Quote of the day:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” -- Lao-tzu Think about it: A couple of years ago, I took an English teaching training course. My first language is Croatian, and I had been working as a professional translator and interpreter for over 20 years, so I spoke English on a daily basis and was quite happy to do some freelance English teaching from time to time. However, I eventually realized that a teaching diploma would open more opportunities, and would also make it possible for me to teach and help those less fortunate to learn a new language. The good news is that since taking this training course, I’ve been able to pursue those opportunities I was looking for. I’ve worked with both adults and children, and I empathize with the trepidation and fear experienced by those who feel inadequate and unable to learn a new language, which is why I often build my lessons around a pithy, motivational quote. This one, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” by Lao-tzu, is one of my favorites. Starting out is always the hardest. When we are about to try something new in our lives, we often see it as a huge mountain in front of us, and we may just “know” that we will never be able to climb it. True, it can be a daunting sight, especially when we compare ourselves with those who have been at the top for some time. But when we are able to overcome the initial fear and take that single step, we may just find ourselves on the road to victory. (By Milutin Bunčić, adapted from Motivated Magazine.)
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Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. — Khalil Gibran
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. — Rachel Carson The earth has music for those who listen. — George Santayana To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life. — John Burroughs Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit. — Edward Abbey Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.—Henry David Thoreau Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. — Albert Einstein Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. — John Ruskin Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. — Lao Tzu There are always flowers for those who want to see them. — Henri Matisse On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it. — Jules Renard Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. — John Muir We are each burdened with prejudice; against the poor or the rich, the smart or the slow, the gaunt or the obese. It is natural to develop prejudices. It is noble to rise above them.—Author Unknown
The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. —Ralph W. Sockman Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.—Oscar Wilde Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.—Wayne W. Dyer Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that’s what they’ll become for us.—Richard Cowper It is never too late to give up our prejudices.—Henry David Thoreau Do not judge and you will never be mistaken.—Jean Jacques Rousseau If you judge people you have no time to love them.—Mother Teresa The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.—Brian Tracy Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality, or religion. —John Amos Comenius Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.—Jessica Lange The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one. —Martin Luther King, Jr. By Martin McTeg, adapted
I have this thing about things. You see, I think some people have way too many of them—like those people who can’t put another thing in their garage or their closets, so they rent a storage place for their extra things. When I moved houses recently, I had to decide what to do with many of the things I’d accumulated since my last move. Boy, oh boy! That’s when I realized I had indeed become one of “those people”—a thing collector! I think a lot of the problem is due to the culture of materialism that is so prevalent these days. Whenever we watch TV, listen to the radio, or read magazines, we are bombarded with advertisements about all the latest and greatest things we need to buy, and those ads are effective. Take electronic equipment, for example. As soon as a thinner TV, laptop, or cell phone comes out, everybody wants it, and a lot of perfectly good fatter ones end up in the garage or closet with everything else. There are other downsides to this “thing” mentality too. For one, you can lose appreciation for the value of the things you have if you have too many of them. Another thing about things is that just as some people have way too many, there are others who lack even the basic things of life. Sad! If you happen to recognize the symptoms of this too-many-things malady in your life, as I did, don’t worry. There is a cure, at least on a personal level. We can take a serious look at all the things we have, decide what we use and really need, and give the rest to charity, or to a needy neighbor or friend. We’ll be happy with the results. Our home will suddenly seem bigger and more organized, and our life will seem less cluttered. And for an added bonus, as we give away our extra things in a spirit of generosity, we’re bound to experience God’s blessings. It truly is more blessed to give than it is to receive. Life is not what it’s supposed to be. It’s what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.—Virginia Satir
I believe the only thing that we really have control over is our attitude. If we focus on the positive things in our lives and learn how to cope with all the surprises, we will be happier people.—Brandon Jenner Inner Strength is not only how you handle the adversity to come out unscratched, it is also about how you handle the situation after the storm has passed. —Dr. Anil Kumar Sinha Humor can help you cope with the unbearable so that you can stay on the bright side of things until the bright side actually comes along.—Allen Klein Every human being must find his own way to cope with severe loss. The only job of a true friend is to facilitate whatever method he chooses.—Caleb Carr In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on. —Robert Frost If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact, not to be solved, but to be coped with over time. —Author Unknown One of life’s best coping mechanisms is to know the difference between an inconvenience and a problem. If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you’ve got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference.—Robert Fulghum We can keep our morale and spirits high by using both coping and hoping humor. Coping humor laughs at the hopelessness in our situation. It gives us the courage to hang in there, but it does not bring hope. The uniqueness of hoping humor lies in its acceptance of life…. It celebrates the hope in human life. From one comes courage, from the other comes inspiration.—Cy Eberhart Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple. — Scott Adams
You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others—something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. — Albert Schweitzer Human beings who leave behind them no great achievements, but only a sequence of small kindnesses, have not had wasted lives. — Charlotte Gray It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. — Ralph Waldo Emerson You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love. — Henry Drummond If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow. — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving. — Mother Teresa No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. — Amelia Earhart If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy. — Author unknown Quote of the day:
"Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own." —H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Think about it: Love is one of life’s sweetest mysteries. It can be ethereal or down-to-earth, thunderous and ardent, or tender and hushed. At once priceless and free, it’s the universal experience that is wonderfully personal. Like a scintillating jewel that reflects beauty off its many facets— each unique, yet each part of the whole—is that mystical, magical, marvelous thing called love. It’s in the faces of mother and child—mutual adoration that is beyond words. It is in the faces of parents as they embrace a returning son or daughter. It is in the faces of a couple in love, who are lost in each other’s eyes and dreams. It is in the faces of those who care for the afflicted, the homeless, and the destitute. It is in the faces of strangers and friends—anyone who takes time to be thoughtful and kind. Every time we see love manifested, we experience a touch of God’s love. This post doesn’t pretend to do the subject justice, but I hope the posts on this blog will touch your heart and fill it with that special kind of love that loves freely, unselfishly, without partiality, and without end. If we each truly tried to put that kind of love into action, it would change the world. It wouldn’t change the whole world overnight, but before long it would change our world—our own lives and the lives we touch. Putting real love into action always makes a difference! Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. —Ann Landers
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. —Martin Luther King, Jr. Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.—Leo Buscaglia Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.—Washington Irving Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.—Franklin P. Jones Life is the flower for which love is the honey.—Victor Hugo We are born of love; Love is our mother. —Rumi True love is not a strong, fiery, impetuous passion. It is, on the contrary, an element calm and deep. It looks beyond mere externals, and is attracted by qualities alone. It is wise and discriminating, and its devotion is real and abiding. —Ellen G. White Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.—Sai Baba Love is the light of life.—Muhammad Iqbal If you’re not branding yourself, you can be sure others do it for you. —Author Unknown
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. —George Bernhard Shaw Your personal brand is what differentiates you from others. —Author Unknown Even individuals need to develop a brand for themselves. Whatever your area of expertise, you can take steps to make people think of YOU when they think of your field.— Accelepoint Webzine Think of yourself as a brand. You need to be remembered. What will they remember you for? What defines you? If you have it in you, do something that defines you. Invent something, develop a unique skill, get noticed for something—it creates a talking point. — Chris Arnold A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. —Jeff Bezos Truth is a point of view, but authenticity can’t be faked.—Peter Gruber Your personal brand is a promise to your clients... a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.—Jason Hartman Build a valuable brand by branding what is valuable about you. — Ryan Lilly Personal brand promotes you as a VIP. It markets your Values, Image and Professionalism.—J.D. Crighton Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room—remember that. And more importantly, let’s discover why! —Chris Ducker There is only one you on the globe today. You have been created to inspire and designed to dazzle. Live your uniqueness. — Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha By Elisabeth, Blog Reprint
It is never too late to begin again. Every moment is an opportunity to start fresh. No matter how futile a situation may seem, it is never too late to begin anew. Just as we like to view each New Year as an opportunity to begin again, so too can we view each day, and even each moment, as a chance for a fresh start. Whatever has not been working can be given a second—or third or tenth—chance by choosing a starting-over attitude. A discussion turning into an argument can be stopped and started anew. A relationship that is struggling can be given a chance to begin again. Age, health, education, time, experience, opportunity, history, resources, and location are oft-used excuses for not starting something over. Fear is usually the real culprit. Starting something over can be scary, scary enough to make staying the same preferable, however toxic, unhealthy, or growth inhibiting that may be. Don’t allow fear or excuses to prevent you from making every situation the best it can be. If something is not going the way that you wish it to, or working out as best it can, seize the opportunity in every moment to begin again. |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
August 2023
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