"When we focus on what is good and beautiful in someone, whether or not we think that they 'deserve' it, the good and the beautiful are strengthened merely by the light of our attention." -Katrina Kenison, The Gift of an Ordinary Day
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive–to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." –Marcus Aurelius
"The question is not 'Who is going to let me?'
The question is 'Who is going to stop me?' –Ayn Rand, author of "Atlas Shrugged"
"Truth and sincerity have a certain distinguishing native lustre about them which cannot be perfectly counterfeited; they are like fire and flame that cannot be painted." -Benjamin Franklin
"You must always work not just within but below your means. If you can handle three elements, handle only two. If you can handle ten, then handle five. In that way the ones you do handle, you handle with more ease, more mastery and you create a feeling of strength in reserve." -Pablo Picasso
"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance." -Victor Frankl
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible." -Arthur C. Clarke
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -Victor Frankl
"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." -Victor Frankl
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be." -
Anne Frank
"Every human mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by a keendesire and a definite resolution to do." -Edgar F. Roberts
"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 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 the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." – Theodore Roosevelt
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." -Plutarch
"Most anyone can stand adversity, but to test a man's character give him power." -Abraham Lincoln
"For broken dreams the cure is ... dream again, and deeper." -C.S. Lewis
"There is no recipe for living that suits all cases." -Carl Jung
"I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson
"And you would accept the seasons of your heart just as you have always accepted that seasons pass over your fields and you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief..." -Khalil Gibran
"I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me." -Tracee Ellis Ross
"Behind me is infinite power. Before me is endless possibility. Around me is boundless opportunity. Why should I fear?" -Stella Stuart
"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 will 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. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. And you will tell them yes." -Nike magazine ad
"We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world." -Jack Gilbert
"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." -Bern Williams
"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist." -Robert Schumann
"The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." -Socrates
"Why are you so enchanted by this world, when a mine of gold lies within you?" –Rumi
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." –Rumi
"What you seek is seeking you." –Rumi
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there." -Rumi
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." -Rumi
"Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter." -Rumi
"Do you know what you are?
You are a manuscript of a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face.
This universe is not outside of you.
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want,
you are already that." -Rumi
"And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth, 'You owe me.' Look what happens with love like that. It lights up the sky." -Rumi
"Moonlight floods the whole sky from horizon to horizon;
How much it can fill your room depends on its windows." -Rumi
"The truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell, and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth." -Rumi
"Shine like the whole universe is yours." -Rumi
"Love is the bridge between you and everything." -Rumi
"The universe and the light of the stars come through me." -Rumi
"At the end of my life, with just one breath left,
if you come, I’ll sit up and sing." -Rumi
"You are 'there', I 'here'. Worlds separate us,
Death's angels, the void of space ...
Yet I say your name, and waves of Light
wash to me silently from your Heart." -Rumi
"If in hell I could hold one curl of your hair
, I'd think the saints of heaven in torment." -Rumi
"The soul has been given its own ears
To hear things that the mind does not understand." -Rumi
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Thursday, February 2, 2017
The Dream
Close your eyes and imagine that you are dreaming of a beautiful place. The best part about this dream is that you are completely in charge of what happens! If you want to go somewhere, you can go there. You can be and do anything you want.
Imagine writing books, making art or composing a song. Imagine audiences gathering to hear you speak.
Imagine dancing, laughing, making friends and visiting unique and wonderful places. Imagine having a home that perfectly suits your needs. Imagine having a job you enjoy, or doing meaningful charity work. Imagine being kind to strangers and doing good for no other reason than that you want to. Imagine using your influence to make the world a better place.
Imagine deeply fulfilling relationships. Imagine giving generously, loving and being loved in return.
In short, imagine creating a perfect world for yourself. It's your dream, after all. You can do anything you want!
Now imagine waking up and realizing that your life--your real life, the one you are currently living, is just like this dream. You can be and do anything you want. The life of your dreams is within reach.
Imagine writing books, making art or composing a song. Imagine audiences gathering to hear you speak.
Imagine dancing, laughing, making friends and visiting unique and wonderful places. Imagine having a home that perfectly suits your needs. Imagine having a job you enjoy, or doing meaningful charity work. Imagine being kind to strangers and doing good for no other reason than that you want to. Imagine using your influence to make the world a better place.
Imagine deeply fulfilling relationships. Imagine giving generously, loving and being loved in return.
In short, imagine creating a perfect world for yourself. It's your dream, after all. You can do anything you want!
Now imagine waking up and realizing that your life--your real life, the one you are currently living, is just like this dream. You can be and do anything you want. The life of your dreams is within reach.
The Song
Close your eyes and picture yourself walking through the doors of a building filled with a large variety of musical instruments. The purpose of this place is to help you find the instrument that suits you best, so you can compose the song of your life. Instructors have been provided to help you learn.
As you take in the view, you are amazed at the number of options available. There are small instruments and large instruments, common instruments and lesser-known ones. Many cultures are represented, and you find it difficult to select just one instrument from among so many.
The instructors begin to play, hoping to entice you to learn from them. You walk from one to the next, listening to the sounds and observing the process of playing.
A flute catches your ear, then a violin. There is a piano in the center of the room being played masterfully, but the instrumentalists are all playing different pieces. The results are cacophonous!
You see a harp being played in the corner, but can't hear it over the noise. As you get closer, you are moved by the music. You think you may have found the instrument for you, but you are still uncertain. The harp instructor sees your hesitation and invites you to come closer. Sitting you down at the instrument, she begins to show you how it works. You consider staying, but decide to evaluate more options first. After playing the sitar, trombone, piccolo and cello you begin to wonder if there is an instrument that is perfect for you. Soon a guitar is placed in your hands. It feels comfortable and sounds amazing. You begin learning and develop a tolerable competence. Still, you feel something may be missing. Your curiosity drives you to experiment with many different instruments. Some are enjoyable, and some are not.
Then you get an idea. You begin talking quietly with several instructors. Your words are received with smiles and nods. Soon a group of them are assembled, and they begin to play the same song. The other instructors stop what they are doing and pause to listen, then join in the song.
You think to yourself as the music continues that perhaps your life purpose is much larger than learning to play a single instrument. Perhaps your role is to bring harmony to the world.
As you take in the view, you are amazed at the number of options available. There are small instruments and large instruments, common instruments and lesser-known ones. Many cultures are represented, and you find it difficult to select just one instrument from among so many.
The instructors begin to play, hoping to entice you to learn from them. You walk from one to the next, listening to the sounds and observing the process of playing.
A flute catches your ear, then a violin. There is a piano in the center of the room being played masterfully, but the instrumentalists are all playing different pieces. The results are cacophonous!
You see a harp being played in the corner, but can't hear it over the noise. As you get closer, you are moved by the music. You think you may have found the instrument for you, but you are still uncertain. The harp instructor sees your hesitation and invites you to come closer. Sitting you down at the instrument, she begins to show you how it works. You consider staying, but decide to evaluate more options first. After playing the sitar, trombone, piccolo and cello you begin to wonder if there is an instrument that is perfect for you. Soon a guitar is placed in your hands. It feels comfortable and sounds amazing. You begin learning and develop a tolerable competence. Still, you feel something may be missing. Your curiosity drives you to experiment with many different instruments. Some are enjoyable, and some are not.
Then you get an idea. You begin talking quietly with several instructors. Your words are received with smiles and nods. Soon a group of them are assembled, and they begin to play the same song. The other instructors stop what they are doing and pause to listen, then join in the song.
You think to yourself as the music continues that perhaps your life purpose is much larger than learning to play a single instrument. Perhaps your role is to bring harmony to the world.
The Banquet
Close your eyes and picture yourself walking into a beautiful banquet hall. Everyone has been invited to this particular banquet, and as you begin to sample the food and mingle with the other feasters you take in your surroundings.
Some tables are filled with people who are laughing and enjoying themselves. Others are filled with people who are complaining that the food is too cold or too hot, and the decorations aren't to their liking. Some people are sad, some are lonely, and some are only pretending to eat.
You are intrigued by the different views and perspectives invoked by a free banquet. Each person sees it in his or her own way. Some are grateful, others bitter. Some are joyful, others sad. Some stand quietly outside the doors, too afraid to step inside. Some must rely on others to get food for them, and some are perfectly capable of getting their own food but choose to rely on others anyway.
It strikes you that this banquet is a metaphor for life. No one sees the objective truth; they all view the banquet through different eyes. To some it is wonderful and to others it's a chore. Some feel they belong, and others feel like outsiders. Some try too hard to fit in, and others fit in without trying at all. But the same banquet, the same bounteous opportunity, is offered to all. Some partake of the gifts that are offered, and others reject them.
How clearly can you see the opportunities and abundance being offered to you daily by a kind and caring universe? Do you accept these offerings or reject them? When something isn't to your liking, how do you respond?
Everyone has been given an invitation to the banquet. What will you do with yours?
Some tables are filled with people who are laughing and enjoying themselves. Others are filled with people who are complaining that the food is too cold or too hot, and the decorations aren't to their liking. Some people are sad, some are lonely, and some are only pretending to eat.
You are intrigued by the different views and perspectives invoked by a free banquet. Each person sees it in his or her own way. Some are grateful, others bitter. Some are joyful, others sad. Some stand quietly outside the doors, too afraid to step inside. Some must rely on others to get food for them, and some are perfectly capable of getting their own food but choose to rely on others anyway.
It strikes you that this banquet is a metaphor for life. No one sees the objective truth; they all view the banquet through different eyes. To some it is wonderful and to others it's a chore. Some feel they belong, and others feel like outsiders. Some try too hard to fit in, and others fit in without trying at all. But the same banquet, the same bounteous opportunity, is offered to all. Some partake of the gifts that are offered, and others reject them.
How clearly can you see the opportunities and abundance being offered to you daily by a kind and caring universe? Do you accept these offerings or reject them? When something isn't to your liking, how do you respond?
Everyone has been given an invitation to the banquet. What will you do with yours?
The Reunion
Close your eyes and imagine that you are sitting on the grass in a beautiful park. There are trees and walking paths, benches and a duck pond. It's early in the day and you are the only one in the park. You are there to admire the beauty and connect with nature before starting your day.
Soon you see someone coming towards you. You realize that you know this person. It's someone you haven't seen for a long time, someone you thought you might never see again. As the person comes closer, you begin to think about what you want to say.
What is this person's name?
[Name] greets you warmly and sits down next to you. The conversation begins, and you are finally able to say the words you never got to say. You feel a sense of connection, forgiveness, love, and understanding, relieved to finally be able to express your emotions.
[Name] expresses empathy and a sense of regret for the distance that exists between you, apologizing for any hurt you may have felt in the past. In this moment, you only feel grateful for the unexpected reunion you are having, and sincerely accept the other person's apology.
The two of you stand and begin to walk around the park, admiring the beauty of this place. You share old memories, smiling and laughing together. After what feels like hours, you embrace and say goodbye. Tears run down your face, but they are happy tears. You feel a sense of relief, having finally been given an opportunity to achieve closure. Although you will always miss [Name], you can now look back on the memories you share with more fondness and less regret.
Soon you see someone coming towards you. You realize that you know this person. It's someone you haven't seen for a long time, someone you thought you might never see again. As the person comes closer, you begin to think about what you want to say.
What is this person's name?
[Name] greets you warmly and sits down next to you. The conversation begins, and you are finally able to say the words you never got to say. You feel a sense of connection, forgiveness, love, and understanding, relieved to finally be able to express your emotions.
[Name] expresses empathy and a sense of regret for the distance that exists between you, apologizing for any hurt you may have felt in the past. In this moment, you only feel grateful for the unexpected reunion you are having, and sincerely accept the other person's apology.
The two of you stand and begin to walk around the park, admiring the beauty of this place. You share old memories, smiling and laughing together. After what feels like hours, you embrace and say goodbye. Tears run down your face, but they are happy tears. You feel a sense of relief, having finally been given an opportunity to achieve closure. Although you will always miss [Name], you can now look back on the memories you share with more fondness and less regret.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The Spirit Animal
Close your eyes and picture yourself walking through a vast desert. The sun is high in the sky, and you are feeling thirsty and tired. The sand makes walking difficult, and you are longing for shade and rest. Lizards scamper across the ground, darting behind cacti and under rocks. The heat is oppressive, and you have many more miles to go.
As you continue to walk, you see an animal in the distance. It's hard to distinguish what kind of animal it is, but it seems to be waiting for you. When you get closer, it darts to the left. Curious, you decide to follow it. Each time you get close to the animal, it darts away again, then waits for you. It seems to be leading you somewhere.
Soon you come to a large cliff, and you see the animal dart between the rocks. Continuing to follow, you then find yourself in a narrow and shady canyon. Grateful to have escaped the heat for a moment, you pause and rest. You lean your back against the canyon wall, feeling the coolness of the rock.
Resuming your journey, you soon come to the end of the canyon. As you step into the open, you see a cool stream surrounded by trees. The animal has led you to an oasis. Smiling, you jump into the refreshing water and then lie on the rock to dry.
Looking around, you see the animal that led you here. It looks like an ordinary animal, but as you continue to gaze, it disappears before your eyes. You realize this must be your spirit animal, and it has led you to this beautiful place so you could find rest before continuing your journey. You look up at the sky and express your gratitude for this moment of much needed relief.
As you continue to walk, you see an animal in the distance. It's hard to distinguish what kind of animal it is, but it seems to be waiting for you. When you get closer, it darts to the left. Curious, you decide to follow it. Each time you get close to the animal, it darts away again, then waits for you. It seems to be leading you somewhere.
Soon you come to a large cliff, and you see the animal dart between the rocks. Continuing to follow, you then find yourself in a narrow and shady canyon. Grateful to have escaped the heat for a moment, you pause and rest. You lean your back against the canyon wall, feeling the coolness of the rock.
Resuming your journey, you soon come to the end of the canyon. As you step into the open, you see a cool stream surrounded by trees. The animal has led you to an oasis. Smiling, you jump into the refreshing water and then lie on the rock to dry.
Looking around, you see the animal that led you here. It looks like an ordinary animal, but as you continue to gaze, it disappears before your eyes. You realize this must be your spirit animal, and it has led you to this beautiful place so you could find rest before continuing your journey. You look up at the sky and express your gratitude for this moment of much needed relief.
The Lighthouse
Close your eyes and imagine that you are on a boat in the ocean. It's dark and rainy. The wind is blowing hard and the waves are large. You are attempting to steer the ship in the right direction, but the storm is disorienting. You feel as if you have lost your bearings. The moon is hidden behind clouds, and no stars are visible.
All you can do is ride the storm out, hoping for the best.
Suddenly, you catch a brief glimpse of light on the horizon. Wondering if you are seeing things, you look again. Sure enough, there's a lighthouse there.
In an instant you know exactly where you are and which direction you should be heading. Correcting your course, you steer towards the lighthouse, confident that you will soon be able to reach a safe harbor.
Just as there are lighthouses in the ocean, there are lighthouses in life. They are meant to guide our path and warn us of danger. A lighthouse might be a person, a significant event, a crystal clear thought, or a gut feeling. As you learn to identify and access the lighthouses in your life, you can be assured that you are on the right course.
Whenever you feel lost or confused, think about the things you know are true. These lighthouse moments are like breadcrumbs that can lead you back home.
All you can do is ride the storm out, hoping for the best.
Suddenly, you catch a brief glimpse of light on the horizon. Wondering if you are seeing things, you look again. Sure enough, there's a lighthouse there.
In an instant you know exactly where you are and which direction you should be heading. Correcting your course, you steer towards the lighthouse, confident that you will soon be able to reach a safe harbor.
Just as there are lighthouses in the ocean, there are lighthouses in life. They are meant to guide our path and warn us of danger. A lighthouse might be a person, a significant event, a crystal clear thought, or a gut feeling. As you learn to identify and access the lighthouses in your life, you can be assured that you are on the right course.
Whenever you feel lost or confused, think about the things you know are true. These lighthouse moments are like breadcrumbs that can lead you back home.
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