Thinking Out Loud ~ Setting Aside Biases

Looking Beyond Appearances

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “I have serious reasons to believe that the planet where the little Prince came from is asteroid B-612. This asteroid was seen only once through the telescope, in 1909, by a Turkish astronomer. Then, he made a great demonstration of his discovery at an international Congress of astronomy. However, nobody believed him because of his costume. The grown-ups are like that. Fortunately, for the reputation of asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator imposed on his people on pain of death, to dress like the Europeans. The astronomer remade his demonstration in 1920, in a very elegant garment. And this time, everybody accepted his opinion.”

NOTE: It is easy to judge people based on their appearance. If someone appears to be different from us we often allow our biases to rule over our reason. When we look beyond appearances and into the person we find something all together different. We discover someone much like ourselves. It’s better to set aside judgments and listen. We may learn something.

Dailey Inspirational Quotes ~ Don’t Be Afraid to Climb

“Set your heights more than what you see around you, see beyond.”

Anthony Anderson

Feel Good Tip ~ The Storm Will Lose Their Power

Finding Inner Peace

Can you find inner peace no matter how a situation turns out? Not everyone can. The moment’s turmoil seems to capture us and when it does we find ourselves on traveling rapidly in the wrong direction. I’m speaking of a time when everything is going right and boom, an event interrupts the nice flow we were experiencing. Can we ride the unwelcome event without losing our sense of balance until the unwelcome event runs out of power? Metaphorically, the storm that interrupted us will lose its power and disappear. I think a sense of inner peace comes from knowing that we’ve experienced similar storms and made it through. There’s no reason we won’t make it through again. A good maxim might be, “I did this and I can do it again.”

Daily Inspirational Quotes ~ Suck it Up and Do It!

”The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength,

not a lack of knowledge,

but rather a lack of will.”

– Vince Lombardi

Poem for Today ~ Four Walls

Four Walls

Blanche Taylor Dickinson

Four great walls have hemmed me in.
Four strong, high walls:
Right and wrong,
Shall and shan’t.
The mighty pillars tremble when
My conscience palls
And sings its song—
I can, I can’t.

If for a moment Samson’s strength
Were given me I’d shove
Them away from where I stand;
Free, I know I’d love
To ramble soul and all,
And never dread to strike a wall.

Again, I wonder would that be
Such a happy state for me . . .
The going, being, doing, sham—
And never knowing where I am.
I might not love freedom at all;
My tired wings might crave a wall—
Four walls to rise and pen me in
This conscious world with guarded men.

Source

Poem of the Day ~ A Distant Song

A Distant Song

John Gould Fletcher

Whether awake or sleeping,
   I cannot rest for long:
By my casement comes creeping
  A distant song.

A song like the chiming of silver
  Bells which the breezes play,
Seeming to float for ever
  Towards an unseen day:

A song that is weary with sorrow,
  Yet knows not any defeat:
Through the past, through to-day, through to-morrow,
  It echoes on life’s long street.

Could I but make words of its power,
  Bring it from the future here,
Men’s souls would be waking, that hour,
  To the victory against fear.

But the vague sweet stanza befools me
  With its calm joy, time after time,
And no failure here ever schools me
  To cease from an idle rhyme.

That music afar, unspoken,
    ’Tis I have done it wrong:
I caught, and I have broken,
    A distant song. 

Source

Thinking Out Loud ~ Dare To Take The Adventure

Free the Child Within

Beginning today I am reflecting on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s work, The Little Prince. The Little Prince is a modern classic.

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups and I asked them if my drawing frightened them.  They answered: “Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?” My drawing did not represent the hat. It represented a boa snake that digested an elephant. Then I drew the inside of a boa snake so that the grown-ups could understand. They always need explanations. The grown-ups advised me to put aside the drawings of open or closed boa snakes, and to become rather interested in geography, history, calculation, and grammar. That is how I gave up, at the age of 6, a magnificent career as a painter. I had been discouraged by the failure of my drawings . . . The grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and, for children, it’s tiresome always giving them some explanations.”

NOTE: How many of us have been discouraged by “grownups” when we were younger. They saw the world through their fearful eyes and not through the eyes of an adventurous youth. No matter your age, open the door to the child within and dare to go on the marvelous journey you always wanted to take.

Poem for Today ~ A Prayer

A Prayer

Paul Laurence Dunbar

O Lord, the hard-won miles
    Have worn my stumbling feet:
Oh, soothe me with thy smiles,
    And make my life complete.

The thorns were thick and keen
    Where’er I trembling trod;
The way was long between
    My wounded feet and God.

Where healing waters flow
    Do thou my footsteps lead.
My heart is aching so;
    Thy gracious balm I need.

Source

Feel Good Tip ~ Move Out of the Tight Circle

I am blessed. I am surrounded by good neighbors and friends. They care about me and I care about them. When we move outside of our tight circle we discover a beautiful world filled with beautiful people who care and have loving hearts.

Daily Inspirational Quotes ~ Letting Go and Opening New Doors

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”

Paulo Coehlo

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