Hello Everyone

"You cannot really begin to appreciate life, until it has knocked you down a few times.You cannot really begin to appreciate love, until your heart has been broken. And you cannot really begin to appreciate happiness, until you have known misery. Once you have walked through these valleys, the view from the mountain-top is 'breathtaking'!" :-)

[Susan Gale]

"The voice within is what I'm married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest 'yes' and 'no' come from. That's my true partner. It's always there. And to tell you 'yes' when my integrity says 'no', is to divorce that partner"!

[Byron Katie]


Don't worry about "hard times" because some of the "most beautiful" things we have in life, come from "changes and mistakes"..Live with no "regrets" because everything in life, "happens for a reason"! :-)


Let us walk softly on the Earth, with all living beings, "great and small"...Remembering as we go, that ONE GOD "kind and wise", created ALL... :-)

Four Beautiful Thoughts Of Life:
(a) Look Back & Get Experience.
(b) Look Forward & See Hope.
(c) Look Around & Find Reality.
(d) Look Within & Find Your Self.


There comes a time in your life when you finally get it ... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out "ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on." And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective. [This is your awakening!]

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something or someone to change, or for happiness safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren't always fairy-tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.


So you begin making your way through the "reality of today" rather than holding out for the "promise of tomorrow." You realize that much of who you are and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you've received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about :

- how you should look and how much you should weigh,
- what you should wear and where you should shop,
- where you should live or what type of car you should drive,
- who you should sleep with and how you should behave,
- who you should marry and why you should stay,
- the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family,


Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and re-defining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.


You accept the fact that you are not perfect ,and that not everyone will love appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a "perfect 10".... Or a perfect human being for that matter... and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And, you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.


And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that it is truly in "giving" that we receive, and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of "creating" and "contributing" rather than "obtaining" and "accumulating."


And you give thanks for the simple things you've been blessed with, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about - a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, the freedom of choice and the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.


And you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors, including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you've learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.


Then you learn about love and relationships - how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally, and that not everyone will always come through... and interestingly enough, it's not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren't done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns - anger, jealousy and resentment.


You learn how to say "I was wrong" and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to Say NO. You learn that you don't know all the answers, it's not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.


Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships, and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it's wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet "your" standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that "alone" does not mean "lonely" and you begin to discover the joy of spending time "with yourself" and "on yourself." Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know - Self Love. And so it comes to pass that, through understanding, your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.


Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn't change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead, you set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.


You learn that life isn't always fair and you don't always get what you think you deserve, and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.


And you stop looking for guarantees, because you've learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you'll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time - FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears, because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.


Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.


Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you TAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.


A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed, not for the answers to my prayers or for material things, but for my "God" to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.


You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.

"My 'God' has never failed me..."! :-)

[Sonny Carroll]

The Empowered Woman, she moves through the world
with a sense of confidence and grace.

Her once reckless spirit now tempered by wisdom.
Quietly, yet firmly, she speaks her truth without doubt or hesitation

and the life she leads is of her own creation.


She now understands what it means to live and let live.
How much to ask for herself and how much to give.

She has a strong, yet generous heart
and the inner beauty she emanates truly sets her apart.

Like the mythical Phoenix,
she has risen from the ashes and soared to a new plane of existence,

unfettered by the things that once that posed such resistance.


Her senses now heightened, she sees everything so clearly.
She hears the wind rustling through the trees;

beckoning her to live the dreams she holds so dearly.
She feels the softness of her hands
and muses at the strength that they possess.

Her needs and desires she has learned to express.
She has tasted the bitter and savored the sweet fruits of life,

overcome adversity and pushed past heartache and strife.


And the one thing she never understood,
she now knows to be true,
it all begins and ends with "you". :-)

[Sonny Carroll]

A simple act of kindness,
Passed on from man to man;

Is but a touch of God's own love,
In a kind, extended hand.

Compassion, love and mercy,
Passed down through all mankind;

Completing then the circle,
That all men seek to find.


In reaching out and touching lives,
With your generosity;

It did not go unnoticed,
For the eyes of God can see.

The kindness and compassion,
That He's sown deep in your soul;

An instrument of His own love,
To make life's circle whole. :-)

[Allison Chambers Coxsey]

I see you in the morning,
When the sun glows through the haze

As the beauty of a thousand lights,
Bring forth a newborn day.

In the fragrance of a tender flower,
Touched and kissed by morning dew;

When its petals spread to seek the sun,
It is there that I see you.


As I look on the horizon,
See an eagle take to flight;

In all its strength and beauty,
I see you in the sky.

I can hear you in the silence,
Of a summer's afternoon;

As soft warm breeze sweeps over me,
Your quietness fills my room.


I can smell you in the distant rain,
As it falls to kiss the ground;

The clean and earthy smell of you,
Its fragrance does surround.

Then as the sun falls softly,
And night breeze fills the air;

As stars come twinkling from the sky,
I see your beauty there.


Though splendor does surround me,
It never will replace;

The beauty that my heart does see,
When I behold your face. :-)

[Allison Chambers Coxsey]

Loneliness is a human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you, allows your soul, room to grow. Never expect to outgrow loneliness. Never hope to find people who will understand you, someone to fill that space. An intelligent, sensitive person is an exception, a great exception. If you expect to find people who will understand you, you will grow murderous with disappointment. The best you'll ever do is to understand yourself, know what it is, that you want, and not let the cattle stand in your way. Some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. Some things are so sad that only your soul can do the crying for them. Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us. :-)







ONE has achieved success, who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; One who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; One who has filled one's niche and accomplished one's task; One who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it; One who has left the world better than one found it; Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; One who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best one had; One whose life was an inspiration; One, whose memory - a veritable "BENEDICTION"! :-)

Hunter s Thompson, towns van zant, jim morrison, mark twain, Benjamin Franklin...

sending you sunshine and coffee
morning

What could be greater than to realize this?
That kindness is the way to all gain and all knowing

That kindness is the only thing that ever matters
What else is there to be which takes us further

Than being kind to someone for no reason?
Other than to be kind!


Loving those around us is the only way to anything
Because there'��s no distinction between them and us

When we give to someone, we give to ourselves as well
Not because giving might bring us some nice reward

But because that person is us and we are them!
Not just similar to us, for that's not enough

We're each guided by the same force
And made of the very same stuff!

Kindness is our greatest gift to ourselves
Kindness is our birthright and our responsibility

Kindness is our way home
Kindness is the true religion of all the universe! :-)


[Gordon Rosenberg]

Love is patient, Love is kind
Love is learning to be blind.

To others' faults, it keeps no score,
Love is learning much much more.


Love protects and always trusts,
Perseverance is a must.

Love is facing stormy weather,
Hand in hand we walk together.


Love is honest, not deceiving,
In God and others we keep believing.

Love is learning to forgive
As Jesus taught us how to live.


True love we find will not forsake
But always gives more than it takes.

Love is learning to rejoice
In all we face, it is our choice.


We are learning the meaning of love
As gifted to us by God above! :-)

[Marcell Billinghurst]

this is the truest thing I have ever read !!!!!!!

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.

[Henri Nouwen]