Do You Own It?

God has lent us the earth for our life ...

It belongs as much to those who are to come after us, 

and whose names are already written in the book of creation, 

as to us.

(John Ruskin, in The Little Book Of Virtues, 22 February)

31 July 2013

Friendships

I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with roughest courage.
When they are real, they are not glass threads, or frostwork, but the solidest things we know.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson, in The Little Book Of Virtues,2 October)
30 July 2013

Truth

Photo: Cana Lilies are blooming in the front yard

Opinion is a flitting thing,

But Truth outlasts the Sun --

If then we cannot own them both --

Possess the oldest one --.

(Emily Dickinson, The Little Book Of Virtues, May 20)

29 July 2013

Human History

It is from numberless diverse acts of 

courage and belief 

that human history is shaped.

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, 

or acts to improve the lot of others, 

or strikes out against injustice, 

he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.

(Robert F. Kennedy, in The Little Book Of Virtues, June 14)

28 July 2013

Choice

Photo: Blackwater Falls, WV

We have a choice:

• plow new ground or
• let the weeds grow.

(Jonathan Westover, The Little Book Of Virtues, 27 July)

27 July 2013

Happiness

How do you expect to be happy if you cannot even control what you spend your money on?
(Suze Orman, Thoughts That Can Change Your Life, #75)
26 July 2013

The Goal of Life

The goal of life is to take care of the people, places, and times around you, and offer your services to God.
(Suze Orman, Thoughts That Can Change Your Life, #58)
25 July 2013

Encouragement

Photo: (Mr. Dickie - backyard gladiolus)

Give encouragement to a friend as they begin a new project or embark on a major task.
To fill someone's heart with courage or resolve is to refresh your own in the process.
(Mike George, 1,001 Ways To Relax, #703)
24 July 2013

Kindness

Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.
(Theodore Isaac Rubin)
23 July 2013

To Be A Man

Photo: Melva with our rain barrel - July 2013

To be a man is, precisely, to be responsible.

(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

22 July 2013

Wisdom

Cling to wisdom -- she will protect you.

Love her -- she will guard you.

Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!

And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment.

(Proverbs 4:6-7 (TLB))

21 July 2013

Speak Up

Speak up for the people who have no voice, 

for the rights of all the down - and outers.

Speak out for justice!

Stand up for the poor and destitute!

(Proverbs 31:8-9 (The Message) 

(John C. Maxwell, Leadership, 25 June)

20 July 2013

Resistance

Photo: (Double day lily by Mr. Dickie)

It's obvious that social wrongs are only corrected when the abused get angry enough to resist.
(Thomas Moore, Dark Night Of The Soul, p. 238)
19 July 2013

Repressed Anger

... there are signs of repressed anger everywhere, 

from road rage to 

a general lack of civility.

(Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 234)

18 July 2013

Fulfillment

Unfulfilled people eventually become resentful of everyone around them.
(Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., I'd Change My Life If I Had More Time, p., 40)
17 July 2013

Manifesting

The secret to manifesting anything that you desire is your willingness and ability to realign yourself so that your inner world is in harmony with the power of intention. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Power Of Intention, p. 36) 15 July 2013

Change

People are basically conservative and don't like their friends to change. (Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 42) 15 July 2013

Yesterdays

Yesterdays have no value except as experience, to be used in making today and the future more fruitful.
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 13 April)
14 July 2013

******

This morning I watched a very nice 30-minute program about The Library of Congress film collection on C-Span3. I believe it is a two-part program. They didn't show both episodes. Did you know that many of the early short films are available for viewing online? I didn't. Go to loc.gov and click on the photo of the man sneezing.

Dick Henthorn

14 July 2013

Part Of The Problem

To the extent you allow someone to do something you resent, you are part of the problem.
(Cloud & Townsend, Boundaries Face To Face, p. 175)
13 July 2013

What Wonderful Things

What wonderful things could happen in our lives if we could get rid of our natural impulse to justify our actions! (after One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 9 June) 12 July 2013

Fears

Look deeply into your fears. Take serious notes of your defenses. See where and how you elude the demands of your existence. ... You have to change course and rediscover your own direction. (Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 20) 11 July 2013

Infinity

When you're on the inactive side of infinity, you view life in terms of shortages and hoarding becomes a way of living. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Intention, p. 124) (10 July 2013)

Dating

... the less [time one spends in addressing] ... problems in a dating relationship, the less likely these problems will be easy to deal with in marriage...

Photo: Mr. Dickie

... if you are in a dating relationship where you do not confront issues as they arise, you set yourself up for heartache later. ... [How someone] responds to confrontation helps you diagnose what kind of person he[/she] is. (Cloud & Townsend, Boundaries Face To Face, p. 204-205) 9 July 2013

Darkness

There is a crucial difference between confronting the darkness that gets hold of you, and simply letting it take over and ruin you. The idea is to be affected by it emotionally and intellectually but not literally destroyed. (Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul, p. 206) 8 July 2013

Fate

Fate plays a crucial role in most dark nights, and it pays to have respect for the role of fate and destiny in our lives. (Thomas Moore, Dark Nights Of The Soul,  p. 28) 7 July 2013

Affirm and Validate

Affirm and validate the people ... [in your life] so ... they know they are valued. (Cloud & Townsend, Boundaries Face To Face, p. 53) 6 July 2013

O.P.P.

• Other people's problems,
• other people's priorities,
• other people's principles,
• other people's people,
• can get in our way,
• hold us back and
• take us off track
• until we develop the strength to be honest with ourselves.

(Iyanla Vanzant, Faith In The Valley, p. 132)
5 July 2013

You're A Grand Old Flag

You're a Grand Old Flag by George M. Cohan You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag And forever in peace may you wave. You're the emblem of The land I love. The home of the free and the brave. Ev'ry heart beats true 'neath the Red, White and Blue, Where there's never a boast or brag. Should auld acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the grand old flag. You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag And forever in peace may you wave. You're the emblem of The land I love. The home of the free and the brave. Ev'ry heart beats true 'neath the Red, White and Blue, Where there's never a boast or brag. Should auld acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the grand old flag. 4 July 2013

Aimlessness

I wonder where the author got her percentages.

I am appalled at the aimlessness of most people's lives. Fifty percent don't pay any attention to where they are going; forty percent are undecided and will go in any direction. Only ten percent know what they want, and even all of them don't go toward it. (Katherine Anne Porter, in Leadership by John C. Maxwell, 25 May)

3 July 2013

The Force

My will shall shape the future. 

Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. 

I am the force. 

I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. 

My choice, my responsibility. 

Win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.

(Elaine Maxwell, American Writer, in Pocket Positives) 

(no page numbering)

2 July 2013

It's My Life

I'm trying to be myself more and more. 

The more confidence you have in yourself ... 

the more you realize that this is you, and life isn't long. 

So get on with it!

(Kylie Minogue, p. 1968, Australian Singer and Actor)

(Pocket Positives, no page numbering)

1 July 2013