Inspiration Shared By Lady Braids

Inspiration On 2/10/12

There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played
He never risked, he never tried
He never sang or prayed
And when he one day passed away
His insurance was denied
For since he never really lived
They claimed he never died.

-- Bits & Pieces, July 20, 1995

Inspiration On 2/6/12

Evil (ignorance) is like a shadow - it has no real substance of its
own, it is simply a lack of light. You cannot cause a shadow to
disappear by trying to fight it, stomp on it, by railing against it,
or any other form of emotional or physical resistance.

In order to cause a shadow to disappear, you must shine light on it.

 -- Shakti Gawain

Inspiration On 1/27/12

An Oldie, But Goodie:  A Native American elder once described his
own inner struggles in this manner: "Inside of me there two dogs.
One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean
dog fights the good dog all the time." When asked which dog wins,
he reflected for a moment and replied, "The one I feed the most."

 -- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 1/25/12

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry,
two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its
faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed
forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring
back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we
cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow. With all its
possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor
performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of
clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle
of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those
two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow, that we break
down. It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened
Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.

 -- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 1/9/12

I decided to refuse to find anything in this life boring.
And life, in return, has always surprised me with my
wish. It throws delight at me in the most ordinary of
moments. It cancels out any deviation toward the
mundane.

I discover delight where I walk, where my path takes
me. I find joy in human connections of the most
incidental kind. I meet people at their passion, and
we have spiritual affinity.

I don't miss a thing. I cherish it all. I hold it for a
spell in my heart. Enthusiasm shakes out the
ordinary. What falls out is the preciousness of
my life.

What else is there?

 -- © 2000 Stella Savoie

Inspiration On 1/6/12

What is the disposition, attitude and integrity of the
people you draw in to your life? Draw, as in, attract
and pull toward you.

Your friends and your mates are not playing a role
they got by accident. They are there for one reason
and one reason alone. You allow them to be there.

When you address the world from a place of self
surety and calm strength, people who belittle and
dominate others in order to feel good about
themselves are powerless in your presence. They
feel disconcerted and uncomfortable, and they
don't stick around for long.

When you address the world from a place of fear
and cynicism, people who greet the unfolding
mystery of life with enthusiasm and delight, will
shy away from you. The burden of your negative
behavior will leave them feeling weighted down
and looking for the first opportunity to break free.

The people in your life are a direct reflection of
your beliefs, your attitude and your integrity. They
show the world what you will and will not tolerate.

 -- Living in love and loving life,
    Terri McPherson

Inspiration On 12/30/11

A little boy and his parents were walking down the long and winding Time
Street. They passed many stores along the way each selling unique items.
The first store was Babes 'R us. In the showcase were millions of newborn
babies. Beside it was The Growing Palace and next to that 3T's: The
Terrible Teens.

They also passed many different people who were in very strange places
doing even stranger things. There was a group of men and women who were
fully grown but refused to come out of the 3T's store. One man kept going
around and around in a revolving door and the crowd inside and outside the
business could neither get out nor in. A quarter of the way down Time
Street the little boy saw a man standing over a cross and weeping, "Gertrude,
I can't go on without you". He had a ball and chain on his feet and would not
remove them, even though he had the key and his friends beckoned him to use
it.There was a woman who stood, very still, in the middle of the Street,
looking back down to where the Street began. "I remember. It was so much
better then," she kept on repeating. The little boy marvelled at this but
kept on moving.

As the young man came out of the Let Go to Go Mall with a Degree, an
executive job and a wife he noticed his parents were missing. Racing out to
the Street he saw them entering Death's car which sped off down the street
but he still trod on down the road. Soon the stores disappeared and there
was a great wilderness but still he continued. Until he met a man called
Father Time who strongly embraced him.

"This is my street," he said. "I designed and built it to be of good use but
many abuse it. They always like to stay in the past and not let go, wishing
they were back there. But, that's not what my Street is for. It's for moving
on, persevering, learning from your failures and slowly becoming wiser. You
can not retrieve lost time neither can you make it stand still. It is a One
Way Street filled with great joy and knowledge and success but it is also based
on how you view the world. Do not lose heart my child. Each New Year is a new
beginning for you. Forget the past and look forward to your future."

And the young man trod on.

 -- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 11/29/11

At a certain moment in Nietzsche's life, the idea came to him of
what he called 'the love of your fate.' Whatever your fate is,
whatever the heck happens, you say, "This is what I need." It
may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an
opportunity, a challenge. 

If you bring love to that moment - not discouragement - you
will find the strength is there. Any disaster that you can
survive is an improvement in your character, your stature,
and your life. What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity
of your own nature will have a chance to flow. Then, when
looking back at your life, you will see that the moments
which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage
were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You’ll
see that this is really true. 

Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though
it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. 

 -- Joseph Campbell   

Inspiration On 11/22/11

Every day in the world around us,
real-life angels are doing things they do....
and bringing more smiles to the world around them.

Real-life angels build bridges instead of walls
They don't play hide-and-seek with the truth,
they do whatever they can to help you.

Real-life angels understand difficulties
and always give the benefit of the doubt.
They don't hold others up to the standards
they can't live by themselves.

Real-life angels are what "inner beauty" is all about.
Real-life angels don't hold things against you,
the only thing they hold....is you.

They take your hand in theirs
when you could use a little reassurance.
They walk beside you when you could do with
a little guidance and direction in your life.
And they support you in your attempts,
to do what is right.

Real-life angels multiply your smiles
and add to your integrity.
They make you feel like,
"Hey, I really am somebody who matters."
Then they quietly prove to you how beautiful
and true that feeling really is.

If you come across an angel like this,
you are one of the luckiest people of all.

If someone in your life
is wonderfully like an angel to you,
it's important to let them know.
It's the nicest compliment you could ever give,
in all the days of your life
and in all the years that you live.

-- Author Unknown

Inspiration On 11/18/11

 . . . I try to share all the things I have learned these past 27 years:
that God loves us more than we could ever dream, that we can love
each other as well, and that when we do so we will have JOY no
matter what struggles we may face or losses we may endure. 

Take some time today then to think about what you can give to life.
You are a beloved Child of God with unique talents, knowledge, and
blessings. You can give this world so much love and do so much to
help others. You can make this world and your soul a little better
each day.

And when you do so you will get what we all truly want out of life:
sweet happiness.

 -- Joseph J Mazzella