Inspiring Book Club discussion

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
—Marianne Williamson

Love Marianne. She's amazing. A quote that's inspired me today is: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." — Albert Einstein

...and everything is a miracle! Thank you Rebekah.

Robin wrote: "...and everything is a miracle! Thank you Rebekah."

I wish goodreads had a "like" feature like on facebook because I would "like" your comment. =)

That's kind of you. I've just added you as a friend :)

Here's another quote I'm digging today: "The world needs the special gift that only you have." -- Marie Forleo

Imagine all these special gifts together! Would that equal Divine proportion?

DESIDERATA — Words for Life

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 ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with 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 career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your 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 critical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel 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 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 conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful.
Strive to be happy.

© Max Ehrmann 1927

“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.”
― Hermann Hesse

I love these quotes Robin! Here's another of my faves: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." - Mother Teresa

Thank you, Rebekah. That's really nice. Every drop counts! The drop and the ocean want to join and become one.

I Love the Ocean Analogy. It brings visual, tactile and spiritual understanding all at the same time.

"You are a drop of the same ocean, Spirit. For the ocean is made up of all its drops. You are part of God" The Essence of Self Realization - Paramhansa Yogananda

I love that, Luxmih. Spirit begets spirit.

When a lump of salt is thrown into water, it dissolves and cannot be removed even though we can taste the salty water. So the separate self dissolves in the sea of pure awareness, infinite and immortal.
—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Here's another good one by Ellie Wheeler Wilcox:
One ship drives east, and another drives west,
With the self-same winds that blow,
'Tis the set of the sails and not the gales,
Which tells us the way to go,

Quote continues....
Like the waves of the sea are the waves of fate,
As we voyage along through life,
'Tis the set of the soul which decides its goal
And not the calm or the strife
E.W Wilcox

Beautiful inspiring words from E.W. Wilcox. Thanks for sharing with us, Luxmih!

I love the ship and sea analogy for the voyage of the human soul.

The sea is only the embodiment of a
Supernatural and wonderful existence.
It is nothing but love and emotion;
It is the ‘Living Infinite...’
—Jules Verne


Image Copyright Amanda J. Clark 2013

The Great Ones, the sages of every age, tell me what to look for. They say that the answer lies not elsewhere but right where I am, here where I am both the center and the source of the universe. They say that, contrary to what I may think I am, what I really am is formless, boundless, timeless, and deathless; that I am utterly transparent, empty, not an object. They say that this clarity that lies at the very heart of my humanity is none other than the Self, God, Buddha, Tao, and the Beloved, and that to see and be this requires no change, no achievement, no struggle, for it is already what I am; in fact, I cannot not be it. They say that no one else can tell me what I am, that I must see for myself, and should I discover this and live consciously from this, all will be right, all will be true. —J. C. Amberchele

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

― Mother Teresa

I like the quote a lot, however, I disagree that is between you and God. It's always between yourself. Nothing stops you doing anything except yourself.

Simply Being


If I had my life to live over,
I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I'd limber up.
I would be sillier than I have this time.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would take more trips
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I am one of those people
who has lived sensibly and sanely,
hour after hour; day after day.
Oh, I've had my moments
and if I had to do it all over again,
I'd have more of them.
In fact, I'd try to do nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

If I had my life to live over,
I would start bare foot early in the Spring
and I would stay that way late into the Autumn.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daises.

(There are several versions of this text circulating on the Internet. The one above is attributed to Nadine Stair)

Oday wrote: "I like the quote a lot, however, I disagree that is between you and God. It's always between yourself. Nothing stops you doing anything except yourself."

I agree. There is no separation.There is only one of us in the room.

Troy wrote: "Oday wrote: "I like the quote a lot, however, I disagree that is between you and God. It's always between yourself. Nothing stops you doing anything except yourself."

I agree. There is no separation..."

Many paths lead
from the foot of the mountain,
But at the peak
We all gaze at the
Single bright moon.

~ Ikkyu

That's a good one!

"The Mountain" is a great metaphor, indeed. But is the mountain real or imagined? We may believe we are on different paths when we are, infact, on the same one path.Stripped of labels, expectations and life experiences,everything becomes one. Taken another step further, thinking in this way, even the path disappears.

Troy wrote: ""The Mountain" is a great metaphor, indeed. But is the mountain real or imagined? We may believe we are on different paths when we are, infact, on the same one path.Stripped of labels, expectations..."

Everything is already and always one. "A single bright moon."

"Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. When there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong."
-Ella Fitzgerald

Nice? I needed that to uplift my low spirit. Thanks for the reminder.

PEACE
by Clifford Browder

Peace is not
Sterile gauze, a snowflake, an insipid dove
It's feisty and rich

Don't let the war boys hog it all
The spit, the spice and the glamour.

Peace is potency
Reaching and sprouting
Budding and branching

It's lifting things
A good scrap
A hot wrestle and a cool scrub
Cleansing and hope.

Peace is the empowerment of dust
Whispers of the song before origin
As out of seed
The cathedral of the body builds itself

It's spasms and metamorphoses
The vertigo
of mind dancing
With the fecundator
To the music of need.

Peace
Is the little orange bees
Spotted ladybugs on white campions
Late June with a stink of linden
Prickles and burrs

It's wild grapes in a bramble
A tough nut
Lovers churning
Through the night, at noon, in the morning
A juicy comeuppance
For the grim suppressors.

Peace
Is for the star-biters and the rooted
Don't be dainty
Go at it
Hammer and tong.

Peace is not purity
Limp, neat and dry.
It's sexy.

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”
Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

One of my favourites :)

How to Live a Better Life


This is your life, do what you love, and do it often.
If you don’t like something, change it.
If you don’t like your job, quit.
If you don’t have enough time, stop watching tv.
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
Stop over analyzing, life is simple.

All emotions are beautiful, when you eat, appreciate every last bite.
Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences.
Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them.
Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.

Some opportunities only come once, seize them.
Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating.
Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion.

― Holstee Manifesto

Silence is the key to connecting to your inner self

When you are able to shut off all outside distractions, including your own speaking, and even your mind’s chatter, then it is possible to connect with your heart.

Why does our culture put such little value on silence? Why does it seem like our lives become so filled with stimuli that we feel that even taking a few moments out of our day to bask in silence and give the mind as well as the body a rest is somehow against our work ethic? What would happen if you were able to choose moments throughout the day to simply rest in silence?

Take the time to connect to your heart and listen to what it has to say. Make this connection more important than anything else happening in your life.

When you make the time to quiet the mind and listen to your heart an entire world of possibilities will open up. This is the source of creating an authentic life that is truly an expression of who you really are and what you have to share, your pure, loving essence.

—Ted Murray

Religion is the creation of people and cultures.
Spirituality is the direct personal relationship with Tao.

—Deng Ming-Dao

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.
― Audrey Hepburn

Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.
- Helen Keller

The universe looms over us while our bodies, no more than vanishing points, struggle to exist. However, there is a part of us — our consciousness, our essence, our soul — that looms over the universe and has no problem existing as it moves to embrace primordial energy.
— Neil Bezaire

Let your love flow outward through the universe, to its height, its depth, its broad extent, a limitless love, without hatred or enmity. Then as you stand or walk, sit or lie down, as long as you are awake, strive for this with a one-pointed mind; your life will bring heaven to earth.
—Sutta Nipata

Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for.
—Ray Bradbury

And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not. Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching. (chap. 11, tr. Waley)

A Vision for Gardens
When was the last time you walked through a beautiful garden? If it's been a while, we recommend that you do so - and, as you walk, imagine, for a moment, how this Earth would look to you if, long ago, we had created and planted gardens everywhere.
What would the world look like if we had, as our highest priority, to beautify it?

For us, we see a world where everywhere you walk, everywhere you look - in the neighborhoods, yards, parks, along roadsides and city streets, surrounding businesses and governmental buildings - there are gardens filled with flowers and fruits of all kinds; where so much fruit, so many vegetables and herbs, so many edible plants are in such great abundance that you can pick whatever you want to eat anywhere, anytime; that instead of going to the grocery store, you can take a walk and eat your fill of the most healthful, delicious foods for free.

And when your walk is over, you notice that your Spirit has also been nourished simply by you having mingled with the flowers and trees along the way.

In addition, we see a world where the people are tending to each other in the same way they tend to their beautiful gardens; where each person shines, radiantly, because they're being cared for and given everything they need in order to grow, thrive, and blossom in all their glory.
—The Humanity's Team

Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at; as railroads lead to Boston or New York. We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.
-Henry David Thoreau

Robin wrote: "The universe looms over us while our bodies, no more than vanishing points, struggle to exist. However, there is a part of us — our consciousness, our essence, our soul — that looms over the univer..."

Great quote. Thanks for sharing!

Robin wrote: "Silence is the key to connecting to your inner self

When you are able to shut off all outside distractions, including your own speaking, and even your mind’s chatter, then it is possible to conne..."

I really like this one. I just wrote a post on my blog relating to self-reflection. I would have liked to included this quote. Thanks for sharing.

Robin wrote: ""Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be ..."

Glad to see this one. I copied this about a year ago into my personal journal and repeat this often. A great reminder to who we are!. Thanks for sharing!

Robin wrote: ""Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be ..."

Thanks for sharing this extraordinary quote! The quote goes so well with the book I'm reading now: The Power of Now. The quote also reminds me of a Bible verse: AND WE ARE HAPPY BECAUSE OF THE HOPE WE HAVE OF SHARING GOD'S GLORY. WE ALSO HAVE JOY WITH OUR TROUBLES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE TROUBLES PRODUCE PATIENCE. AND PATIENCE PRODUCES CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE. --ROMANS 5:2-4.

"Accept that you are a work in progress, that there are things which you cannot change, others which take time to change and some which will be a shame to change. "


When Dreams are Calling

I thought of our group today as I listened to this song by Yuna It's called "Live Your Life" The hook is so inspiring "Live your life/ Don't hide from what you are/ and rise before you fall/ and hope for something more/ live if you realy want to/ Live if you really want to " I got the song on Amazon, and it gets me pepped for my job as a telemarketer everyday... Here's the link!
http://amzn.com/B007U3TA1K

Thanks v

The greatest goodness comes from the discovery of who we truly are: The expression of the infinite Truth from which all things proceed, and in which all things live, and move and have their being. This is the Soul Awakening, the Self coming into its own.

Peace and happiness,
Robin

V. wrote: "I thought of our group today as I listened to this song by Yuna..."

Thanks V for sharing a heart felt inspiring song :)