Provoking Thoughts
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Author: John Donne (c.1571-1631)
No man is an Island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the
Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor
of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for
whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Whether You Can Do Or Dream
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
But when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important
matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of
our ruts. We had put down our passage money--booked a sailing to
Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until
one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always
ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid
plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence
moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in
one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material
assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I
have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it.
On Looking The Other Way
Author: Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)
When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore, I was not
concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic,
and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions
and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not
concerned. Then, Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church--and there
was nobody left to be concerned.
May The Road - An Irish Blessing
Author: Unknown
We found two versions of this Irish Blessing. Both are presented below for
you to enjoy!
Version 1...
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be ever at your back
May the Good Lord keep you in the hollow of His hand.
May your heart be as warm as your hearthstone.
And when you come to die
may the wail of the poor
be the only sorrow
you'll leave behind.
May God bless you always.
Version 2
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
He Has Achieved Success
Author: Bessie A. Stanley
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved
much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent
men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and
accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who
has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he
had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory is a benediction.
What It Is To Die
Author: J. Krishnamurti
Do you know what it means to die, not physically, but psychologically,
inwardly?
You can't say to death, let me finish my job let me finish my book, all the
things I have not done, let me heal the hurts which I have given
others;--you have no time.
So can you find out how to live a life now, today, in which there is always
an ending to everything that you began?
One has to find out for oneself what it means to die; then there is no fear,
therefore every day is a new day--and I really mean this, one CAN do
this--so that your mind and your eyes see life as something totally new.
That is eternity.
Desiderata
Author: Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there
may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms
with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others;
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their stories.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons they are vexations to the spirit. If you
compare yourself to others you may become vain and bitter; for always
there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your
achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real
possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in business
affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what
virtue there is: many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is
full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about
love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as
the grass.
Take kindly to the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things
of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune; but
do not distress yourself with these imaginings; many fears are born of
fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with
yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars you
have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the
universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you perceive him to be, and
whatever your aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with
your soul.
With all of it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful
world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Desiderata
Author: Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there
may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms
with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others;
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their stories.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons they are vexations to the spirit. If you
compare yourself to others you may become vain and bitter; for always
there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your
achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real
possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in business
affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what
virtue there is: many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is
full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about
love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as
the grass.
Take kindly to the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things
of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune; but
do not distress yourself with these imaginings; many fears are born of
fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with
yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars you
have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the
universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you perceive him to be, and
whatever your aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with
your soul.
With all of it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful
world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
The Window
Author: Unknown
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man
was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain
the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The
other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families,
their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they
had been on vacation. And very afternoon when the man in th bed by the
window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his
roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the
other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would
be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside
world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. Ducks
and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.
Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow.
Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline
could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this
in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his
eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing
by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his
mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive
words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head:
Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get
to see anything ?
It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented the man felt ashamed at first.
But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded
into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he
found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - that thought
now controlled his life.
Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window
began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man
watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped
for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never
moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse
running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along
with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence ----- deathly
silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths.
When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was
saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away -- no works,
no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he
could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the
switch, and after make sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first
look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to
slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
So the morale of the story is: the pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice
. . . . . it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a
gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come
through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are ot the
things that make us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will
never find lasting joy. The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our
minds are like programs, awaiting for the code that will determine
behavior; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit
positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts. If we continue to bite our lips
just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that
seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates. You will find that
there is much to rejoice about.
The Truth About Failure
Author: Robert Schuller in Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People
Do
Failure doesn't mean you are a failure... ...it does mean you haven't
succeeded yet.
Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing... ...it does mean you
have learned something.
Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool... ...it does mean you had a lot
of faith.
Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced... ...it does mean you were
willing to try.
Failure doesn't mean you don't have it... ...it does mean you have to do
something in a different way.
Failure doesn't mean you are inferior... ...it does mean you are not perfect.
Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life... ...it does mean you've a
reason to start afresh.
Failure doesn't mean you should give up... ...it does mean you should try
harder.
Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it... ...it does mean it will take a
little longer.
Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you... ...it does mean God has
a better idea!
Don't Quit
Author: Jill Wolf
Don't quit when the tide is lowest,
FOr it's just about to turn;
Don't Quit over doubts and questions,
For there's something you may learn.
Don't quit when the night is darkest,
For it's just a while 'til dawn;
Don't quit when you've run the farthest,
For the race is almose won.
Don't quit when the hill is steepest,
For your goal is almost nigh;
Don't quit, for you're not a failure
Until you fail to try.
Don't Quit
Author: Unknown
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit ---
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.
Around The Corner
Author: Henson Towne
Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I Know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine
If, we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say "I will call on Jim"
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner!- yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir"
"Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean. If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach out and tell someone what they
mean to you. Because when you decide that it is the right time, it might be
too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly, stay
close to your friends and family for they have helped make you the person
that you are today.
Pass this along to your friends. It could make a difference. The difference
doing all that you can or having regrets which may stay with you forever.
You Better Slow Down
Author: Unknown
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain
slapping the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at
the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't
last. Do you run through each day on the fly, When you ask "How are
you?", do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your
bed, with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't
last.
Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow, and in your haste not see his
sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, 'cause you never had
time to call and say "hi"?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't
last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting
there. When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened
gift thrown away.
Life is not a race, so take it slower, hear the music before the song is
over.
Steps To Happiness
Author: Unknown, From The Bridge by Values Realization Press
Everybody Knows:
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.
So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.
Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.
Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.
A Simpler Way
Author: Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers in A Simpler
Way
There is a simpler way to organize human endeavor.
It requires a new way of being in the world.
It requires being in the world without fear.
Being in the world with play and creativity.
Seeking after what's possible.
Being willing to learn and be surprised.
This simpler way to organize human endeavor
requires a belief that the world is inherently orderly.
The world seeks organization.
It does not need us humans to organize it.
This simpler way summons forth what is best about us.
It asks us to understand human nature differently,
more optimistically.
It identifies us as creative.
It acknowledges that we seek after meaning.
It asks us to be less serious, yet more purposeful,
about our work and our lives.
It does not separate play from the nature of being.
The world of a simpler way is a world we already know.
We may not have seen it clearly,
but we have been living in it all our lives.
It is a world that is more welcoming,
more hospitable to our humanness.
Who we are and what is best about us can more easily flourish.
The world of a simpler way has a natural and spontaneous
tendency toward organization.
It seeks order.
Whatever chaos is present at the start,
when elements combine, systems of organization appear.
Life is attracted to order --
order gained through wandering explorations
into new relationships and new possibilities.
Caring For The Earth
Author: Unknown
Mars: Atmosphere is like car exhaust
Jupiter: Sulphur and phosphoros make it one giant match head
Saturn: Raindrops are liquified methane gas
Uranus: Blanketed in radioactive smog
Neptune: One hemisphere won't see sunshine until 2030 AD
Pluto: Frozen solid
Earth...perhaps we must take better care of it....
A Heart For Children
Written By: Unknown
One hundred years from now
It will not matter
What kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much I had in my bank
Nor what my clothes looked like.
One hundred years from now
It will not matter
What kind of school I attended,
What kind of typewriter I used,
How large or small my church,
But the world may be
... a little better because...
I was important
in the life
of a child.
Winners Are People Like You
Written By: Nancye Sims
Winners take chances.
Like everyone else, they fear failing,
but they refuse to let fear control them.
Winners don't give up.
When life gets rough, they hang in
until the going gets better.
Winners are flexible.
They realize there is more than one way
and are willing to try others.
Winners know they are not perfect.
They respect their weaknesses
while making the most of their strengths.
Winners fall, but they don't stay down.
They stubbornly refuse to let a fall
keep them from climbing...
Winners don't blame fate for their failures
nor luck for their successes.
Winners accept responsibility for their lives.
Winners are positive thinkers
who see good in all things.
From the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.
Winners believe in the path they have chosen
even when it's hard,
even when others can't see where they are going,
Winners are patient.
They know a goal is only as worthy
as the effort that's required to achieve it.
Winners are people like you.
They make this world a better place to be.
Anything Is Possible
Written By: Unknown
If there was ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
IT IS NOW.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily...
but for something that tugs at your heart,
something that's your inspiration,
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself
to make your days here count.
HAVE FUN.
DIG DEEP.
STRETCH.
DREAM BIG.
Know, though, that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
pack it up,
and call it quits.
Those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.
PERSIST.
Because with an idea,
determination,
and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect,
and your heart,
guide you.
TRUST.
Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.
The start of something new
brings the hope of something great,
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Believe In Yourself
Spoken In: The Last Starfighter
In a movie called "The Last Starfighter", a young man who was found to
be the greatest (Human) star pilot ever asked to be taken home because
he didn't believe himself to be up to the task of defeating an invading evil
empire. Once back on Earth, as the 'talent scout' who found him is about
to leave, he says, 'Hey, I'm just a kid from a trailer park in Nebraska,' to
which the scout replied one of my favorite motivational sayings ever. He
s
Email: emiller7@bellsouth.net
