““We sit together, the mountain and me, until only the mountain remains (Li Po).” The Chinese poet Li Po offers us a great truth. The Earth will continue to take its trip around the sun after we have died. If we reflect on our lives we have an opportunity to examine how we are living and the memories we’ll leave to those most close to us. We can ask ourselves, “What will my life say about me?” Is the answer we find what we want our life to say? If we want it to say something different we can map a new course to our lives. We can also change the attitude we take toward the path we are walking.
Month: November 2022
Today’s Power Thought ~ Make Believers Out of Them
If you refuse to give up, it’s not over. You get another chance. Keep coming back from setbacks and you’ll wear them down. Stay with it. Light the fire each morning, and give it all you got. You’ll make believers out of everyone.
Today’s Poem ~ How Happy is the Little Stone
How happy is the little Stone
Emily Dickinson
How happy is the little Stone
That rambles in the Road alone,
And doesn’t care about Careers
And Exigencies never fears —
Whose Coat of elemental Brown
A passing Universe put on,
And independent as the Sun
Associates or glows alone,
Fulfilling absolute Decree
In casual simplicity —
That rambles in the Road alone,
And doesn’t care about Careers
And Exigencies never fears —
Whose Coat of elemental Brown
A passing Universe put on,
And independent as the Sun
Associates or glows alone,
Fulfilling absolute Decree
In casual simplicity —
A Better Life ~ Born to be Free
Are you free to make mistakes? Are you self-critical when you make a mistake? When we view mistakes as something positive to teach us lessons, we transform mistakes into learning opportunities. We are now free to risk, create, and venture into the unknown.
Today’s Poem ~ How Still, How Happy!
How still, how happy!
Emily Bronte
How still, how happy! Those are words
That once would scarce agree together;
I loved the plashing of the surge –
The changing heaven the breezy weather, More than smooth seas and cloudless skies
And solemn, soothing, softened airs
That in the forest woke no sighs
And from the green spray shook no tears.
That once would scarce agree together;
I loved the plashing of the surge –
The changing heaven the breezy weather, More than smooth seas and cloudless skies
And solemn, soothing, softened airs
That in the forest woke no sighs
And from the green spray shook no tears.
How still, how happy! now I feel
Where silence dwells is sweeter far
Than laughing mirth’s most joyous swell
However pure its raptures are.
Come, sit down on this sunny stone:
‘Tis wintry light o’er flowerless moors –
But sit – for we are all alone
And clear expand heaven’s breathless shores.
I could think in the withered grass
Spring’s budding wreaths we might discern;
The violet’s eye might shyly flash
And young leaves shoot among the fern.
It is but thought – full many a night
The snow shall clothe those hills afar
And storms shall add a drearier blight
And winds shall wage a wilder war,
Before the lark may herald in
Fresh foliage twined with blossoms fair
And summer days again begin
Their glory – haloed crown to wear.
Yet my heart loves December’s smile
As much as July’s golden beam;
Then let us sit and watch the while
The blue ice curdling on the stream
Today’s Power Thought ~ Cast Away All Fear
Don’t let fear stop you from achieving what you are destined to achieve. Don’t let fear stop you from acts of kindness and compassion. Fear is the enemy of growth, love, and joy. Laugh at it. Let it know it no longer in control.
What If . . .
What if I won the lottery? How many folks have thought about that question? It’s why state sponsored lotteries are big money makers. They operate successfully on our dreams. Yet, the chances of winning the top prize in the lottery are slim. One time I was traveling and the woman sitting next to me on the flight told me her husband won the Texas state lottery for twenty million dollars. He died shortly after that and now she was traveling to all the places they talked about seeing. I wondered if it were possible, would she exchange the twenty million for the life of her husband. The bible offers this advice, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where is your treasure (lottery)?
Today’s Health Tip ~ Stock Your Home with Healthy Fruits & Veggies
Healthy Fruits & Veggies to Keep on Hand
If you want to eat a heart-healthy diet but are not sure what staples you should keep in your home, check out this heart-healthy kitchen essentials guide. With the help of this guide, you can start stocking up on nutritious foods to help you reduce your risk of heart disease.
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- Fresh seasonal fruits—berries, oranges, apples, pears, bananas, papaya, figs, mandarins, grapefruit, plantains, pineapple, apricots, mangoes, and grapes.
- Dried unsweetened fruits—raisins, cranberries, dates, figs, berries, bananas, mango, papaya, apples, and apricots.
- Fresh seasonal vegetables—Among these choices are yellow, green, and red bell peppers; cucumbers; broccoli; kale; escarole; cauliflower; tomatoes; dark leafy greens celery; eggplant; zucchini; yellow squash; acorn squash; spaghetti squash; and many others.
Think About It
Each day I witness great degrees of loneliness. Loneliness is not relegated to the aged. It crosses all ages, races, and gender. I witness people more engaged on smart phones than in person to person interactions. Interpersonal interactions are not always easy. They are the way we get to know each other. They are the way we communicate more openly and honestly. They require us to set time aside to listen and to respond meaningfully. There’s something special about sitting down for a meal without technology and communicating. There’s something special about a “cheap date” at a coffee shop and talking about life’s issues.
Today’s Inspiration ~ What do You Love?
“The things that we love tell us what we are.”
