The Enchanted Forrest

The Courage to Continue

2011-07-13T22:00:00.003-04:00

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."~Winston Churchill

Freedom's Life

2011-07-05T23:33:00.005-04:00

"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Proud To Be An American

2011-07-04T15:05:00.003-04:00

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."--Lee Greenwood

Extraordinary Determination

2011-06-16T23:17:00.002-04:00

"The only difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is extraordinary determination."--Mary Kay Ash

An Entirely Different View

2011-06-15T23:39:00.003-04:00

"We think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view."--Mao Tse-Tung

Doing the Impossible

2011-06-14T22:48:00.002-04:00

"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."--St. Francis of Assisi

Invest In Beauty

2011-06-09T23:41:00.003-04:00

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life."--Frank Lloyd Wright

A World Perspective

2011-06-08T22:08:00.005-04:00

"Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective."~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Found in Your Daily Routine

2011-06-07T23:52:00.003-04:00

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."--John C. Maxwell

I Wish You Sunshine

2011-06-06T23:02:00.004-04:00

"I wish you sunshine on your path and storms to season your journey. I wish you peace in the world in which you live... More I cannot wish you except perhaps love to make all the rest worthwhile."--Robert A. Ward

Keep Your Chin Up

2011-06-03T23:36:00.002-04:00

"Keep your chin up and you will see the clouds in the sky. Keep your chin down and all you will see is the dirt on the floor."--Shelley L. Young

To Sit Patiently

2011-06-02T22:45:00.005-04:00

"To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful "magic skills" that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition."—Elizabeth Gilbert

A Debt of Gratitude

2011-05-30T18:19:00.003-04:00

"America's fighting men and women sacrifice much to ensure that our great nation stays free. We owe a debt of gratitude to the soldiers that have paid the ultimate price for this cause, as well as for those who are blessed enough to return from the battlefield unscathed."—Allen Boyd

Our Own Life Story

2011-02-25T12:20:00.005-05:00

"We all have our own life story. It is filled with relationships and events that help shape who we are and what we believe to be true about the world. Depending on our perspective and willingness to grow, our experiences can become fodder for negativity and patterns of playing the victim, or they can fuel a life of empowerment and continued self-development. It is the story we tell ourselves about what happens that makes all the difference."~The DailyOM http://www.dailyom.com/

More Joy Than Any Possession

2011-02-14T12:19:00.003-05:00

"Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible--it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could."~Barbara DeAngelis

Give Thanks

2010-11-24T09:53:00.003-05:00

"Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage -- and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still - the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see."--Robert Nathan

Touch the Mystery

2010-11-05T10:12:00.003-04:00

"In the sweet territory of silence we touch the mystery. It’s the place of reflection and contemplation, and it’s the place where we can connect with the deep knowing, to the deep wisdom way."--Angeles Arrien

Focus on the Journey

2010-10-22T13:34:00.002-04:00

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."~Greg Anderson

Beautiful Ghosts

2010-07-02T11:45:00.004-04:00

"Like a moth to a flame we become helpless to the beautiful ghosts that true love sheds."--Ryan O'Neal

Through a Forest Wilderness

2010-06-29T11:41:00.004-04:00

"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."--John Muir

Learn to Lose in Order to Recover

2010-05-07T12:46:00.008-04:00

"I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep. ...Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go."--May Sarton

The Sacred is in the Ordinary

2010-04-23T06:41:00.003-04:00

The great lesson...is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one’s daily life, in one’s neighbors, friends, and family, in one’s backyard.--Abraham Maslow

Happiness is a Butterfly

2010-04-09T15:00:00.007-04:00

Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.--Nathaniel Hawthorne

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T12:02:00.006-05:00

How swiftly time flies like the spin of the Fates

A new year with its hopes and challenges

Plan thoroughly and be

Prepared for surprise

You will achieve the SUCCESS you're after

Nothing fearing,

Expect all things possible

With commitment

Yearning true

Excellence

Aim for nothing less than the Best you can

Rise up and shine, ready for anything! ~ Agung Halim

My Soul Expands

2009-12-08T10:05:00.005-05:00

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.--Mohandas Gandhi

Be Thankful

2009-11-24T15:43:00.005-05:00

Be thankful for this day, and you will fill it with joy.

Be appreciative of those around you, and they will bring much value to your life.

Be grateful for your opportunities, and you'll find yourself making the most of them.

Be thankful for what you have, and you'll get more from it.

Be grateful for the challenges, and they will help you become stronger.

Appreciate the dark, cloudy days and they'll instantly become brighter.

Appreciate the sunny days, and you'll enjoy them even more.--unknown

Transform Common Days into Thanksgivings

2009-11-13T12:36:00.009-05:00

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.--William Arthur Ward

To Live and Let Live

2009-10-02T10:33:00.006-04:00

To live and let live, without clamor for distinction or recognition; to wait on divine Love; to write truth first on the tablet of one's own heart - this is the sanity and perfection of living, and my human ideal.--Mary Baker Eddy

The Heart Is Our Garden

2009-08-28T11:32:00.003-04:00

"The heart is our garden, and along with each action there is an intention that is planted like a seed. We can use a sharp knife to cut someone, and if our intention is to do harm, we will be a murderer. We can perform an almost identical action, but if we are a surgeon, the intention is to heal and save a life. The action is the same, yet depending on its purpose or intention, it can be either a terrible act or a compassionate act."--Jack Kornfield

The Joy and Glory of the Climb

2009-08-14T12:37:00.006-04:00

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."--Sir Winston Churchill

To Do Good To Others

2009-07-31T12:26:00.002-04:00

"We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne."--Marcus Aelius Aurelius

We’re Magic!

2009-07-25T07:55:00.004-04:00

"We think, sometimes, there’s not a dragon left. Not one brave knight, not a single princess gliding through secret forests...What a pleasure to be wrong. Princesses, knights, enchantments and dragons, mystery and adventure...not only are they here-and-now, they’re all that ever lived on earth! Masters of reality still meet us in dreams to tell us that we’ve never lost the shield we need against dragons, that blue-fire voltage arcs through us now to change our world as we wish. Intuition whispers true: We’re not dust, we’re magic!"--Richard Bach

The Contentment of Soul

2009-07-17T11:57:00.007-04:00

Find something you love to do and immerse yourself in it. Consciously savor a favorite piece of music. Consciously enjoy a walk in nature. Really experience your breathing and the pounding of your heart as you exercise. Really be present to your partner, your kids, your pet or another, and you will know the contentment of soul.—John & Patrice Robson

www.higherawareness.com

To Look Backward

2009-06-25T16:24:00.003-04:00

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward."--Margaret Fairless Barber

Hieroglyphics of Angels

2009-06-15T12:13:00.004-04:00

"Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of the character, though few can decypher even fragments of their meaning."--Lydia M. Child

All My Life's a Circle

2009-06-01T12:08:00.006-04:00

"All my life's a circle, sunrise and sundown
Moon rolls through the night-time till the daybreak comes around
All my life's a circle -- I can't tell you why
Seasons spinning round again, the years keep rolling by."—Harry Chapin

Real Beauty

2009-05-27T14:16:00.002-04:00

Real beauty isn't about symmetry or weight or makeup; it's about looking life right in the face and seeing all its magnificence reflected in your own.--Valerie Monroe

By a Simple Smile

2009-05-13T15:53:00.003-04:00

"I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile."--Goldie Hawn

The More You Understand

2009-05-06T15:43:00.004-04:00

"There is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world - its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles. The more you understand, the more you look, the greater is your enjoyment of life and your sense of peace."--Anne Rice

Excellent Schoolmasters

2009-04-23T10:34:00.006-04:00

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.--John Lubbock

A Thousand Winds that Blow

2009-04-06T10:39:00.003-04:00

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.—Mary Frye

As the Round Earth Rolls

2009-03-23T13:47:00.005-04:00

"This grand show is eternal.
It is always sunrise somewhere:
the dew is never all dried at once:
a shower is forever falling, vapor is ever rising.
Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming,
on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn,
as the round earth rolls."--John Muir

Teach Me

2009-03-11T09:46:00.005-04:00

Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life. Earth teach me resignation as the leaves which die in the fall. Earth teach me courage as the tree which stands all alone. Earth teach me regeneration as the seed which rises in the spring.--William Alexander

Point Your Arrow at a Star

2009-02-27T14:23:00.004-05:00

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.
Plan more than you can do, then do it.
Point your arrow at a star, take your aim and there you are.
Arrange more time than you can spare, then spare it.
Take on more than you can bear, then bear it.
Plan your castle in the air then build a ship to take you there.--Author unknown

Nature's Sweet Charm

2009-02-23T11:13:00.005-05:00

"Life's simplest things are love, and kindly friends, Nature's sweet charm of earth and sea and sky; gladness of soul that with right living blends -- home's dear content, so cheap that all may buy."--Ripley D. Saunders

No Medicine Like Hope

2009-02-20T14:19:00.003-05:00

"There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow."--Orison Swett Marden

Dreams Will Come True

2009-01-14T09:59:00.005-05:00

"We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."--Woodrow T. Wilson

Another Fresh New Year

2009-01-12T10:09:00.004-05:00

"Another fresh new year is here
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright New Year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!"-- William Arthur Ward

The Real Spirit of Christmas

2008-12-09T10:21:00.006-05:00

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.—Calvin Coolidge

The Human Dream

2008-11-17T16:08:00.004-05:00

"Is there some meaning to this life?
What purpose lies behind the strife?
Whence do we come, where are we bound?
The cold questions echo and resound.
Through each day, each lonely night
we long to find the splendid light
that will cast a revelatory beam
upon the meaning of the human dream."--Dean Koontz

Quiet Moments for Reflection

2008-10-20T12:32:00.003-04:00

"Give yourself space by spending time in nature, taking an hour or day off, enjoying quiet moments for reflection. Take time to smell the roses. Breathe in the wonder of life and its bounty. Open so your deeper awareness and imagination can percolate through mundane thoughts and activities. Let go of both resistance and force to allow yourself to connect more deeply to life."—John and Patrice Robson www.higherawareness.com

Miracles Happen

2008-10-08T13:00:00.005-04:00

"When you are aware that you are the force that is life, anything is possible. Miracles happen all the time, because those miracles are performed by the heart. The heart is in direct communion with the human soul, and when the heart speaks, even with the resistance of the head, something inside you changes; your heart opens another heart, and true love is possible."--Don Miguel Ruiz

The True Spirit

2008-10-03T12:14:00.004-04:00

"We should so live and labor in our times that what came to us as seed may go to the next generation as blossom, and what came to us as blossom may go to them as fruit. This expresses the true spirit in the love of mankind."--Henry Ward Beecher

Life Blooms

2008-09-24T12:42:00.009-04:00

"We are not here just to survive and live long...
We are here to live and know life
in its multi-dimensions
to know life in its richness,
in all its variety.
And when a man lives
multi-dimensionally,
explores all possibilities available,
never shrinks back from any challenge,
goes, rushes to it, welcomes it,
rises to the occasion
then life becomes a flame,
life blooms."--Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 'The Sacred Yes'

As the long, hazy days of summer evolved into the cooler, more abbreviated, first days of fall, I lamented that my photographic opportunities were diminishing as well. Many of the multi-hued plants and interesting insects I’d enjoyed capturing over the past months were going dormant and the trees seemed weeks away from their riotous, colorful change of clothes. Little did I know that from our late summer rains would emerge an astounding variety of intriguing shapes, colors and textures. On one lunchtime walk alone, I captured seven completely different species of mushroom. Among the most beautiful was this massive golden specimen that bloomed beneath a giant oak tree.—Sue Ivy

The Strongest Oak in the Forest

2008-09-16T11:30:00.006-04:00

"The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun."--Napoleon Hill

Love and Loyalty

2008-09-11T09:49:00.003-04:00

"Dogs come into our lives

to teach us about love and loyalty.
They depart to teach us about loss.
We try to replace them, but never quite succeed.
A new dog never replaces an old dog;
It merely expands the heart.
If you have loved many dogs,
Your heart is very big."—Erica Jong

Life's Tiny Delights

2008-08-26T14:24:00.005-04:00

Most of us miss out on life's big prizes. The Pulitzer. The Nobel. Oscars. Tonys. Emmys. But we're all eligible for life's small pleasures. A pat on the back. A kiss behind the ear. A four-pound bass. A full moon. An empty parking space. A crackling fire. A great meal. A glorious sunset. Hot soup. Cold beer. Don't fret about copping life's grand awards. Enjoy its tiny delights.--Author unknown

Blooming Outside Our Windows

2008-08-13T13:54:00.006-04:00

"One of the tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon, instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."--Dale Carnegie

While not a rose, this pretty, petite, purple flower has a rose-like quality. I found it “blooming” along the path on one of my daily walks. In my quest to properly identify this intriguing little plant, I learned that its name is Prunella vulgaris but it is commonly known as Heal-all. It is a perennial that thrives in partial shade in low woods, thickets and pastures. Despite it’s classification as a weed, it has several healing qualities. It has astringent properties that can be used to heal wounds and staunch blood flow. It is also said to be an effective treatment for sore throat, boils, colic, and other gastro-intestinal ailments. A wondrous little weed, indeed.—Sue Ivy

Love is Always Changing

2008-08-08T16:35:00.002-04:00

"We take love for granted. We assume we are all perfect lovers and all we need do is wait and our love will grow and blossom as readily as a flower in spring. Not so. Love doesn't grow unless we do. It takes patience, knowledge, experience, determination, and every positive trait we possess. In addition, love is always changing and unless we stay aware and change with it, it eludes us."--Leo Buscaglia

In Summer Luxury

2008-08-05T16:49:00.001-04:00

"When all the birds are faint with the hot sun, and hide in cooling trees, a voice will run from hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead; That is the grasshopper's--he takes the lead In summer luxury--he has never done with his delights, for when tired out with fun, he rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed."--John Keats

Good in Everything

2008-08-01T12:30:00.005-04:00

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything."--William Shakespeare

This time of year many of the rural farms of North Carolina are bejeweled with these gorgeous, pink, trumpet-like flowers. Their vivid, fragile beauty—in such contrast to the deadly nature of the towering, lethal [tobacco] plants they adorn—confirms my faith that there truly is good in everything.—Sue Ivy

An Eye for Beauty

2008-07-28T15:20:00.005-04:00

"Give me work to do, give me health, give me joy in simple things, give me an eye for beauty, a tongue for truth, a heart that loves, a mind that reasons, a sympathy that understands. Give me neither malice nor envy, but a true kindness and a noble common sense. At the close of each day give me a book and a friend with whom I can be silent."--S. M. Frazier

This stately old tree stump silently presides over Little River Park north of Durham. It's bleached and weathered surface boasts the most beautiful, fluid lines. It brought to mind the lovely wrinkles on an wizened face.--Sue Ivy

Wind Ever Soft

2008-07-24T12:19:00.002-04:00

Know'st thou the land where the lemon-trees bloom,
Where the gold orange glows in the deep thicket's gloom,
Where a wind ever soft from the blue heaven blows,
And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose?--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Cosmic Dance of Life

2008-07-22T12:31:00.004-04:00

Creativity, connection, soul, inspiration and intuition are available only in the present moment for the present moment. We choose how actively we take part in the cosmic dance of life. We can become wallflowers, mere spectators to life, if we get trapped in the patterns and habits of the past. Or we can choose to dance by being present and open to the energies, the opportunities and the guidance available to us each moment.--John and Patrice Robson www.higherawareness.com

John and Patrice Robson’s astute insights into the realm of higher awareness have long been a welcome start to my day. Their daily quotes and remarkable teachings and have helped shape the person I am today and have truly heightened my awareness of myself and the world around me.—Sue Ivy

Immense Beauty Hidden Within

2008-07-21T13:44:00.004-04:00

"When your inner eyes open, you can find immense beauty hidden within the inconsequential details of daily life. When your inner ears open, you can hear the subtle, lovely music of the universe everywhere you go."--Timothy Ray Miller

My attempt to capture the tiny details of nature has completely changed the way I view the world and hence has changed my life. This lovely little azure-blue feather was all but hidden in the lush grass. Had my awareness not been heightened by my photographic endeavor, I would have completely missed its fragile, delicate beauty.--Sue Ivy

Yet to Be Discovered

2008-07-17T11:53:00.005-04:00

"Today we may face some boring task or idle conversation that feels like a complete waste of time. Perhaps next week or next year we'll understand that nothing is wasted, that in the economy of our universe even a weed is simply a flower whose use has yet to be discovered."--Mort Crim

My favorite nature park has recently been transformed. Mowing has been all but curtailed and the manicured, green pastures are now a knee-deep sea of wildness. While I sometimes miss the lawn-like expanse of grass, I’ve grown to appreciate the profusion of plant life that now inhabits the land. In my quest to properly identify the species captured by my lens, I’ve discovered many different varieties which I might have not have ever given a second thought. One of the most intriguing is the Wooly Mullein, a weed whose insidious nature is belied by its velvety soft leaves, mellow golden flowers and delicate, majestic stalks.--Sue Ivy

Let Go and Float

2008-07-15T10:57:00.004-04:00

"Today I know that I cannot control the ocean tides. I can only go with the flow. When I struggle and try to organize the Atlantic to my specifications, I sink. If I fail and thrash and growl and grumble, I go under. But if I let go and float, I am borne aloft."--Marie Stilkind

Breathe in the Wonder of Life

2008-07-12T16:24:00.004-04:00

Sing the Song That Has Never Been Heard

2008-07-09T11:45:00.008-04:00

"To sing the song that has never been heard. To write. And to live. Because we must find what we most need to say, most want to share with a world that's been waiting for the sweet rain that follows our feet."—Jim Warda

There is nothing quite as fragrant as the sharp, crisp scent of pine needles just after a summer storm. While this image cannot capture that sweet perfume, it does evoke much of the feeling. Fat, wet drops sparkle at the tips of aromatic pine needles in the newly-emerged sunlight. There they linger for the briefest moment before cascading to the forest floor. And I linger there to see them shine.—Sue Ivy

The Universe is One Great Kindergarten

2008-07-08T11:09:00.005-04:00

"The universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the ocean immensity and change. Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes-every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man."--Orison Swett Marden

We Have What We Seek

2008-07-07T12:17:00.003-04:00

"We have what we seek. It is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us."--Thomas Merton

For several days I’d been admiring the frilly, pink beauty of the Mimosa trees in full bloom and had been looking for a tree to photograph. Mimosa’s are quite plentiful in this area but somehow the right tree proved elusive. Either they were so large that the lower branches were not accessible to my lens or the location of the tree made it impossible to access. Then one day, I took a short cut to work and there, just steps from my office, was the most glorious tree, in full bloom. A wonderful lesson that often what you need is within reach, you just need to take a slightly different path.--Sue Ivy

Breaking Through the Veil

2008-07-01T12:13:00.003-04:00

"All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrancy of smells, the splendor of precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world, manifesting itself in such a degree and darting forth in such variety so much of its own nature."--William Law

Our Blessed Star

2008-06-28T22:41:00.003-04:00

"Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life."--John Muir

Like a Spark Dropped From the Sun

2008-06-26T12:24:00.004-04:00

"It gives one a sudden start in going down a barren, stony street, to see upon a narrow strip of grass, just within the iron fence, the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a spark dropped from the sun."--Henry Ward Beecher

The Stream of Life

2008-06-24T12:57:00.003-04:00

"The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment."--Sir Rabindranath Tagore

Welcome the Company of Trees

2008-06-23T14:31:00.009-04:00

"If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees."--Hal Borland

We Need Silence

2008-06-18T16:15:00.004-04:00

"See how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls."--Mother Teresa

Minds Well Prepared

2008-06-17T16:06:00.002-04:00

"The seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us, but they only take root in minds well prepared to receive them."--Joseph Henry

All Finite Things Reveal Infinitude

2008-06-16T12:24:00.006-04:00

"All finite things reveal infinitude:
The mountain with its singular bright shade
Like the blue shine on freshly frozen snow,
The after-light upon ice-burdened pines;
Odor of basswood upon a mountain slope,
A scene beloved of bees;
Silence of water above a sunken tree:
The pure serene of memory of one man,--
A ripple widening from a single stone
Winding around the waters of the world."--Theodore Roethke

Standing In One's Own Sunshine

2008-06-12T10:10:00.005-04:00

"Most of the shadows in this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Birds of the Same Nest

2008-06-10T13:31:00.006-04:00

"We are the birds of the same nest,
We may wear different skins,
We may speak different languages,
We may believe in different religions,
We may belong to different cultures,
Yet we share the same home - OUR EARTH.
Born on the same planet
Covered by the same skies
Gazing at the same stars
Breathing the same air
We must learn to happily progress together
Or miserably perish together,
For man can live individually,

But can survive only collectively."--Atharva Veda

Ideals Are Like Stars

2008-06-04T13:42:00.004-04:00

"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in reaching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny."--Carl Schurz

The Healing Shadow of the Woods

2008-06-02T14:36:00.013-04:00

"I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods. Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup."--Wendell Berry

By Perseverance

2008-05-30T15:33:00.010-04:00

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength but by perseverance."--H. Jackson Brown

In Yourself Alone

2008-05-29T12:03:00.005-04:00

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."--Orison Swett Marden

There Are Times We Need To Struggle

2008-05-27T11:28:00.007-04:00

"Before a butterfly can emerge out of it's chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.

We as humans are not any different. There are times that we need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe whisper to us."--Tony Masiello

The Smallest Change in Perspective

2008-05-14T10:18:00.005-04:00

"The smallest change in perspective can transform a life. What tiny attitude adjustment might turn your world around?"--Oprah Winfrey

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

2008-05-13T14:51:00.007-04:00

"All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,

the crownless again shall be king."--J.R.R. Tolkien

Live Life One Second at a Time

2008-05-09T09:22:00.009-04:00

"My old dog taught me that we live life one second at a time. Even the most complex of projects are begun with a single step. The forest must be cleared one tree at a time -- a stone wall is built stone by stone. Our Corgis teach us that joy is realized in the moment -- a lifetime of seconds can be a span of joy. Yea! Even though a Corgi's life is bracketed in a decade, a Corgi gives full measure, second by second, for every moment that is run."—Joe Novak

Perpetual State of Wonder

2008-05-08T10:46:00.010-04:00

"If the average person realized the power he wields over his life and destiny, he would live in a perpetual state of wonder and thanksgiving."--Earl Nightingale

The Miracle of Life

2008-05-07T12:01:00.021-04:00

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia."--Charles A. Lindbergh

Your Beauty Still

2008-05-06T12:35:00.007-04:00

"To me, fair friend, you never can be old. For as you were when first your eye I eyed. Such seems your beauty still."--William Shakespeare

The Repeated Refrains of Nature

2008-05-05T13:36:00.009-04:00

"There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter."--Rachel Carson

Every Sunset

2008-05-04T13:55:00.010-04:00

"Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal."--Elbert Hubbard

No Love for Solitude

2008-05-02T14:05:00.009-04:00

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship."--Cicero

Rejoice!

2008-05-01T13:35:00.006-04:00

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."--Eleonora Duse

Magnificent World

2008-04-30T15:53:00.016-04:00

"The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself."--Henry Miller

The Woods

2008-04-28T16:03:00.012-04:00

"The woods were made for the hunters of dreams,

The brooks for the fishers of song;
To the hunters who hunt for the gunless game
The streams and the woods belong."--Sam Walter Foss

A Rose

2008-04-27T19:58:00.007-04:00

"A rose only becomes beautiful and blesses others when it opens up and blooms. Its greatest tragedy is to stay in a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling its potential."--unknown