itself tells us something important about life. It tells you that the forces that affirm life are stronger than those that negate it.
Paul E. PfuetzeAmerican Philosopher and Professor
Use every letter you write, every conversation you have, every meeting you attend, to express your fundamental beliefs and dreams. Affirm to others the vision of the world you want. You are a free, immensely powerful source of life and goodness. Affirm it. Spread it. Radiate it. Think day and night about it and you will see a miracle happen: the greatness of your own life.
Dr. Robert MullerFormer Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations
Giving tells the Universe that you believe you are provided for. For even as you empty your purse, you fear not. The act alone is a demonstration of faith that you will remain whole, that your coffers will be replenished, and that love is what matters most. And for whomsoever believes these things to be true, it shall become their reality, and abundance shall be showered upon them unceasingly, as if the heavens had opened up.
Mike DooleyInspirational Author, Speaker and Friend
It isn't what you have, or who you are,
or where you are, or what you are doing
that makes you happy or unhappy.
It is what you think about.
Dale Carnegie
American Author and Motivational Speaker
It will cost you nothing to dream - and everything not to.
Author Unknown
He who floats with the current, who does not guide himself according to higher principles, who has no ideal, no convictions – such a man is a mere article of the world's furniture – a thing moved, instead of a living and moving being – an echo, not a voice.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel, 1821-1881Swiss Poet and Philosopher
It's not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You have to be the right person in the right place at the right time.
T. Harv EkerCanadian-born Author and Businessman
Whatever else you do or forbear,
impose upon yourself the task of happiness;
and now and then abandon yourself
to the joy of laughter.
And however much you condemn the evil in the world,
remember that the world is not all evil;
that somewhere children are at play,
as you yourself in the old days;
that women still find joy in the stalwart hearts of men;
And that men,
treading with restless feet their many paths,
may yet find refuge from the storms of the world
in the cheerful house of love."
Max Ehrmann, 1872-1945
American Lawyer, Philosopher, Poet
There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world even though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind.
Hannah Senesh, 1921-1944
Hungarian-born Poet and Soldier
IF ONLY FOR TODAY
How would it be
if just for today
we thought less about contests and rivalries,
profits and politics,
winners and sinners,
and more about
helping and giving,
mending and blending,
reaching out
and pitching in?
How would it be?
Anonymous Author
"The people who have achieved more than you, in any area, are only a half-step ahead of you in time. Bless them and praise their gifts, and bless and praise your own. The world would be less rich without their contributions, and it would be less rich without yours. There's more than room for everyone; in fact, there's a need for everyone."
- Marianne Williamson
Walking With Grace
The river of tears
flowed through my heart more times
than i can tell you my friend,
Silent tears, roaring tears,
tears which would fill oceans,
tears of the heart -
which were so much more than salty water,
But today in the gentle glow of morning,
I turn my head to the river bank and there a stone has washed ashore,
Bright and sparkling,
I have not seen it before. And yet I know its name -
Grace.
I will go pick it up and put it in my pocket.
Maithri Goonetilleke
Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe.
Robert Service, 1874-1958
Canadian Poet
"An aim in life is the only fortune worth finding; and it is not to be found in foreign lands, but in the heart itself."
Robert Louis Stevenson
Scottish Novelist, Poet and Travel Writer
Precious Gifts
Author Unknown
Yesterday a butterfly
Came floating gently through the sky.
He soared up through the atmosphere
Then drifted close enough to hear.
I said, "I'd love to fly with you
And sail around the way you do.
It looks like it would be such fun
To fly up toward the summer sun.
But I have not your graceful charm.
I haven't wings, just these two arms.
I've been designed to walk around.
My human feet must touch the ground.
Then magically he spoke to me
and told me what his wish would be.
He said, "What I'd love most to do
Is walk upon God's Earth with you,
To squish its mud between my toes
Or touch my finger to my nose.
I'd love just once to walk around
With human feet to touch the ground,
But I have not two legs that swing,
I haven't arms, just these two wings."
And so we went our separate ways
In wonder and surprise.
For we'd both seen God's precious gifts
Through someone else's eyes.
'Every man has his secret sorrows, which the world knows not; and oftentimes
we call a man cold when he is only sad.'
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Figure It Out For Yourself
George Washington Carver
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise,
With this equipment they all began--
So start from the top and say, I CAN.
Look them over, the wise and the great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes;
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will;
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have arms and legs and a brain to use;
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know;
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had;
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, 'I CAN.'
Do not care
overly much for
wealth or power or fame
or one day you will meet someone
who cares for none of these things
and you might realize
how poor you have become.
--Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936
English Author and Poet
There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the wheel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. They teach the truth by living it.
James A. Garfield, 1831-1881
Twentieth President of the United States
If doubt is challenging you and you do not act, doubts will grow.
Challenge the doubts with action and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible.
--John Kanary, Inspirational Speaker and Success Coach
"When you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change."
Dr. Wayne Dyer
American Author and Inspirational Speaker
It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948
Indian Political and Spiritual Leader
LILIES AND ROSES
How generous you are, Earth,
and how strong is your yearning for your children
lost between that which they have attained and that which they could not obtain.
We clamor and you smile; we flit but you stay!
We extract your elements to make cannons and bombs,
but out of our elements you create lilies and roses.
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931
Lebanese Poet and Philosopher
"Without
love
in the dream,
it
will
never
come
true."
--Robert Hunter,
American Lyricist and Poet
As an add on, Robert Hunter wrote a lot of the Grateful Dead's songs (mostly Jerry's tunes).
The above are lyrics from 'Help On the Way'.
Make a gift of your life and lift all mankind by being kind, considerate, forgiving, and compassionate at all times, in all places, and under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself. This is the greatest gift anyone can give.
David R. HawkinsAmerican Doctor, Author and Spiritual Teacher
What you need to know about the past is that no matter what happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.
Author Unknown
Voices And Choices
Ron Atchison
It happens to me too,
the voices and choices
are too much at times
and I need a quiet place
just me and the moon
or me and the sky
a place where I can hear God whisper
reminding me to breathe
asking me to 'hold on'
and when I hear this
I know everything will be O.K.
Wildflowers
Kitty Chappell
Lord, help me to grow as the wildflowers grow
be it a meadow or a crack in cement.
Despite the terrain, be it good or bad,
let me know I am there by intent.
Instead of my sadly complaining within
regarding life's rough terrain,
May my face, too, look upward to you
through seasons of drought and rain.
Help me to bloom as the wildflowers bloom,
regardless of where I am placed;
wherever the spot You plant me, Lord,
let the air there be sweet with Your grace.
Someday a tired pilgrim may stop to rest
from carrying his heavy load
And thank my Creator for placing me there
to brighten that spot in life's road.
"Expect to have hope rekindled.
Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.
The dry seasons in life do not last.
The spring rains will come again."
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Inspirational Author
Love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep on watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it.
John Winston Ono Lennon, 1940-1980
English Musician, Songwriter and Peace Activist
Though no on can go back and make a new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end."
Carl Bard
If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself.
Dr. Wayne Dyer
American Author and Inspirational Speaker
Every
s m i l e
makes
you
a day
younger.
Chinese Proverb
If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.
Glenn Clark
You’re really something, do you know that? And in spite of whatever may happen in your day, you are going to stay that way: trying and giving and living life in the best way you know how. So keep your spirits up, and keep things in perspective. It’s going to be okay.
Ceal Carson
There comes a moment when you realize that virtually anything is possible - that nothing is too good to be true."
Kobi Yamada
Inspirational Author
The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always a tomorrow. Today I am blessed.
Maya Angelou
American Author, Poet and Actress
This made my day, thanks for sharing.
We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot bring peace to the world if we ourselves are not peaceful. We cannot bring love to the world if we ourselves are not loving. Our true gift to ourselves and others lies not in what we have but in who we are.
Marianne Williamson
American Activist, Author and Lecturer
The wise man will love; all others will desire.
Lucius Afranius (1st Century B.C.)
Roman Poet and Playwright
Shore
Author Unknown
When I quit this mortal shore,
And mosey round this earth no more,
Don't weep or sigh or grieve a cob,
I may have struck a better job...
Don't go and buy a big bouquet,
For which you'll find it hard to pay,
Don't hang around me lookin' blue,
I may be better off than you.
Don't tell folks I was a saint,
Or anything you know I ain't,
If you have that stuff to spread,
Please hand it out before I'm dead....
If you have roses, bless your soul,
Just put them in my buttonhole,
But do it while I'm at my best,
Instead of when I'm safe at rest.
Happiness comes more from loving than being loved; and often when our affection seems wounded it is only our vanity bleeding. To love, and to be hurt, and to love again - this is the brave and happy life.
J. E. Buchrose
"If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, It is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily... but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your inspiration, something that's your dream."
Author Unknown
The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour
are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose."
Arnold Bennett, 1867-1931
British Novelist
This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
May truth and freedom come to every nation
May peace abound where strife has raged so long;
That each may seek to love and build together,
A world united, righting every wrong.
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming peace together in one song."
Lloyd Stone
A Helping Hand
Anonymous
When I was down and out of luck
When dark the path, my life had took
When I was at my lowest low
A rope, a helping hand did throw
And pulled me up, out of the pit
And in the dark, a candle lit
And for my hunger gave me "Bread"
Then quenched a thirst inside my head
This loving servant helped me see
There's so much more to this, than me
By helping me, she showed me love
And led me to the One above
And now, alone, as I reflect
I find a spot of self-respect
That had been drowning in my tears
And had not shown itself in years
Let me through life, now walk, not run
Because the help of this true one
Did set me straight and on my way
And I'll remember day to day
Each of us has an inner dream that we can unfold if we will just have the courage to admit what it is. And the faith to trust our own admission. The admitting, however, can be very difficult for some.
Julia Cameron (Adapted)
American Teacher, Artist, Author and Poet
I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.
Stephen William Hawking
British Theoretical Physicist
"The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep need meet."
Frederick Buechner
American Author, Teacher and Minister
"Whoever you are, there is some younger person who thinks you are perfect. There is some work that will never be done if you don't do it. There is someone who would miss you if you were gone. There is a place that you alone can fill."
Jacob M. Braude, 1896-1970
U.S. Jurist, Author and Public Speaker
DON'T QUIT
"If babies held the same tendency toward self-criticism as adults, they might never learn to walk or talk. Can you imagine infants stomping, “Aarggh! Screwed up again!” Fortunately, babies are free of self-criticism. They just keep practicing.
Dan Millman
American Author and Gymnastics Coach
Hold On...
A Pueblo Indian Prayer (Exerp)
Hold on to what is good,
even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
even if it's easier to let go.
Thank you Kye Name. I really love this prayer.
Rebecca, you are most welcome.
Today
Author Unknown
We shall do much in the years to come,
but what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
but what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer
but what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
but what have we been today?
We shall bring each lonely life a smile,
but what have we brought today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
but whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
but what have we sown today?
We shall build us mansions in the sky,
but what have we built today?
'Tis sweet in idle dreams to bask,
but here and now do we do our task?
Yes, this is the thing our souls must ask,
"What have we done today?"
The Little Things
Mary Dawson Hughes
It really is the little things
That mean the most of all...
The "let me help you with that" things
That may seem very small
The "I'll be glad to do it" things
That make your cares much lighter,
The "laugh with me, it's funny" things
That make your outlook brighter...
The "never mind the trouble" things,
The "yes, I understand,"
The interest and encouragement
In everything you've planned
It really is the little things,
The friendly word or smile,
That add such happiness to life
And make it more worth while.
Thanks Kye Nam for your inspirations, especially the recent poem "Today," I put that one on my fridge.
Suzanne, you are most welcome.
"When you stumble... make it part of the dance."
Author Unknown
But Very Much Appreciated!
Figure It Out For Yourself
George Washington Carver
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise,
With this equipment they all began--
So start from the top and say, I CAN.
Look them over, the wise and the great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes;
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will;
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have arms and legs and a brain to use;
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know;
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had;
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, 'I CAN.'
"Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give."
Edward O. Wilson
American Author, Scientist and Professor
And If I Did Not Make Mistakes
And if I did not make mistakes
And give too brief a thought to heavy questions
And too much time to little matter;
Or if I always knew which road to travel
Where every step would lead me into daylight
And if each face that turned to watch me pass
Was broken by a smile;
Or if whenever I should choose to lay my heart
Bare upon the sun-warmed grass,
It always was returned with tender touches
And carried by a song;
And if my heaviest burden were only to be
A breeze upon my back, and blossom in my hair,
And my brow was never crossed with lines of pain;
If all this endless summer were my lot
And winter's fury never beat me back,
Then I never would have seen the stormy nights
Through which I've struggled, fought and won;
I never would have known the joy of needed comfort given,
Or the essence of a friend.
Katie Paton
Scottish Poet
I Know Nothing But Miracles
Walt Whitman
As for me, I know nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under the trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love,
Or sleep in bed at night with any one I love,
Or watch honey bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon...
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown,
Or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring...
What stranger miracles are there?
To Believe...
Author Unknown
To believe is to know that every day
is a new beginning.
It is to trust that miracles happen,
and dreams really do come true.
To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds,
To know the wonder of a stardust sky
and the wisdom of the man in the moon.
To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,
The innocence of a child's eyes
and the beauty of an aging hand,
for it is through their teachings we learn to love.
To believe is to find the strength
and courage that lies within us.
When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.
To believe is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.
To believe is to know that wonderful surprises
are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.
If only we believe.
MOVING ON
"Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can’t prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you’re presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power."
Blaine Lee
Inspirational Author and Speaker
"All men are alike in their dreams, and all men are alike in the promises they make. The difference is what they do."
Moliere, 1622-1673
French Playwright
A Strange and Beautiful Flower
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What if you slept?
And what if,
In your sleep
You dreamed?
And what if,
In your dream,
You went to Heaven
And there plucked
A strange and
Beautiful flower?
And what if,
When you awoke,
You had the flower
In your hand?
Ah... what then?
To Glasceta Honeyghan, it's nice to see your post on here, I'd been looking for your thoughts of late and couldn't find you!
ONE GREAT KINDERGARTEN
The universe is one great kindergarten. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the ocean immensity and change. Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon our soul.
Orison Swett Marden, 1850-1924 (Adapted)
American Author and Magazine Founder
"If you want to remain always happy,
Always perfect and always fulfilled,
Then always keep inside your heart
A pocketful of sweet dreams."
Sri Chinmoy
Indian Philosopher and Teacher
I Will Stand Tall
Amanda Kiser
As I stand alone
walls on all sides
On the hardness and trials
I will stand tall
as tall as I might,
for all of my
humble little life.
Til the world tramples me,
and I am no more,
I will stand tall
as tall as I might.
Always reaching for the sun.
Even though all around
is brokenness and pain
I'll lend my brief beauty
and stand tall
as tall as I might.
“Education is the medium by which a people are prepared for the creation of their own particular civilization, and the advancement and glory of their own race.”—Marcus Garvey
"And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings, this he said to me: 'The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.'
Eden Ahbez, 1908-1995
American Musician, Songwriter and Poet
Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention.
Greg Anderson
Figure It Out For Yourself
George Washington Carver
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise,
With this equipment they all began--
So start from the top and say, I CAN.
Look them over, the wise and the great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes;
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will;
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have arms and legs and a brain to use;
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know;
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had;
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, 'I CAN.'
TWENTY DOLLAR BILL
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the
ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No
matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still
priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE.
You are special - don't ever forget it."
--Author unknown
When written in chinese the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
JOHN.F .KENNEDY.
"The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour
are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose."
Arnold Bennett , 1867-1931
British Novelist
"Not only is another world possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
Arundhati Roy
Indian Author and Social Activist
Individual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in - and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves.
Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009
United States Senator
"I hope you still feel small
when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...
I hope you dance..."
From the song 'I Hope You Dance'
As performed by Lee Ann Womack
Walk Away
Frederick J. Cowie, Ph.D.
Walk away Walk away Walk away
From gods who demand thoughtless obedience
Walk away
From pettiness that will make you petty
Walk away
From anger that will eat your insides
Walk away
From abuse which steals your soul
Walk away
Gaining strength with each stride
Walk away
Alone, arm-in-arm or in tandem
Walk away
Yet do not run away in fear
Walk away
You, first among equals
Walk away
Holding head high
Walk away
Now
"There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer, no disease that enough love will not heal, no door that enough love will not bridge, no wall that enough love will not throw down, no sin that enough love will not redeem...
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.
If only you could love enough, you could be the happiest and most powerful being in the world..."
Emmet Fox, 1886-1951
Irish-born Author and Metaphysicist
When I Quit This Mortal Shore
Author Unknown
When I quit this mortal shore,
And mosey round this earth no more,
Don't weep or sigh or grieve a cob,
I may have struck a better job...
Don't go and buy a big bouquet,
For which you'll find it hard to pay,
Don't hang around me lookin' blue,
I may be better off than you.
Don't tell folks I was a saint,
Or anything you know I ain't,
If you have that stuff to spread,
Please hand it out before I'm dead....
If you have roses, bless your soul,
Just put them in my buttonhole,
But do it while I'm at my best,
Instead of when I'm safe at rest.
If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford
Keep Walking...
Barbara Aldrich
Here we stand together,
Dressed in our pain,
Covered with scars
From wounds we did not ask for
Or deserve.
So what now?
We can't go back and relive our lives.
We can't take back the innocence we lost
Or make the sadness we felt into happiness.
But we can go on from here,
So let us start.
Stretch out your hand to mine,
Close your eyes
And slowly let the pain slip away.
Let go of the sadness;
It belongs to yesterday,
And let's walk.
The earth is firm beneath our feet.
The sun is warm on our face.
Heavenly Father sees our struggle,
Smiles at our effort,
And sends us strength.
My friends, we can't stay, looking back,
Lest we falter.
We must face forward,
Eyes wide open,
And keep on walking.
Hold tight and don't let go;
You aren't walking alone,
And neither am I.
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950
We Are The Decent People
Wilferd A. Peterson
We are the decent people of the world. We are in the majority, for men and women are essentially decent. We live in all nations, we live under all the flags that fly.
Decency is not determined by our economic status, our religion, the language we speak, the color of our skin, or the ideology under which we live. Human decency is a universal quality.
We, the decent people of the world, often have our voices drowned out by the shouts of leaders who misrepresent the things for which we stand.
We the decent people carry enough weight to tip the scale for decency if we will make ourselves heard...
We believe that war is the great indecency, that it kills and destroys all the higher sensibilities of man and leaves only death, suffering, and destruction in its wake.
We believe that this is a beautiful universe and that it is made for love and not for hate; for peace and not war; for freedom and not slavery; for order and not riot; for compassion and not violence; for happiness and not misery.
We believe that there is only one war to be waged in the name of human decency, and that is the war against all the common enemies of man... hunger, disease, poverty, ignorance, crime and failure.
We believe that every child should have the chance to grow up in an atmosphere of faith, not of fear.
We believe that the ultimate decency is to help men and never harm men, to lift men and not degrade men, and to respect the dignity of all men as individual human beings.
We the decent people of the world stand for the kind of life that will be good for all of the people, all of the time, everywhere."
You Learn
Veronica A. Shoffstall
After awhile you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean possession
and company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises and you begin to accept
your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your roads today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight.
After awhile you learn that even sunshine
burns if you get too much so you plant your
own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn...
"Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage - and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still - the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see."
Robert Nathan, 1894-1985
American Novelist and Poet
I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its tone is mellower, its colours are richer, and it is tinged with a little sorrow. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and it is content."
Lin Yutang, 1895-1976
Do you think the people who were trying to reach to the Everest were not full of doubts? For a hundred years, how many people tried and how many people lost their lives? Do you know how many people never came back? But, still, people come from all over the world, risking, knowing they may never return. For them it is worth it - because in the very risk something is born inside of them: the center. It is born only in the risk. That's the beauty of risk, the gift of risk.
Osho
Indian Spiritual Teacher
A Prayer For Courage
Rabindranath Tagore
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
But to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
But for the heart to conquer it.
Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield,
But to my own strength.
Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
But hope for the patience to win my freedom.
Grant me that I may not be a coward,
feeling your mercy in my success alone,
But let me find the grasp of your hand in my failure.
"Lord, I don't ask for a faith
that would move yonder mountain.
I can take enough dynamite and move
it if it needs movin'. I pray, Lord,
for enough faith to move me."
Norman Allen
LOVE
"Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division. It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. You can give it away, throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever."
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
"I began to understand that the promises of the world are for the most part phantoms, and that to have faith in oneself and become something of worth and value is the best and safest course."
Michelangelo, 1475-1564
Italian Sculptor, Painter, Architect and Poet
LIFE IS A DANCE
Eileen Bennett
One of the most important lessons I've learned is that life is a dance.
Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow. When you lead, you do it gently, firmly and clearly, and when you follow, do you so with trust.
The amazing thing is that each one of us is involved in many dances at any one time - and we are the leader in some and the follower in others!
Some dances are slow and majestic and others are crazy and frenetic and still others are somewhere in between.
Some last a lifetime - others are over almost as soon as they begin.
Most of the time we manage not to fall flat on our faces, which is even more amazing and requires some pretty fancy footwork.
And sometimes we do trip up or our toes get squashed and we get hurt - but the important thing is to keep on dancing - no matter what.
Just keep dancing!
Even if you can't hear the music or you just don't don't feel like it or you have acquired two left feet, keep on dancing!
Reminds me of the words of a Garth Brooks song: 'our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance.'
Think Big
Walter D. Wintle (Adapted)
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you won’t.
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a person’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
For many a game is lost
Before even a step is run
And many a coward fails
Before his work is begun.
Think big and your deed will grow;
Think small and you will fall behind.
Think that you can and you will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think that you are out-classed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life’s battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can.
Being negative is easy. There will always be a downside to everything good, a hurdle to everything desirable, a con to every pro. The real courage is in finding the good in what you have, the opportunities in every hurdle, the pros in every con.
Carolyn Hax
Syndicated Advice Columnist
Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me... the gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Our joys too - be not content with them as joys. They too, conceal diviner gifts."
Fra Giovanni, 1435–1515
Italian Architect and Philosopher
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters
of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
and though they are with you,
and yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love, but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward, nor tarries with yesterday."
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931
Lebanese Poet
Perfect Imperfection
Melissa Bachara
I am a contradiction
a perfect imperfection
On looking in from outside
I think I’d pass inspection
My nails are neat, each hair in place
My clothes the latest styles
But look a little closer,
And you can see my trials
The window to my balanced soul
Is stained from too much smoke
A birds eye view down at my heart
Will clearly show it’s broke
My best intentions lead to pain
And complicated messes
My head is filled with wishes,
My decisions second guesses
There was a time I tried to hide
each wrinkle, scar and tear
But I’m learning to appreciate
That I’m more than I appear
Each wrinkle tells a story
The path from there to here
I’ve earned a little wisdom
With every falling tear
My soul will soar in brilliant skies
But then I’ll need to rest
The embers of my passion
Still smolder in my chest
Perhaps I’ll let my hair go wild
And skip the manicure
I’ll wear my favorite color
They’ll say "Hey, look at her"
My hair, my heart, my clothes, my soul
Will walk in one direction
No longer contradicting
My perfect imperfection
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while DARING GREATLY so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919
Twenty-Sixth President of the United States
Be like the fountain that overflows,
not like the cistern that merely contains.
Paulo Coelho
Brazilian Author and Lyricist
Only a powerful soul can offer love. Only a powerful soul can afford to be humble. If we are weak, then we become selfish. If we are empty, we take; but if we are filled, we automatically give to all. That is our nature.
Dadi Prakashmani, 1922-2007
Indian Peace Activist and Spiritual Leader
Our lives improve only when we take chances... and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."
Walter Anderson
Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody’s hand and squeeze it, while there’s time.
Dale Dauten
Newspaper Columnist and Motivational Speaker
Doubt sees the obstacles
faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions 'who believes?'
Faith answers, 'I.' "
Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!
"We choose only once. We choose either to be warriors or to be ordinary... A second choice does not exist. Not on this earth."
Carlos Castaneda
Peruvian-born Author
The Little Things
Mary Dawson Hughes
It really is the little things
That mean the most of all...
The "let me help you with that" things
That may seem very small
The "I'll be glad to do it" things
That make your cares much lighter,
The "laugh with me, it's funny" things
That make your outlook brighter...
The "never mind the trouble" things,
The "yes, I understand,"
The interest and encouragement
In everything you've planned
It really is the little things,
The friendly word or smile,
That add such happiness to life
And make it more worth while.
KNOWING IS NOT ENOUGH
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.
Leonardo DaVinci, 1452-1519
Italian Painter, Sculptor, Architect, Musician and Inventor
CHOICES
In life, we are born, we love, we lose, we laugh, and we die. Some things, like losing and dying, we do not have a choice about. But we do have a choice, to love, and keep on laughing.
Author Unknown
But Very Much Appreciated!
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. Doubt has killed more splendid projects, shattered more ambitious schemes, strangled more effective geniuses, neutralized more superb efforts, blasted more fine intellects, thwarted more splendid ambitions than any other enemy of the human race."
James Allen, 1864-1912
British Author, Poet and Philosopher
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Steve Jobs
American Co-Founder and CEO of Apple Computer
"In the quiet hours when we are alone and there is nobody to tell us what fine fellows we are, we come sometimes upon a moment in which we wonder, not how much money we are earning, nor how famous we have become, but what good we are doing."
A.A. Milne, 1882-1956
English Author
"Saying 'thank you' is more than good manners.It is good spirituality.
Alfred Painter
Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."
Helen Keller, 1880-1968
American Author, Educator and Activist
Your greatest power is the power to be.
To be more loving. To be more courageous.
To be more joyous. To be more friendly.
To be more sensitive. To be more aware.
To be more forgiving. To be more tolerant.
To be more humble. To be more patient.
To be more helpful.
To be a greater human being."
Wilfred A. Peterson
Author and Essayist
Inner fire
How do we keep our inner fire alive? Two things, at minimum, are needed: an ability to appreciate the positives in our life – and a commitment to action. Every day, it's important to ask and answer these questions: ‘What's good in my life?’ and ‘What needs to be done?'
Nathaniel Branden
Canadian Author and Psychologist
My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate."
Thornton Wilder, 1897 - 1975
SMALL ACTS
We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
Howard Zinn
American Historian, Playwright and Social Activist
DO IT THIS WAY
Friend, do it this way - that is,
whatever you do in life,
do the very best you can
with both your heart and mind.
And if you do it that way,
the Power Of The Universe
will come to your assistance,
if your heart and mind are in Unity.
When one sits in the Hoop Of The People,
one must be responsible because
All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honor of one is the honor of all.
And whatever we do affects everything in the universe.
If you do it that way - that is,
if you truly join your heart and mind
as One - whatever you ask for,
that's the Way It's Going To Be.
Lakota Instructions for Living
As passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman
"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."
Marianne Williamson
American Activist, Author and Lecturer
GIFT GIVING
Deep down inside we know
that the best gifts
don't come from catalogs
or shopping malls
They don't come in brightly-colored packages
or fancy envelopes
and they're not sitting under a tree somewhere...
The best gifts come from the heart.
They come when we look at each other
REALLY look at each other
and say 'You mean a lot to me'
or 'I'm so glad you're a part of my life'
A gift like that
will never go out of style
or be forgotten
or be returned for a different size.
A gift like that can change the world."
Ron Atchison
The Mayor of Inspiration Peak
The most authentic thing about us
Is our capacity to create, to overcome,
To endure, to transform, to love,
And to be greater than our suffering.
Ben Okri
Nigerian Poet and Novelist
"Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come."
Author Unknown
Said a disappointed visitor, 'Why has my stay here yielded no fruit?'
'Could it be because you lacked the courage to shake the tree?' said the Master benignly."
Anthony de Mello, SJ
Jesuit Priest, Teacher and Author
Today
Author Unknown
We shall do much in the years to come,
but what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
but what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer
but what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
but what have we been today?
We shall bring each lonely life a smile,
but what have we brought today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
but whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
but what have we sown today?
We shall build us mansions in the sky,
but what have we built today?
'Tis sweet in idle dreams to bask,
but here and now do we do our task?
Yes, this is the thing our souls must ask,
"What have we done today?"
Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
Margaret Young
A SPECIAL THOUGHT FOR OUR FELLOW FOLKS IN HAITI
We are all ships returning home
laden with life's experience,
memories of work, good times and sorrows,
each with his special cargo;
And it is our common lot
to show the marks of the voyage,
here a shattered prow, there a patched rigging,
and every hulk turned black
by the unceasing batter of the restless wave.
May we be thankful for fair weather and smooth seas,
and in times of storm have the courage
and patience that mark every good mariner;
And, overall, may we have the cheering hope of joyful meetings,
as our ship at last drops anchor
in the still water of the eternal harbor.
Max Ehrmann
American Poet
Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row...
Life is a theater - invite your audience carefully.
Not everyone is spiritually healthy and mature enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.
It's amazing what you can accomplish when you LET GO, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships!
Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to: Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have DRAMA or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?
When you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.
You cannot change the people around you...but you can change the people you are around! Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.
I am, I plus my surroundings, and if I do not preserve the latter, I do not preserve myself.
Do all the good you can,
in all the ways you can,
to all the souls you can,
in every place you can,
at all the times you can,
With all the zeal you can,
as long as ever you can."
John Wesley, 1703-1791
English Preacher
Believing in yourself is not just for you; it's for every person who has touched your life in a significant way and for every person your life will touch the same way five minutes from now, or five centuries from now."
Jaye Miller
Below is a special wish for Rosie Brown-Blackwood's family:
I pray
Today
That God will bring you
Peace
Where there's been pain
Harmony
Where there's been discord
Love
Where there's been loneliness
I pray
Today
That God will bring you
Solace
Where there's been sorrow
Justice
Where there's been inequality
Clarity
Where there's been chaos
I pray
Today
That He will heal your human heart
and help you face tomorrow
With a renewed sense of
Courage
Strength
And wisdom."
Ted Hibbard
American Poet and Cartoonist
A Strange and Beautiful Flower
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What if you slept?
And what if,
In your sleep
You dreamed?
And what if,
In your dream,
You went to Heaven
And there plucked
A strange and
Beautiful flower?
And what if,
When you awoke,
You had the flower
In your hand?
Ah... what then?
SEEKING APPROVAL
To seek approval is to have no resting place, no sanctuary.
Like all judgment, approval encourages a constant striving.
It makes us uncertain of who we are and of our true value.
Approval cannot be trusted. It can be withdrawn at any time no matter what our track record has been.
It is as nourishing of real growth as cotton candy.
Yet many of us spend our lives pursuing it.
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
To seek approval is to have no resting place, no sanctuary.
Like all judgment, approval encourages a constant striving.
It makes us uncertain of who we are and of our true value.
Approval cannot be trusted. It can be withdrawn at any time no matter what our track record has been.
It is as nourishing of real growth as cotton candy.
Yet many of us spend our lives pursuing it.
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
"Balance is the key to success in all things. Do not neglect your mind, body, or spirit. Invest time and energy in all of them equally - it will be the best investment you ever make, not just for your life but for whatever is to follow."
- Tanya Wheway
The unity of those associated by mere authority, power, or greed is ultimately weak and unstable. In contrast, the unity of those united by the heart - by bonds of respect, honesty, and compassion - is strong and unshakable.
Taro Gold
Blessed is the person
who sees the need,
recognizes the responsibility,
and actively becomes the answer.
William A. Ward, 1921-1994
American Author and Poet
Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well and yet everything happens only a certain number of times - and a very small number really. How many times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your life that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more? Perhaps not even that. How many times will you watch the full moon rise, perhaps twenty, and yet it all seems so limitless..."
Paul Bowles 1910-1999
American Writer and Composer
It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on."
Author Unknown
Throughout this toilsome world, alas!
Once and only once I pass;
If a kindness I may show,
If a good deed I may do
To a suffering fellow man,
Let me do it while I can.
No delay, for it is plain
I shall not pass this way again.
Author Unknown
But Very Much Appreciated!
It is important to expect nothing,
To take every experience,
Including the negative ones,
As merely steps on the path,
And to proceed."
Ram Dass
American Author, Spiritual Teacher
A billion stars go spinning through the night, blazing high above your head. But inside of you is the presence that will be, when all the stars are gone.
Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926 (Adapted)
Bohemian-Austrian Poet
Love is misunderstood to be an emotion; actually, it is a state of awareness, a way of being in the world, a way of seeing oneself and others.
David R. Hawkins
American Doctor, Author and Spiritual Teacher