#170 Laughter as liberation

Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. ~Og Mandino

Additional Quote

The best definition of humour I know is: humour may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic expression thereof. I think this is the best I know because I wrote it myself. ~ Stephen Leacock

Theme Series: The Fruit of our Labours

Work: is it a blessing or curse? For some it can be liberating, for others tedious. How does one fill the void without it? For those in retirement, the absence without a career presents its challenges. For those seeking employment, however, what a dream come true to find a productive vocation.

Here are some select quotes about our labours:

- We can redeem anyone who strives unceasingly. ~ Goethe

- Work banishes those three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty. ~ Voltaire

- Work is the inevitable condition of human life, the true source of human welfare. ~ Leo Tolstoy

- How do I work? I grope. ~ Albert Einstein

- No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt. ~ Max Beerbohm

- By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be a boss and work 12 hours a day. ~ Robert Frost

Selected by quoteflections.

- All work is seed sown. It grows and spreads, and sows itself anew. ~ Thomas Carlyle

- We work to become, not to acquire. ~ Elbert Hubbard

- It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure why take the chance? ~ Ronald Reagan

- When I can no longer create anything, I'll be done for. ~ Coco Chanel

- To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness. ~ John Dewey

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#169 Rising above circumstances

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." -- George Bernard Shaw, "Mrs. Warren's Profession," 1893

Maxim of the Day

They are able who think they are able. ~ Virgil

#168 The Final Wisdom

The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it. ~Reinhold Niebuhr

Definition of incongruous: out of place, inappropriate, unbecoming, not harmonious in character, inconsistent

Maxim of the Day

Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity. ~ William Hazlitt

#167 The Big Picture

I do not believe in a simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil. I believe this is a big world full of men, women, and children who struggle to eat, to love, to work, to protect their families, their beliefs, and their dreams. ~ Sean Penn

Additional Quote

Everyone has a right to peaceful coexistence, the basic personal freedoms, the alleviation of suffering, and the opportunity to lead a productive life. ~ Jimmy Carter

Maya Angelou: Present in All Things

Maya Angelou (1928-) is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer." She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. This critically acclaimed author has been awarded over 30 honorary degrees.

Here is a select list of quotations which offer an introduction to her perspectives:

-Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

-I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

-There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

-If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.

-The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.

-I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

-Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

-Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.

-My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Selected by quoteflections.

-You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.

-Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.

-Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.

-We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.

-When you learn, teach; when you get, give.

-We need much less than we think we need.

-The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.

-Be present in all things and thankful for all things.

Selected by quoteflections.

-I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'.

One of her most famous poems is entitled "On the Pulse of Morning" which was read at President Bill Clinton's inauguration.

...The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country....

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#166 Nature heals

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike. ~ John Muir

Maxim of the Day

Modern technology
Owes ecology
An apology.
~Alan M. Eddison

#165 Global Human Rights

We, the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal right of men and women and of nations large and small....And for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors...have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims. ~Preamble, Charter of the United Nations, 1945

Additional Quote

From this vision of the role of the United Nations in the next century flow three key priorities for the future: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict and promoting democracy. ~ Kofi Annan

Theme Series: Kindness and Compassion

I am excited to launch a theme series of pivotal quotes revolving around perennial human issues. Consider the following select quotations which celebrate the virtue of showing kindness, compassion, and generosity in our daily lives:

-The golden rule is of no use whatsoever unless you realize that it is your move. ~ Dr. Frank Crane

-Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others. ~Plato

-One love, one heart, one destiny. ~ Bob Marley

-No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. ~Aesop

-A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. ~ Nelson Mandela

-What comes from the heart, goes to the heart. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

- The more you care, the stronger you can be. ~ Jim Rohn

-If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Teresa

- Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~ Seneca

-Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace. ~Albert Schweitzer

Selected by quoteflections.

-Compassion is the basis of morality. ~Arthur Schopenhauer

-Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves. ~Horace Mann

-Compassion is a verb. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

-Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca

-Always be a little kinder than necessary. ~James M. Barrie

-There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life - reciprocity. ~Confucius

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

-Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia

-A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles. ~Washington Irving

-The greatest pleasure I have known is to do a good action by stealth and to have it found out by accident. ~Charles Lamb

Selected by quoteflections.

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#164 Pack up your Troubles

What's the use of worrying?
It never was worth while,
So, pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile. ~ George Asaf

Additional maxim:

In trouble to be troubled
Is to have your trouble doubled. ~ Daniel Defoe

My Manifesto, Mission Statement, Guide

The Quoteflections 16 Point Manifesto has been tweaked and desk top published into a document image. As I stated earlier, I found writing this declaration a helpful exercise to distill my underlying perspectives here. Like a mission statement, it serves as a guide and motivation.

I wish to thank Bonnie Zieman of Pixel Dust Photo Art who generously provided this image in a manuscript format.

A vital life is a quest to:

-nurture strengths and manage weaknesses
-widen horizons with life long educational pursuits
-find vitality in work and life and share the energy
-pursue passion and commitment
-cultivate people bonds
-help children grow
-show a sensitivity to nature, our most precious resource
-seek peace and fulfillment on one's spiritual path
-explore exciting personal challenges
-practice tolerance and confront abuses
-seek justice and opportunity for all
-nurture enriching experiences over things
-celebrate one's uniqueness and individuality
-extend the circle of kindness and compassion
-slow down and find joys in each new day
-'Live, let live, and help live.' ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quoteflections 16 Point Manifesto

I hope that this manifesto may resonate for all. One of my goals is to be inclusive rather than exclusive in my perspectives.

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#163 The Beautiful Path Awaits

The beautiful path is patient,
always waiting for you to come back,
that path that is so familiar to you,
and so faithful.
It knows you will come back one day,
And it will welcome you back.
The path will be as fresh and as
beautiful as the first time.
Love never says that this is the last time.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Maxim of the Day

Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. ~Alexander Pope

#162 Living with good questions

I’d rather live with a good question than a bad answer.

—Aryeh Frimer

- For what are you most grateful?
- What sustains you?
- What steps can you take to live an optimal life?

Additional Maxim

What shapes our lives are the questions we ask, refuse to ask, or never think to ask. ~Sam Keen

#161 Both Sides Now

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions i recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions i recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all.

~ Joni Mitchell, song "Both Sides Now"

Maxim of the Day

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist but you have ceased to live. ~ Mark Twain

#160 My Own Unique Door

The world is a living and self-creating mystery of which I am myself a part, to which I am myself, my own unique door. ~ Thomas Merton

Reflective questions:

- What do you find mysterious about the world?
- How do you see yourself within it?
- What potential lies within you to shape the world in a unique way?

Find more meditation nuggets at 365 Quote Quest.

George Bernard Shaw: Great Author Series

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright and co-founder of the London School of Economics. His over 60 mainly satirical plays dealt with prevailing social problems including education, marriage, religion, government, health care, and class privilege. As an ardent socialist, Shaw was most angered by what he perceived as the exploitation of the working class. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and an Oscar for his screen adaptation of Pygmalion in 1938.

Select Quotes

-Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

-A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

-You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?

-If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.

-You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.

-The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.

-People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.

-Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.

Selected by quoteflections.

-If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.

-This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

-When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.

-Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

-My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.

-A drama critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned.

- As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.

-Consistency is the enemy of enterprise, just as symmetry is the enemy of art.

Tags: best top quotes, quotations, reflections, educational, inspirational, life lessons, insights, self help, great author series

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#159 Wonders amidst Survival

Live on, survive, for the earth gives forth wonders. It may swallow your heart, but the wonders keep on coming. You stand before them bareheaded, shriven. What is expected of you is attention. ~ Salman Rushdie

A meditation nugget of this quote is at 365 Quote Quest. Here I provide some opportunity for a little more reflection through several questions:

- Rushdie makes it clear that life has its challenges. What are some of yours?
- How have these challenges affected you?
- Despite the obstacles, there are wonders to which we need to be attentive. What little wonders have you enjoyed lately?

#158 Optimism Motivates

Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. ~ Noam Chomsky

Maxim of the Day

The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope. ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Quoteflections: 16 Point Manifesto

Perhaps you have noticed that I added a new link bar along the top masthead. Included is a manifesto or 'written statement declaring publicly the intention, motives, or views of the issuer.' I found writing this declaration a helpful exercise to distill my underlying perspectives here. Like a mission statement, it serves as a guide and motivation.

A vital life is a quest to:

-nurture strengths and manage weaknesses
-widen horizons with life long educational pursuits
-find vitality in work and life and share the energy
-pursue passion and commitment
-cultivate people bonds
-help children grow
-show a sensitivity to nature, our most precious resource
-seek peace and fulfillment on one's spiritual path
-explore exciting personal challenges
-practice toleration and confront abuses
-seek justice and opportunity for all
-nurture enriching experiences over things
-celebrate one's uniqueness and individuality
-extend the circle of kindness and compassion
-slow down and find joys in each new day
-'Live, let live, and help live.' ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quoteflections 16 Point Manifesto

#157 Seek to Blossom

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anais Nin

Counterpoint

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~ Theodore Roosevelt