To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty; to give of one's self, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived-- that is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do you reach beyond to touch the sky,
Or lag behind, afraid to try?
Do you reach beyond to learn anew
or hesitate-- the same old you?
Do you reach beyond to test your limit
of do you tell yourself, I'm timid?
Do you reach beyond to lead the pack,
or do you waste time looking back?
Do you reach beyond and strive to find
better ways to stretch your mind?
Do you reach beyond to care and share
and help some others do and dare?
Do you reach beyond, expect the best,
or have you given up the quest?
Do you reach beyond and claim your space,
here and now, this time, this place?
Do you reach beyond and try to soar,
or, sadly, play it safe once more?
Suzy Sutton
You can email Suzy and let her know you liked her poem
Growth
For every hill I've had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat,
My heart sings but a grateful song -
These were the things that made me strong!
For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!
Tis not the softer things of life
Which stimulate man's will to strive;
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep man's will alive.
O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep.
Author Unknown
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In 1992 one of my online friends met the Dalai Lama. He had a Big impact on her life. One of the things he said during that meeting was, " The path to a world of peace must travel through the hearts of every one of us." This flaming heart is placed on my site to represent my desire to see World Peace in my lifetime. Please take it as a gift from my heart to your heart and place it on your site. May it also be a prayer for the people of Tibet.
Look within. Within is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal soul. Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the ocean of bliss. Look within for the happiness which you have sought in vain.
Sivananda
The Piano
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the
piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski
concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a
friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to
greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders
of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually
explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."
When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about
to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered
that her son was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted
and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard,
innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance,
quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear,
"Don't quit." "Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski
reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass
part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side
of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the
old master and the young novice transformed a frightening
situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The
audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on
our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the
results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the
hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen
carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering
in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life.
YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LIVE YOUR DREAMS
By Mentor Max
Look at things as they can be, not as they are.
Imagine your possibilities and your vision expands.
Your range of available choices right now is limitless.
The only limits you have are in your mind.
You've got it in you to succeed.
Make up your mind and stick with it.
You weren't born with any limits on your powers
or any set limits to your capacity.
At any moment, you have more possibilities
than you can act upon.
Be thankful of life because it gives you a chance
to live your dreams.
If for an instant God were to forget that I am a rag doll and gifted me
with a piece of life, possibly I wouldn't say all that I think, but rather I
would think of all that I say. I would value things, not for their worth
but for what they mean. I would sleep little, dream more, understanding that
for each minute we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.
I would walk when others hold back, I would wake when others sleep. I
would listen when others talk, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream!
If God were to give me a piece of life, I would dress simply, throw myself
face first into the sun, baring not only my body but also my soul.
My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hate on ice, and wait for the
sun to show. Over the stars I would paint with a Van Gogh dream a Benedetti
poem, and a Serrat song would be the serenade I'd offer to the moon. With
my tears I would water roses, to feel the pain of their thorns,
and the red kiss of their petals...
My God, if I had a piece of life... I wouldn't let a single day pass
without telling the people I love that I love them. I would convince each woman
and each man that they are my favorites, and I would live in love with love.
I would show men how very wrong they are to think that they cease to be in
love when they grow old, not knowing that they grow old when they cease to
be in love! To a child I shall give wings, but I shall let him learn to
fly on his own. I would teach the old that death does not come with old age,
but with forgetting.
So much have I learned from you, oh men...
I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of the mountain,
without knowing that real happiness is in how it is scaled. I have learned
that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time with his tiny fist
his father's finger, he has him trapped forever. I have learned that a man has
the right to look down on another only when he has to help the other get
to his feet. From you I have learned so many things, but in truth they won't
be of much use, for when I keep them within this suit, unhappily shall I be dying.
GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ
1982 Nobel Laureate in Literature
Mr. Marquez retired upon learning he had cancer; he wrote this letter as a farewell to his friends. It was translated from his native tongue. His style of writing was considered "magical realism". It is my pleasure to share it with you.
