The Oak Tree: Strength in Roots

The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew night and day.

It stole the Oak Tree's leaves away.
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
until the Oak was tired and stark.

But still the Oak Tree held its ground
while other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing Oak?"

The Oak Tree said, I know that you
can break each branch of mine in two,
carry every leaf away,
shake my limbs and make me sway.

But I have roots stretched in the earth,
growing stronger since my birth.
You'll never touch them, for you see
they are the deepest part of me.

Until today, I wasn't sure
of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found with thanks to you,
I'm stronger than I ever knew.

by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

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Also, here are some great comments on this, borrowed from other bloggers:

Did anyone notice in the poem that the wind became weary?

How does wind become weary?!!

I find it fascinating that the beginning sentence is about the oak tree holding its ground. Holding our ground can be excruciatingly painful at times. Especially when you feel alone in your stance. But surely, there is truth to the statement “the weary wind.” Perhaps our persistence and our stronghold endurance help the wind to eventually weary and lose its grip on us.

We may wonder sometimes if the wind will let up. We wonder if we are doing the right thing. And most painful can be not knowing if we will be standing when it is through. And yet, something deep within me tells me there is a true principle to this statement. Through it all the oak is still standing. The wind is weary. The wind has exhausted all its creativity in knocking this oak over. The oak is using one formula: Stand.

I picture the wind as a person looking all frazzled, tongue sticking out from thirst, Face red from blowing, shoulders hunched staring at the oak with desperation saying unbelievably, “How can you still be standing Oak?” Seriously!!!

The poem doesn't talk about how long the wind blew. But it does describe it was so powerful to steal every leaf away. And most importantly, in the end, the oak was still standing. Broken limbs, snapped boughs, stolen leaves and all.

One of my favorite quotes by Thomas Jefferson states:

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

Whatever your stance may be. As long as we feel the guiding hand of our Heavenly Father, stand, endure and eventually the wind will become weary.

-by Mamma Mia

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After reading the poem "The Oak Tree" I immediately thought of an article by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin entitled "Deep Roots".  In the article he talks about a time when he and his wife were visiting one of the islands in Hawaii.  While there they passed two very large trees that had been uprooted and blown over by strong winds.  He said that as he looked at those trees he wondered if they might have survived the winds and storms if their roots had been deeper. 

I loved his comparison of the beautiful palm trees and the might oak trees.  Palm trees are beautiful to look at, but when the strong winds come along these trees are easily swayed and if the wind is strong enough, they can be easily uprooted and blown over.  In contrast, the mighty oak tree, no matter how severe the storm and how strong the wind, the oak tree will continue to stand tall - branches may break and the tree may be stripped of it's leaves, but through it all it will continue to stand tall.   

He also pointed out an interesting fact, of which I was unaware, that the roots of an oak tree can extend down into the ground up to two and one-half times their height.  Now that, my friends, is a deeply rooted tree.

Now the question for each of us is - how deeply rooted are your values?   Do you let yourself be blown to-and-fro with what is popular at the time?  Or do you stand for what you believe in?  I think that what we stand for defines who we truly are. 

- by Lil' Acorn

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See also:

The Strength of the Willow Tree
Good Timber
The Butterfly: Strength Through Adversity
Adversity Quotes

Beautiful People

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.  These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.

Beautiful people do not just happen.

- Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Quotes by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Dieter F. Uchtdorf is known and loved by many as a man of wise and inspiring words. Born in East Germany, he worked for many years as an airline pilot.  Today, Dieter serves as an Apostle and 2nd Counselor to the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are — and who we will become.

In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.

The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.

Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.

Each of us is under a divinely spoken obligation to reach out with pardon and mercy and to forgive one another.

We will receive the joy of forgiveness in our own lives when we are willing to extend that joy freely to others.

As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you.

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely.

No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.”

The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments.

The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can—that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be.

When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration.

We know from modern revelation that ‘the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.’ We cannot gauge the worth of another soul any more than we can measure the span of the universe.

Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.

‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’ This is the essence of what it means to be a true disciple: those who receive Christ Jesus walk with him.

Are you focused on the things that matter most? How you spend your quiet time may provide a valuable clue. Where do your thoughts go when the pressure of deadlines is gone? Are your thoughts and heart focused on those short-lived fleeting things that matter only in the moment or on things that matter most?

Often the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us. Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits remove the scales from our spiritual eyes and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer we often find the answer to our own.

Our motives and thoughts ultimately influence our actions. Jesus repeatedly emphasized the power of good thoughts and proper motives: 'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not'.

We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find.

Let us simplify our lives a little, let us make the changes necessary to focus on the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship.

You can't go through life on borrowed light.

Love is spelled T.I.M.E.

May I invite you to rise to the great potential within you. But don’t reach beyond your capacity. Don’t set goals beyond your capacity to achieve. Don’t feel guilty or dwell on thoughts of failure. Don’t compare yourself with others. Do the best you can, and the Lord will provide the rest.

Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.

Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?

Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings.

Don't judge me because I sin differently than you.

Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim.

It is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions.

God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.

Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience.

It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Over-scheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.

Work is an antidote for anxiety, and ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility.

Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive.

A person’s true value has little to do with what the world holds in high esteem…you could pile up the accumulated currency of the entire world and it could not buy a loaf of bread in the economy of heaven.

Many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself.

If you consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may miss some of life’s sweetest experiences.

Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most.

God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but He knows that this is a long-term goal. He wants us to become perfect, and if we stay on the path of discipleship, one day we will. It’s OK that you’re not quite there yet. Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself.

STOP IT:  This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:
Stop it!  It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children.

It is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny.

See also:
Quotes by Thomas S. Monson

Quotes by Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is an Indian-born, American physician and writer. Chopra has taught at the medical schools of Tufts University, Boston University and Harvard University.  Chopra has written more than 65 books with 19 New York Times bestsellers. His books have been translated into 35 languages and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Here are some great quotes from this wise man:

The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.

You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices. 

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. 

Nothing is more important than reconnecting with your bliss. Nothing is as rich. Nothing is more real. 

If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world. 

You can free yourself from aging by reinterpreting your body and by grasping the link between belief and biology. 

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.

Every person is a God in embryo. Its only desire is to be born.

Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there -buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day.

Each of us is here to discover our true Self, that essentially we are spiritual beings who have taken manifestation in physical form, that we're not human beings that have occasional spiritual experiences, that we're spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences.

Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. 

In our imaginations we believe that love is apart from us. Actually there is nothing but love, once we are ready to accept it. When you truly find love, you find yourself.

The law of giving is very simple: if you want joy, give joy.  If love is what you seek, offer love.  If you crave material affluence, help others become prosperous.

Quotes by Wayne W. Dyer

Dr. Wayne Dyer is know by millions as a great self-help guru and positive thinker. Here are some of his great quotes:

Heaven on earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find.

The only limits you have are the limits you believe.

The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams, at once, to any degree that you possibly can.

You have a very powerful mind that can make anything happen as long as you keep yourself centered.

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.

A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe.

It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.

Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you.

Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.

You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with.

Conflict cannot survive without your participation.

The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about.

Your children will see what you're all about by what you live rather than what you say.

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.

Deficiency motivation doesn't work. It will lead to a life-long pursuit of try to fix me. Learn to appreciate what you have and where and who you are.

Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.

Anything you really want, you can attain, if you really go after it.

Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you.

Everything in the universe has a purpose. Indeed, the invisible intelligence that flows through everything in a purposeful fashion is also flowing through you.

It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.

Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.

Maxim for life: You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you.

What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.

You'll see it when you believe it.

When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out - because that's what's inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside.

Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules.

Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.

Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.

The fact that you are willing to say, "I do not understand, and it is fine," is the greatest understanding you could exhibit.

The components of anxiety, stress, fear, and anger do not exist independently of you in the world. They simply do not exist in the physical world, even though we talk about them as if they do.

You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life'.

It's never crowded along the extra mile.

Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.

Real magic in relationships means an absence of judgment of others.

Self-worth comes from one thing - thinking that you are worthy.

Everything is perfect in the universe - even your desire to improve it.

We are Divine enough to ask and we are important enough to receive.

Only the insecure strive for security.

You are doomed to make choices. This is life's greatest paradox.

Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there's only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.

You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.

You are important enough to ask and you are blessed enough to receive back.

The last suit that you wear, you don't need any pockets.

See also:
You'll See It If You Believe It
I Can See Clearly Now

A Letter from Heaven

When tomorrow starts without me,
and I'm not here to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes,
filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn't cry,
the way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
we didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me,
as much as I love you,
And each time you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too.

When tomorrow starts without me, don't think we're far apart,
for every time you think of me,
I'm right there in your heart.

- from www. Facebook.com/Daveswords of wisdom

To Change Human Lives

Time passes. Circumstances change. Conditions vary. Unaltered is the divine command to succor the weak and lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Each of us has the charge to be not a doubter, but a doer; not a leaner, but a lifter. But our complacency tree has many branches, and each spring more buds come into bloom. Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart.

Some point the accusing finger at the sinner or the unfortunate and in derision say, “He has brought his condition upon himself.” Others exclaim, “Oh, he will never change. He has always been a bad one.” A few see beyond the outward appearance and recognize the true worth of a human soul. When they do, miracles occur. The downtrodden, the discouraged, the helpless become “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” True love can alter human lives and change human nature.

- Thomas S. Monson

The Power Of Attitude

The Power Of Attitude Movie:

I love this quote by Henry Ford, ”Whether you think you can, or think you can't …you're right.”

The Olympic Creed

On this last day of the London 2012 Olympics, I borrow from my thoughts on a previous post on this blog, written February 21, 2010:

The Olympic Creed
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." 

As in the Olympics, so in life.

It is awe provoking to watch the Olympic athletes and witness their excellence in physical performance. When you think of all the training and experience that goes into their efforts, it is truly amazing. Their experience usually includes a lot of falling or crashing, getting injured, getting down, getting up, rehabilitating, and re-conditioning, as well as the many heartbreaks of not quite achieving what they wanted, when they wanted, or how they wanted. But the good ones keep going, keep trying, and ultimately achieve glory - whether through a medal or the through the shear victory of accomplishing a goal, finishing and doing their best.

Some famous Olympic athletes have achieved their highest attainment and glory after having overcome a serious setback or injury, or while they are still in the mode of returning to their best form. Others achieve the top honors after a long period of having expended the greatest training efforts of their lives.

The Olympic athletes are in the pursuit of the great Olympian ideals: Citius, Altius and Fortius, which translated from Latin mean Swifter, Higher and Stronger.

We are not all, nor can we all, be Olympic level athletes. But we all can take inspiration from these Olympic ideals and the heroes that have applied them so well in their lives. We can be heroes in our own right by overcoming our trials and achieving the swiftest, the highest and the strongest within us.

Zig Ziglar: The Ultimate Motivational Man

Zig Ziglar has been in the business of motivational speaking since 1970, with an emphasis on Christian values.  He has spoken to and motivated millions on how to be successful in both life and business.

Here are some of his great quotes:

A goal properly set is halfway reached.

A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.

Every choice you make has an end result. Every obnoxious act is a cry for help.

Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.

Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.

I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life.

You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.

If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.

If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.

If you don't see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.

If you go looking for a friend, you're going to find they're very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you'll find them everywhere.

If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.

If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you'll never end up with a nag.

If you want to reach a goal, you must "see the reaching" in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.

It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.

Little men with little minds and little imaginations go through life in little ruts, smugly resisting all changes which would jar their little worlds.

Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.

Money won't make you happy... but everybody wants to find out for themselves.

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

Remember that failure is an event, not a person.

Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.

Success is dependent upon the glands - sweat glands.

Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.

The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.

When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.

You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.

You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.

You do not pay the price of success, you enjoy the price of success.

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

Zig Ziglar: I'm Outt'a Gas

Chances are phenomenal that at least one time in your life, while driving, your car has run out of gasoline. When it happened, you undoubtedly were a little frustrated, since things like that always happen at the "worst possible time."

Question: Have you ever deliberately run out of gas, or do you keep your eye on the gas gauge? Chances are good that you take precautions to make certain you don't run out of gas. Another question: If you had to drive from coast to coast, would you try to make it non-stop? Obviously, you would stop and fill up as you go.

I'm leading up to a point: Motivation is the fuel necessary to keep the human engine running. We must be motivated by need, desire, excitement or something that gets us into action. What many people do not realize is that we need to fuel that motivation with encouragement by reading good books, attending inspirational seminars and listening to inspiring messages while we're in our cars.

Regularly, someone will tell me that when they get "a little bit down," they plug in a tape and it invariably gives them that lift they need. My question is always, "Why would you wait until you get 'down'? Why not make it a way of life, so that as you drive, you automatically plug in some words of encouragement?"

It's easier to stay "up" than it is to get "up." Additionally, motivation is most beneficial when we are already inspired and "high." Then, when we fuel the motivational engine, we will come up with more creative ideas. So keep your motivational tank full, and I'll see you at the top!

- Zig Ziglar

Things Worth Believing In

I went to the funeral of a former co-worker today and was inspired. It's amazing what you can learn about the life of someone who you thought you knew - realizing you only knew a small dimension of their character and life. 

On the back cover of the printed funeral program was his picture with an excerpt from his journal.  Some great words to share:

"If you want to believe in something, believe in it.  Sometimes the things that may or may not be truth are the things we need to believe in most:

• That people are basically good,
• That there is honor, courage, and virtue in everything,
• That power and money mean nothing,
• That good triumphs over evil,
• That love never dies.

I believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in."

- Richard Bradford

Quotes by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was an aristocrat French writer, poet and pioneering aviator who died after being lost in flight over the Mediterranean during World War II.  He became a laureate of several of France's highest literary awards and also won the U.S. National Book Award. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) and for his lyrical aviation writings, including Wind, Sand and Stars and Night Flight.

Some of his great quotes include the following:

A civilization is built on what is required of men, not on that which is provided for them.

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.

Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to him but to God that the gift was made.

Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something molded.

For true love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have. And if you go to draw at the true fountainhead, the more water you draw, the more abundant is its flow.

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.

How could there be any question of acquiring or possessing, when the one thing needful for a man is to become - to be at last, and to die in the fullness of his being.

I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself. To undermine a man's self-respect is a sin.

I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself.

Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.

Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.

Of what worth are convictions that bring not suffering?

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Tell me who admires and loves you, and I will tell you who you are.

The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in our attitude towards them.

The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I must participate.

The one thing that matters is the effort.

The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something.

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

True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.

We say nothing essential about the cathedral when we speak of its stones. We say nothing essential about Man when we seek to define him by the qualities of men.

What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.

When you give yourself, you receive more than you give.

You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

Challenges: How we respond

It's not the challenges we face, but how we respond to them that sculpts our character ... and our success

Man Barely Able to Stand on his Own - Amazing Movie:

"You'll See it If You Believe It": Transformation

Continued review and quotes from Wayne Dyer's book.  
See Part 1 at You'll See it When You Believe it

"The real you, the unique you, is 99 percent invisible, untouchable, unsmellable, and impervious to the physical senses, which know only form.  The largest chunk of who you really are is something beyond form.  It has been called your mind, or your feelings, or your thoughts, or your higher consciousness, but whatever it is, it certainly is not form.  All of your thought and your spiritual awareness are in this other formless dimension."

"...transformation... means the result or action of going beyond one's form."

"There are no limits to your ability to think.  You can imagine yourself doing anything.  You can have a perfect relationship with your mate in pure thought.  You can be anything, go anywhere, experience all that you want, in this dimension of thought, exclusive of form...you can experience a major portion of your life in this dimension of transcending your form.  At the same time you will be able to maintain your form and honor its requirements and lovingly understand its signals, while still knowing it is serving you, the real you."

"And be not conformed to this world: But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - The Apostle Paul, Romans 12:2

"Your belief in your body's ability to heal itself will begin to reflect how you take care of the precious temple that houses you.  Fear of death will dissolve as you come closer to an awareness that thought, thinking, your essential self, never dies."

Some Signs and Symptoms of Inner Peace

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences

An mistable ability to enjoy each moment

A loss of interest in judging other people

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others

A loss of interest in conflict

A loss of the ability to worry

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature

Frequent attacks of smiling

An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it

"In effect you will begin to tap the enormous power of your mind.  You will peacefully meditate though others about you may be in a frenzy.  You will be the power of of a quiet mind, and you will choose to go there often.  You will discover things about yourself that you perhaps never considered before. You will be in that perfect intelligence that is within all form, in that miraculous inner space where everything that you can visualize is possible."

"...what is astonishing to me is that this tendency toward wholesome eating habits has flowed from a more loving approach to myself and to all life, not from a desire to enhance my physical attractiveness or strength or to achieve physical longevity."

"...what I am experiencing is a much deeper involvement with life, wherein I know precisely what I am about, and cannot be deterred from that path.  I am able to stay on my path, doing what I love and loving what I do...because I have transformed myself from a person who had absolute judgments which required fixed and rigid responses to a person who sees and knows that any human experience is an opportunity to reflect on where I am or am not."

See also I Can See Clearly Now

Wayne W. Dyer: "You'll See It When You Believe It"

This will be a series of postings regarding quotes from, and my thoughts on, the great book titled "You'll See It When You Believe It" by Wayne W. Dyer. Unless followed by another name, the quotes are from Wayne.

Introduction

I love how Wayne begins this book, making reference to water, how you must experience it - drink it, get wet, etc. - and not just read the word in order to understand its full meaning.  The same goes for the ideas that can lead to personal transformation.

"Man's mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"...transformation comes with knowing deep within you that each and every human being is far more than a physical body, and that the essence of being human includes the ability to think and feel, to posess a high consciousness, and to know that there is an intelligence suffusing all form in the universe.  You are able to tap into that invisible part of you, to use your mind in any way that you choose, and to recognize that this is your essential humanity."

"...you are a soul with a body, rather than a body with a soul...you are not a human being having a spiritual experience, but rather a spiritual being having a human experience."

"...get very comfortable with opposites like the following...You are both shy and aggressive within the same body.  You are lazy and hardworking. You get the most when you care the least about it.  The tighter you squeeze water, the less you have.  The things that upset us in others are the lessons we have to learn ourselves...The dualism is always there."

"The most exquisite paradox...as soon as you give it all up, you can have it all...As long as you want power, you can't have it.  The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed possible." - Ram Dass, "Be Here Now"

So, I guess I'm ready to explore Mr. Dyer's thoughts on personal transformation, since I do recognize that I have room for improvements.  Understanding my dualities, as referenced above, and that I am a spiritual being sounds like a good place to start.

See also:
You'll See It If You Believe It: Transformation
Quotes by Wayne W. Dyer
I Can See Clearly Now by Wayne Dyer - Excerpts, Part 1

Twelve Symptoms of a Spiritual Awakening

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

2. Frequent attacks of smiling.

3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.

4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.

6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

7. A loss of ability to worry.

8. A loss of interest in conflict.

9. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

10. A loss of interest in judging others.

11. A loss of interest in judging self.

12. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return.


Source: http://recoverytradepublications.com/blog.html?entry=12-symptoms-of-a-spiritual

Bill Cosby: Quotes from a Wise and Funny Man.

Bill Cosby - comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he  is well known for television roles in I Spy, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and The Bill Cosby Show. Cosby has also acted in a number of films.

For many years, Bill Cosby has both entertained and educated the world with his wit and wisdom on the topics of life, laughter and raising children.

Here are some great quotes:

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing.

I am proud to be an American. Because an American can eat anything on the face of this earth as long as he has two pieces of bread.

People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on.

That married couples can live together day after day is a miracle that the Vatican has overlooked.

The heart of marriage is memories; and if the two of you happen to have the same ones and can savor your reruns, then your marriage is a gift from the gods.

Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge.

The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.

The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.

There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God.

There is no labor a person does that is undignified; if they do it right.

Gray hair is God's graffiti.

When you become senile, you won't know it.

Old is always fifteen years from now.

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.

You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.

On Raising Children
You know the only people who are always sure about the proper way to raise children? Those who've never had any.

Even though your kids will consistently do the exact opposite of what you're telling them to do, you have to keep loving them just as much.

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.

Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.

I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.

Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die.

Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made.

My childhood should have taught me lessons for my own fatherhood, but it didn't because parenting can only be learned by people who have no children.

No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.

Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children.

Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home.

If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right.

Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry.

Digging for Gold

There once was a man named Giuseppe (Joe) and his wife who moved to a new farm with their three sons. They were settling into the new community when a nearby farmer told Joe that there was gold in the dirt of his new property. Joe took that statement as that there was actual gold in the land. He thought to himself, 'I have three healthy sons, I’ll tell them about it'. Indeed he told his sons that there was gold to be found in their new property. Needless to say his sons actually took charge of their personal enterprise right on their own land. They had visions of what they would do when they found gold. Each son had a different vision. For as young as they were, they set up quite a professional approach in the digging for gold.

They began in one corner with a certain width and kept going until they got to the end. Once they got to the property line they would start another swath and go back the other direction. They began to realize that digging for gold was fun! This procedure went on for about six months and they still weren’t through going through the whole property.

Meanwhile Joe thought he would plant some crops in the area where the dirt had been turned thoroughly. He planted corn, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. His sons continued to dig through the soil, determined to find gold. As more dirt was available, Joe planted more crops. An interesting point here is that Joe had never farmed before but it had always been a dream of his to do so.

As each different crop became ready to be harvested Joe started to realize that there was more than he and his family could ever eat. One of Joe’s neighbours suggested that he set up a vegetable stand. Joe and his wife did that very thing. They called it Joe and Family Vegetables. Joe even had to leave some crops on the ground because he had more than enough to meet the demands at the vegetable stand.

What were Joe’s sons doing in the meantime? They were still working the land even after they had finished the entire parcel. They started once again in the original corner, working in the leftover plant material while they were still on their quest to find gold.

This process went on for years and Joe and his wife became quite wealthy from their little vegetable stand. They were even able to send their sons off to college simply because they wanted to find gold.

Remember at the beginning of the story when Joe was told by his new neighbour that there was gold in the land? Well, the truth is, Joe’s understanding of the English language was less than perfect. His new neighbour friend actually told him that his land had rich soil. So you can see where the concept of gold came in.

Did Joe’s sons become slaves to the digging? No, they were inspired because they had visions of what money could do for them and did not focus on the money itself.

Is there a way we can take this story to a higher level? Yes, the Universe provides us opportunity and sometimes dangles the carrot to inspire us. In essence, Joe’s sons were inspired with the possibility of finding gold in the soil. Some of you I’m sure will draw your own meaning, but here is one to consider. Go out and pretend that there is gold in all your challenges and setbacks so that you can be inspired to motivate yourself to allow the Universe to provide all that you need and then some.

The Universe will never give up on you, if you never give up on yourself.

- by Tony Masiello

Some Natural Highs

As you read this list take just a few moments to think about each one, before going on to the next one.

• Laughing so hard that your face hurts.
• No lines at the supermarket, bank or post office.
• Taking a drive on a pretty road.
• Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
• Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
• Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
• A good conversation.
• Lying on a warm, sunny beach.
• Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
• Sharing a sunset with someone special.
• Running through sprinklers.
• Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
• Good friends.
• Overhearing someone say something nice about you.
• Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
• Playing with a new puppy.
• Having someone brush your hair.
• Swinging on swings.
• Making and then eating chocolate chip cookies.
• Holding hands with someone you care about.
• Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

- Author Unknown

 

Now, add some of your own to this list!

Jumping The Line vs. Opening The Door

Every morning, the line of cars waiting to get onto the Hutchinson River Parkway exceeds 40. Of course, you don't have to patiently wait, you can drive down the center lane, passing all the civilized suckers and then, at the last moment, cut over.

Drivers hate this, and for good reason. The road is narrow, and your aggressive act didn't help anyone but you. You slowed down the cars in the lane behind you, and your selfish behavior merely made 40 other people wait.

This is a different act than the contribution someone makes when she sees that everyone is patiently waiting to enter a building through a single door. She walks past everyone and opens a second door. Now, with two doors open, things start moving again and she's certainly earned her place at the front of that second entrance.

Too often, we're persuaded that initiative and innovation and bypassing the status quo is some sort of line jumping, a selfish gaming of the zero sum game. Most of the time it's not. In fact, what you do when you solve an interesting problem is that you open a new door. Not only is that okay, I think it's actually a moral act.

Don't wait your turn if waiting your turn is leaving doors unopened.

- Seth Godin

God wants you to enjoy your life right now

God wants you to enjoy your life right now. You don't have to wait for everything to be perfectly straightened out in your family or business, or for all your problems to be solved. Happiness is a choice that you must make.

When you get up in the morning, you can choose to be happy and enjoy that day, or you can choose to be unhappy and go around with a sour attitude. It's up to you. If you make the mistake of allowing your circumstances to dictate your happiness, then you risk missing out on God's abundant life.


- Olga Hermanns

The Important Things in Life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”