I hope you find something here to inspire, motivate or give you strength.
Phil Aston
Time Management
One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz” and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.” The time management expert replied, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.
Heart disease is perhaps the main cause of death in this country. This largely because the heart is denied in our culture, which aims at personal achievement rather than communion with others. Many of us literally die of broken hearts or spiritual starvation. David Frawley
Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.
A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket.
Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. and, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.
All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.
A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.
All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.
Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.
As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father’s hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.
“It’s my castle,” he defies.
The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs…
I don’t know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child’s heart. When the sun sets and the tides take – applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.“Making Sandcastles”
Author Unknown
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”
Woodrow Wilson
The way you do it by White Eagle from The Source of all our strength
You feel you have too much to do; but you know, it is not the work, it is the way you do it that causes you to be battered and worn out; it is your attitude of mind towards that work. If you are interested and put the spirit within you into whatever you are doing in that moment; if you do one thing at a time quietly, and you do not have a million other things in you mind at the same time, then you will find that you will get through all the work you have to do quite calmly, and you will feel refreshed instead of worn out at the end of the day.
Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours. Ayn Rand
Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.
Karen Ravn
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. Brian Dyson
In order to get along well in this world, you must learn to perceive accurately your immediate circumstances and surroundings, and to perceive also what you are headed for in the future. Paramahansa Yogananda
If you don’t follow through on your creative ideas, someone else will pick them up and use them.
When you get an idea of this sort, you should jump in with both feet, not just stick your toe in the water…
Be daring, be fearless, and don’t be afraid that somebody is going to criticise you or laugh at you. If your ego is not involved no one can hurt you.
Guru R.H.H
A step in the wrong direction is better than staying on the spot all your life. Once your moving forward you can correct your course as you go.
Your automatic guidance system cannot guide you when your standing still. Maxwell Maltz
Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realise. Your words are the greatest power you have. The words you choose and the use establish the life you experience. Croquette Sonia
If your compassion does not include yourself, . Jack Kornfield
How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we, humans, know when it is time to move on? As with migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within, if only we would listen to it, that tells us so certainly when to go forth into the unknown.”
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
The following is taken from ‘The Bhagavad Gita’ which was written in 500BC. This is one of the key books in yoga philosophy and encompasses the whole spiritual struggle of the human soul. Originally translated into English in 1785, this verse was translated by Juan Mascaro for Penguin Books in 1962 and is available from Penguin Classics. Although written centuries ago the words convey a deep common sense which continues to be relevant today. Phil
A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person
at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return
But when it is given expecting something in return, or for the sake of a future reward,
or when it is given unwillingly, the gift is impure.
And a gift given to the wrong person, at the wrong time and the wrong place,
or a gift which comes not from the heart, and is given with proud contempt, is a gift of darkness.
‘The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 verses 20-22 Penguin Classics
The wind was against them now, and Piglet’s ears streamed behind him like banners as he fought his way along, and it seemed hours before he got them into the shelter of the Hundred Acre Wood and they stood up straight again, to listen, a little nervously to the roaring of the gail among the tree tops.
“Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?”
“Supposing it didn’t” said Pooh after careful thought!
A.A Milne Winnie the Pooh
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Vietnamese Zen Master
Address difficulties when they are easy.
Build great accomplishments from small beginnings.
Prepare for rough spots while the going is still smooth
Control things before they peak in force.
Deal with danger before it appears.
Manage simple hardness with easy softness.
Defuse hateful anger before violent explosion
All this is called ‘nipping it in the bud’.
The tallest tree grew from a tiny sprout.
The tallest building began with one scoop of dirt.
The longest journey begins with a single step.
Successful people aim for high goals
by starting to working at the bottom
right now.
That’s why they succeed.
Casual promises don’t inspire much confidence.
If you begin a project with a cynical joke,
the laugh will be on you.
If you are prepared for hardship,
it will never defeat you.
Many people give up
when they are just about to succeed.
Pay close attention at the beginning,
persevere patiently to the end,
and nothing will come to ruin.
Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 600BC (A warrior blends with life)
Your own positive future begin in this moment. All you have is right now. Every goal is possible from here.
But even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Take the first step.
Whatever you undertake, do it with full intent to succeed. Cynicism fails itself. Stick to your path, facing difficulties with positive humour.
Concentrate, proceed, and succeed.
Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 600BC (A warrior blends with life)
Nothing would be done at all if a man or woman waited until they could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.
Cardinal Newman
You cannot discover new oceans until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Anon
[top of this page]
Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out
Art Linkletter
The secret of making something work in your lives is, first of all, the deep desire to make it work.
Then the faith and belief that it can work.
Then hold that clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one thought of doubt or disbelief.
Eileen Caddy
The shortest way to many things is to do only one thing at once
Samual Smiles
Being myself includes taking risks with myself, taking risks on new behaviour, trying new ways of being myself, so that I can see how it is I want to be. Hugh Prather
What you love is a sign from your higher self of what you are to do.
Sanyana Roman
Be at peace and see a clear pattern and plan running through our lives…nothing is by chance
Eileen Caddy from footprints on the path
They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Carl W. Buechner
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it The Present.
Babatunde Olatunji
“Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is…”
Will Rodgers
“You can’t have everything… where would you put it?”
Stephen Wright
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart … Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
Carl Jung
From Kahil Gibran
Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.
From Harold Sherman
The more you depend on forces outside of yourself, the more you are dominated by them.
From Carlos Castaneda
In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.
From Raymond Inmon
If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes out for a walk.
From James M Barrie
The reason why birds can fly and we can’t is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.
From Gita Bellin
Everything I do and say with anyone makes a difference.
From Stephen Levine
If you only had one hour to live and could only make one call, who would it be to, what would you say, and why are you waiting? [top of this page]
From Elie Wiesel
When you die and go to heaven our maker is not going to ask, ‘why didn’t you discover the cure for such and such? why didn’t you become the Messiah?’ The only question we will be asked in that precious moment is ‘why didn’t you become you?’
From Victor Hugo
‘There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world, and that is an idea whose time has come’
From ‘Philip Adams’
When people say to me – ‘how do you do so many things?’ I often answer them, without meaning to be cruel – ‘how do you do so little?’
It seems to me that people have a vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don’t. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible
fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy,
generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other
person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather,
“Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Lao Tzu
Once upon a time a man whose axe was missing suspected his neighbours son. The boy walked like a thief, and spoke like a thief. But the man found his axe while digging in the valley, and the next time he saw his neighbours son, the boy walked, looked, and spoke like any other child.
Thomas Moore
To live in an enchanted world, we have to assume the role of magician in our everyday lives.
Nelson Mandela
The thing we fear the most is not that we will shrivel up and become insignificant little people. The thing we fear the most is that we could become as big and grand as we are capable of becoming.
Anais Nin American Author
And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
‘The Starfish’ by Randy Poole
An old man was walking along the beach, when he came upon a part of the sand where thousands of starfish had washed ashore. A little further down the beach he saw a young woman, who was picking up the starfish one at a time and tossing them back into the ocean. “Oh you silly girl,” he exclaimed. “You can’t possibly save all of these starfish. There’s too many.” The woman smiled and said, “I know. But I can save this one, ” and she tossed another into the ocean, “and this one”, toss, “and this one…”
The way you do it by White Eagle from The Source of all our strength
You feel you have too much to do; but you know, it is not the work, it is the way you do it that causes you to be battered and worn out; it is your attitude of mind towards that work. If you are interested and put the spirit within you into whatever you are doing in that moment; if you do one thing at a time quietly, and you do not have a million other things in you mind at the same time, then you will find that you will get through all the work you have to do quite calmly, and you will feel refreshed instead of worn out at the end of the day.
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. by Carl Jung
When we find delight within ourselves and feel inner joy and pure contentment, there is nothing left to be done.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 8 (500BC)
Asana is a steady, comfortable posture.
Asana (yoga posture) means the posture that brings comfort and steadiness. Any pose that brings this comfort and steadiness is a yoga asana. If you can achieve one pose, that is enough. It may sound easy, but in how many poses are we really comfortable and steady? Before we can relax the mind and bring more balance into our lives we need to work on the physical body by using yoga practices such as posture work and breath control.
The Yoga Sutras of Pantajali (Book two Chapter 46) 300BC
“When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens and he opens the way for a better understanding” Robert Henri
Everyone should be his own physician. We ought to assist and not force nature.
Eat with moderation and with what agrees with your constitution.
Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest.
What medicine can produce digestion? Exercise.
What will recruit strength? Sleep.
What will alleviate in-curable ills? Patience
Voltaire
We can make our minds so like still water
that beings gather about us, that they may
see their own images, and so live for a
moment with a clearer, perhaps even with
a fiercer, life because of our quiet.
William Butler Yeats
“vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
– Japanese Proverb
Taken from Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck
A man was sitting on his roof because a tidal wave was sweeping through his village. The water was well up to the roof when along came a rescue team in a boat. They tried hard to reach him and finally when they did, they shouted, “Well, come on! Get into the boat!” And he said, “No, no. God will save me.” So the water rose higher and higher and he climbed higher and higher on the roof.
The water was very turbulent, but still another boat managed to makes its way to him. Again they begged him to get into the boat and to save himself. And again he said, “No, no, no. God will save me! I’m praying. God will save me!”
Finally the water was almost over him, just his head was sticking out. Then along came a helicopter. It came down right over him and they called, “Come on. This is your last chance! Get in here!”
Still he said, “No, no, no. God will save me!” Finally his head went under the water and he drowned.
When he got to heaven, he complained to God, “God, why didn’t you try and save me?” And God said, “I did. I sent you two boats and a helicopter”.
Brian Dyson
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
Jaideva Singh, the Siva Sutras
One who is established in a comfortable posture
while concentrating on the inner self alone
naturally becomes immersed in the spontaneous
arising of the heart’s ocean of bliss
Mahatma Gandi
Detachment is not indifference. it is the prerequisite for effective involvement. Often what we think is best for others is distorted by our attachments to our opinions. We want others to be happy in the way we think they should be happy.
It is only when we want nothing for ourselves that we are able to see clearly into others needs and understand how to serve them.
Dalai Lama
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy practice compassion.
Frank Tyger
There is no greater loan than sympathetic ear
The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine, 2500 B.C.
When man is serene, the pulse of the heart flows and connects, just as pearls are joined together or like a string of red jade, then one can talk about a healthy heart.
John Kehoe
Your mind creates your reality. You can choose to accept this or not. You can be conscious of it, and get your mind working for you, or you can ignore it, and allow it to work in ways that will hinder and hold you back. But your mind will always, and forever be creating your reality.
Autumn Wind
You will not be alone when you are there;
I will always be with you …
Feel the gentle Autumn wind,
hear it whispering –
I am singing with it.
Watch the wise old River flow,
see it fork into streams –
I am stumbling over rocks and stones with it.
Listen to the Thunder and Rain,
experience their Strength and Power –
I am praying and weeping, for you, with them.
Behold the wildflowers in the fields,
let their colours touch your Mind, Spirit and Soul –
I laugh and grow, in Spring and Summer, with them.
The howl of a Wolf
The call of a Mountain Cat
The incessant caw of a Raven
The triumphant howl of the Hawk
I will be everywhere.
I am not God – I am only mortal
and a child of God …
I am your Spirit-grandchild,
I am your Spirit-daughter,
I am your Spirit-sister,
I AM YOUR FRIEND.
Turn me away if you will,
deny my very existence if you must.
But still…
You will not be alone when you are there;
I will always be with you …
And you will NEVER be alone –
because I will NEVER let you fall.
Suraya Friday, 28 February 1997