Words
“Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?”- Zhuangzi, 300 BC
Wow! I so love words and the meanings of words. To me the person who has forgotten the words meanings drips poetry out of their mouth like it is a common language. I hang on each word praying that they won’t stop.
Mirror
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” – Goethe
If you were lucky enough to have the special teacher or relative when you were growing up you have experienced what this means. They saw what you were capable of being and encouraged you to reach for it. What would the world be like if we were all that mirror to everyone we met?
Wealth
“The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.” – Benjamin Jowett
This is interesting because it really speaks to at least two things. First, what kind of friends have we attracted, because who we are can be known by the friends we have. Second, what kind of inner wealth have we cultivated & grown?
Peace Lies In Victory
“Self-acceptance comes from meeting life’s challenges vigorously. Don’t numb yourself to your trials & difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.” – J. Donald Walters
Like when you push past the “I want to stop, it’s too hard”, and then you crest the top of the hill to see the beautiful view below and say “I did it!”
Growth
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” – Abraham Maslow
To be alive, nature shows us that we must grow. To grow we need to face our fears. With each new shoot of growth we have, we reach out toward the unknown. If we let our fears rule, instead of a glorious life of ups & downs, we have an wasted existence.
Old Ideas
“The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify…into every corner of our minds.” – John Maynard Keynes
Every confidence that we have in our abilities is assailed by the fears of past failure. The trick is to first notice and to remind ourselves that we have also been victorious in the past. Imagine the possibilities and trust, then you can have happiness and success.
Bright
“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw
Are you burning so brightly that I have to wear my sunglasses at night?
Ambitious Goal
“Most people are not going after what they want. Even some of the most serious goal seekers and goal setters, they’re going after what they think they can get. Set your sights higher.” – Bob Proctor
When you visualize (if $ was no object) your perfect life, do any of your current goals bring any of it into reality? If not, you’re playing it safe. Start a new, really ambitious goal today.
Procrastination
“Procrastination is attitude’s natural assassin. There is nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task.” William James
When you feel overwhelmed part of that comes from uncompleted tasks that you are procrastinating on. Take a day to complete those unfinished tasks, bask in the feeling of being done, and see that overwhelming feeling disappear.
Voice of Desire
“Blessed be the longing that brought you here and quickens your soul with wonder. May you have the courage to listen to the voice of desire that disturbs you when you have settled for something safe.” – John O’Donohue
Listen to your voice of desire and go for your dreams. Never, never, never settle for something safe.
Moments
“We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.” – Kent Nerburn Smiles
Opening the door for someone, letting someone else in line go first, just taking the time to say hello, how are you and meaning it. All are small moments which could have great meaning to someone else.
Let Go
“See that any time you feel pained or defeated, it is only because you insist on clinging to what doesn’t work. Dare to let go and you won’t lose a thing except for a punishing idea.” – Guy Finley
Let go of the idea that it has to be a certain way/thing. Not the desire, just the way that you think it has to happen. There is always another possibility, so let go of the pain and you will accomplish what you want in life.