by Toby Hemenway

A mass emailing went out a while back from a prominent permaculturist looking for “projects where people are fully self sufficient in providing for their own food, clothing, shelter, energy and community needs. . .” There it was, the myth of “fully self sufficient,” coming from one of the best-known permaculturists in the world. In most US permaculture circles, the idea that anyone could be self sufficient at anything past a very primitive level was abandoned a while ago, and the softer term “self reliant” replaced it. But even self-reliance is barely possible, and, other than as way of expressing a desire to throw off the shackles of corporate consumerism, I don’t think it’s desirable.

I took a Googling cruise around the internet and found that “self sufficient” shows up as a desirable goal on several top permaculture websites. I’d like to hammer a few coffin nails into that phrase. My dictionary says that self sufficient means being “able to maintain oneself without outside aid.” Who lives without outside aid? No one. Let’s unpack that a bit further. The meaning of “self sufficient in food” is something most of us can agree on: supplying 100% of your food needs from your own land and efforts. I have never met anyone who has done this. I’m sure there are a few people doing it, but even subsistence farmers usually raise, alongside their food, a cash crop to buy the foods that are impractical for them to grow.

To read the whole article visit: tobyhemenway.com/selfreliancemyth.html

Remember that the Law of Attraction works regardless of whether or not you know about it, and it works both in the positive and negative. A challenge for you is to appreciate what you have drawn to you, even if you perceive it to be negative. Can you acknowledge that you've created everything in your life through your thoughts, feelings and actions? Now, can you honor yourself and stop pushing against your life?

Affirm that everything comes into your life for a reason. Instead of complaining about it or being upset, embrace it so that you can learn from it and move on to something better! You may not like what you have attracted, but you can learn from it, clean up your vibration, and expect to attract something better in the future! If you encounter rudeness then thank the person for showing you what you are attracting. If something has left your life, thank it for the gifts it brought and affirm that something better is coming.

Everything and everybody that appears in our life comes through attraction. The random person behind you in line at the store is there through attraction. The person sitting next to you at the stoplight is there through attraction. The neighbors you see on your walk are there through attraction. If you are expecting to go to the grocery store and experience crowds and irritation, then you will attract people who are irritable. You may end up at the store during a rush of people. When you send out a vibration and expectation of a certain outcome, then you will attract to you people who will help bring your expectation to reality. The Law of Attraction is always, always working! Thank it for being a mirror for you to see what kind of physical reality you are creating.

The outer world is a reflection of your inner world, so pay attention to what is showing up in your life. You brought it in, so observe carefully and relate that to your thoughts and feelings. Honor the people that show up in your life. Sending more negativity their way or judging them will only keep similar people and experiences coming towards you. Instead, if you acknowledge that you were brought together through mutual attraction, you can remain emotionally unattached, observe the situation, and learn from it. Having negative emotions towards something you attracted to you will only cause more frustration and won’t move you forward.

Remember, making life-altering changes such as these require commitment, focus, and practice. Don’t beat yourself up if you get irritable with something or find yourself judging someone. Simply acknowledge that you are growing and move on! You can feel two ways- positive or negative. Why choose negative? Realize that it takes time to set new habits and patterns, and that you are re-wiring years of thought patterns.

I am a lover of reality. I acknowledge that everything in my life is here for a reason, and the circumstances of my physical reality are a mirror of my inner world. I monitor my thoughts, feelings, and results and create the best life possible for me!

From: yourjoyouslife.com

The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.” ~ Mark Twain

Self-respect is a fundamental for a great life. If we lack self-respect we will be insecure and strive to be someone we are not. To develop self-respect means to cultivate the self confidence to deal with whatever life throws at us. Self-respect comes from an inner belief and not an egoistic feeling of superiority.

Be True to Yourself-There is great social pressure from parents, work and society to become a certain person and to achieve certain things. It is a pressure hard to detach from. But, a real self-respect only comes from being true to our inner calling. It is important you have faith in your own values and remember what is important to you. Everyone needs to follow their own path.

Learn to Handle Criticism-Nobody like criticism and when we are criticized, either directly or indirectly, we feel bad about ourself – even if the criticism is not justified. To maintain a sense of self respect, we need to learn how to deal with criticism. Look at it from a detached perspective. Maybe it is false, in which case we should ignore it. If there is some truth, we can use it to develop our character. Just because we are not very good at a particular task, doesn’t mean we need to lose our self respect.

Look After Your Appearance, Without Being a Slave to Fashion-Our appearance is important. It can give us confidence or it can make us feel awkward. Taking care of our appearance; dressing smart for the right occasion gives us self confidence. At the same time, we don’t want to be the slave of fashion trends.

Avoid Jealousy-Jealousy of other people’s success is a common way of losing our happiness and self respect. Jealousy is simply envy of other people’s success. We feel miserable that we cannot enjoy their success. Sometimes it can even lead us to knocking the other person. If we follow this path of jealousy we will definitely lose our sense of self respect. When we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, we are saying our self respect depends on being better than others. But, the truth is, there will always be some people more successful than ourself. The trick to lasting self respect is to be happy through others success.

Remember your Motivation, Not Results-Sometimes we work with best of motives and the best of intentions only to be disappointed by the outcome. It is the nature of life, that things will not turn out as we hoped, but, it is a mistake to link our sense of self worth to the achievement of external targets. Self respect comes when we value our attitude to life and other people.

Respect Others-If you have no respect for others, how can you have self-respect? Self respect means we have an inner confidence and inner assurance, but this is not a confidence built on superiority. It is the wrong approach to try and feel better by putting others down. If we look for the good qualities in other people, it is easier to remember the good qualities in ourselves.

Never Hate Yourself-We make mistakes, we may do the wrong thing. If we are not careful we start bitterly regretting things and even disliking ourselves. We should never hate our self, it is very destructive.

Forgive-Forgive others and forgive yourself. Don’t live in the past, but, move on from past mistakes and difficult situations. If your mind is occupied with problems from the past, you will always feel guilty and unworthy. Don’t allow your self worth to be determined by past mistakes.

Be Selfless-The way to self respect is not through a bloated sense of pride; this is a false type of self respect. We may think that the praise of others boosts our self respect, but, actually this praise creates a vulnerable ego. If our self respect is based on the praise of others then our self respect will be very tenuous. Self respect should not be dependent on the praise of others.

Don’t Keep up With the Joneses -You will not be able to build self respect if you are permanently striving to impress others with outer displays. Be comfortable with what you have, not what you think will impress others.

Tejvan Pettinger

To all those special moms on Mother's Day

by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

Jim Rohn

I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed. -- Dalai Lama

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

OM MANI PADME HUM, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha. It is said that you should not seek for Buddha hood outside of yourself; the substances for the achievement of Buddha hood are within. As Maitreya says in his Sublime Continuum of the Great Vehicle (Uttaratantra), all beings naturally have the Buddha nature in their own continuum. We have within us the seed of purity, the essence of a One Gone Thus (Tathagatagarbha), that is to be transformed and fully developed into Buddha hood.

By H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Tibetan Incantations : www.youtube.com/watch

Translation by :U Sao Htun Hmat Win

May I be free from enmity and danger;
May I be free from mental suffering;
May I be from physical pain;
May I take care of myself happily.

May my parents, teachers, relatives and friends,
Fellow Dhamma colleagues;

May all meditators in this compound,

May all momks, novices in this compound;
All members of the ecclesiastical order,
Laymen and laywomen and all others,

May our donors of the four requisites of food,
Clothes, shelter and medicine,

May our guardian spirits in this monastery,
in this dwelling, in this compound,

May all beings, all breathing ones,
all creatures, all individuals, all personalities,
may all females and males, all noble ones,
all wanderers, all deities, all human beings,
and those in the four nether worlds of miseries

Be free from enmity and danger;
Be free from mental suffering;
Be free from physical pain;
May they take care of themselves happily.

May all beings be free from suffering.
And whatever they have gained,
May there be no diminishment and destruction.
All beings are inheritors of their own Kamma.

In the Eastern direction,
In the Western direction,
In the Northern direction,
In the Southern direction,

South East direction,
North West direction,
In the North East direction,
In the South West direction,
In the direction Below,
In the direction Above.

May all beings, all breathing ones,
all creatures, all individuals, all personalities,
may all females and males, all noble ones,
all wanderers, all deities, all human beings,
and those in the four nether worlds and miseries
May they be free from enmity and danger;
May they be free from mental suffering;
May they be free from physical pain;
May they take care of themselves happily.

Whatever they have gained,
May there be no diminishment and destruction.
All beings are inheritors of their own Kamma.

Full lyrics and song by Imee Ooi:
www.youtube.com/watch

There are two primary reasons we seek recognition. The first has to do with one of our three core drive drives: the drive to have positive impact in the world. The second has to do with our Survival and Redemption Plans.

Our Drive to Have Positive Impact: We all have three core drives: the drive to be authentic, the drive for connection and the drive to have positive impact in the world. Our Impact drive can lead to seeking recognition because it is natural for us to want to know whether we are truly making a difference.

Survival Plan Attachment: The more we are trying to have a positive impact in the world in order to redeem ourselves for having failed to get all the love, validation or safety we needed when we were younger, the more this natural desire becomes distorted. It turns into the kind of attention-seeking that irritates others and it becomes a bottomless pit for us – we can’t ever get enough recognition to fill the hole in us. This is why we must outgrow our Survival and Redemption Plans as adults.

The more our drive to feel like we have a positive impact in the world is hijacked by our Survival and Redemption Plans, the more in jeopardy our integrity becomes.

"Integrity isn't a burden --
it's a path to joy.
Integrity isn't a sacrifice --
it's a path to fulfillment."

David Gruder

One of the best things you can do to positively affect your household or your community is to become a role model. The term role model first appeared in Robert K. Merton socialization research of medical students. Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. The term has passed into general use to mean any "person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others”.
Then, if you want to be a role model for your kids or for others in your community, you must follow some simple rules:

• Don't be part of actions that will embarrass you later. If you are engaging in actions which you do not want people to know of, it is best to not engage in those actions at all. Example: lies, theft, drugs, .... Remember, people are always aware of your actions and news travels fast.

• Be part of things that are good. If you are engaging in good deeds, no one can ever speak negatively about you. You will be setting the greatest example of all. Do good unto others and others will do good unto you.

• Be self controlled. If you are easily angered, avoid places or people that will upset you. This way you won't lose your cool in front of others. Fighting is a negative action and we should not allow others to believe fighting is the best way to deal with issues.

• Control what you say. Using vulgar and critical language is not part of setting a good example. Instead of using your speech to insult others, be encouraging and keep your conversations gracious. This way your example is positive.

“Heroes” and “role models” are not synonymous terms. Many heroic figures, mythic or historical, rather than providing a model of a societal code of values, represent their transgression. Examples of positive role models who possessed less flashy, more subtle traits that influence culture in a socially successful, long-term or day-by-day fashion may include Confucius, Ghandi, Martin Luther King,

As the worlds natural resources are rapidly dwindling and fear of peak oil is beginning to spread, talk about alternative (renewable) energies is on the rise. The most popular amongst them is solar power and it is supposed to come your way soon. Already in 1994, Shell International Petroleum projected that renewable energy, especially solar, will account for 50% of the world’s energy production by 2050. It promises clean energy, increased independence from the grid, fast installation, a good life span (solar panels last 20-35 years, batteries 2-6 years) – all with low environmental impact.

All of this sounds so good and promising that the vast majority of people are buying into it. Fortunately, it is only the vast majority and not everyone. Once you scratch underneath the surface, you will find a dark side that wouldn’t be very popular and therefore is mostly hidden.

As a society, we have been trained to develop tunnel vision and always see the product only. In order to understand the true benefits or disadvantages of a product, we need to expand our vision and see the entire process: extraction (natural resource exploitation), production (including setting up factories), distribution (which is large coal or oil based), consumption (the engine of our system of choice: consumerism) and disposal (toxic materials ending up in incinerators or landfills).

Every conventional product and many “alternative” products have to go through this cycle of what is called “materialism” or “consumerism”. This system is currently promoted world wide as the most advanced way of life in the history of mankind. Materialistic capitalism is entirely dependent on consumerism. So much so, that our entire economy stands and falls with the way we consume. If consumers stop consuming at an extreme rate, the economy can fall apart “over night”.

And consume we do – at a higher rate than ever, condemned to never stop. Corporations and governments make sure that we remain enthusiastic by all means.

What now about the latest fantastic energy product on the horizon – solar powered systems?

Read more: www.organicfarm.net/Article_...power.htm

What you intend, through the density of matter, through the densest level of Light, becomes your reality. Where your attention goes, you go.

To become aware of the relationship between your consciousness and physical reality is to become aware of the Law of karma, to see it in action. What you intend is what you become. If you intend to take as much from life and others as you can, if your thoughts are of taking instead of giving, you create a reality that reflects your intentions. You draw to yourself souls of like frequency, and together you create a taking reality. Your experiences then reflect your own orientation, and validate it. You see the people around you as personalities who take, rather than personalities who give. You do not trust them, and they do not trust you.

When you bring the consciousness of your soul to your intention-setting process, when you choose to align yourself with your soul, instead of with your personality, you create a reality that reflects your soul rather than your personality. When you look upon the experiences of your life as karmic necessities, when you react to your experiences as products of an impersonal energy dynamic rather than the products of particular interactions, you bring the wisdom of your soul into your reality. When you choose to respond to life’s difficulties with compassion, instead of fear and doubt, you create a “Heaven on Earth “- you bring the aspects of a more balanced and harmonious level of reality into physical being.

Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul

Love or Infatuation?

Infatuation is fleeting desire -- one set of glands calling to another. It is marked by a feeling of insecurity. You are excited and eager but not genuinely happy. There are nagging doubts, unanswered questions, little bits and pieces that you would just as soon not examine too closely. It might spoil the dream.

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It takes root and grows, one day at a time. It is quiet understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection. It gives you strength and grows beyond you to bolster your beloved. You are warmed by his presence, even when he is away. Miles do not separate you. But near or far, you know he is yours and you can wait.

Infatuation has an element of sexual excitement. Whenever you are together, you hope it will end in intimacy. Love is not based on sex. It is the maturation of friendship that makes sex so much sweeter. You must be friends before you can be lovers.

Infatuation lacks confidence. When he's away, you wonder if he's being unfaithful. Sometimes, you check.

Love means trust. You are calm, secure and unthreatened. Infatuation might lead you to do things you will regret, but love never steers you in the wrong direction.

Love is elevating. It lifts you up. It makes you look up. It makes you better than you were before.

Ann Landers

Intuition is a subconscious mind-body connection that is with us from infancy, a safety mechanism that exists to protect us from harm, or at least to make us think twice before we go about doing something. The Oxford quotes it as : ‘the ability to understand or know something immediately, without conscious reasoning.’ We may have a hunch, inkling, suspicion, premonition or gut feeling, it is all these and more.

There's a reason we are thinking a thought or feeling an emotion. Something in the memory, subconscious, or past experience is telling us to be careful. Something about the situation doesn't quite feel right- we may not be able to understand how or why but we must listen to ourself.

Our subconscious can pick up the tiniest clues from our environment before we consciously and rationally can understand what they mean or what to make of them. If we listen to these signals, we'll make better decisions about everything in our life.

Dreams, visualizing a clear and distinct picture, deep inner knowing, a quiet, subtle nudge, physical cues, like the stomach aching, all are signals about our intuition talking to us. We should become aware of this amazing power within us and start using it.

How to get in touch and trust our intuition:

• Practice -Take a few minutes each day to experience inner silence. Calm your mind and clear your thoughts so that the information from your soul can surface.

• Be Open to This Power - Get past the ego that thinks you have everything figured out and be open to new possibilities. Your true path may not be the one that you are currently working on.

• Get Creative - Creativity provides a forum for expression and a great venue for helping your intuition get past all the day to day stuff in life.

• Ask Yourself Some Questions - When you ask yourself, 'What's the next step?", you will instinctively know what you need to do. This is the time when you must begin to learn to trust yourself.

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change

That's Why I'm Starting With Me
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
From our beloved Michael Jackson’s "Man In The Mirror"


www.youtube.com/watch
www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mi...irror.html

ONE WITH THE DIVINE

The secret of all health, prosperity, and happiness is being in conscious union with the Divine.

The closer we are to Divinity, the nearer we are to the limitless source of things. When we feel strongest, when we feel conscious of the power which is back of the flesh, but not of it, when we feel that we are in touch with Divinity, our power is greater and our supply larger.

Every time a man does wrong he weakens himself by so much. Every time we do wrong, every time we depart from the truth, every time we commit a dishonest, unworthy act, do a mean, contemptible thing, we lessen the Omnipotent grip upon us, and then we become a party to all sorts of fears, apprehensions, dreads, and doubts.

The moment we feel conscious that our union with the Great Source of things is broken, we are filled with uncertainty and apprehension; we feel a sense of helplessness, which makes us weak, timid, apprehensive. Fear, anxiety, worry, are positive evidence that we have lost our divine connection and strayed from home, that we are out of tune with the Infinite, and in discord with principle.

The very idea of persistently holding the thought that one is divinely upheld, the thought that no harm can possibly come to you while you are thus ensconced in the Divine Presence destroys all fear and worry; restores confidence, and multiplies power.

~Pathway to Prosperity eCourse

Easwaran was a successful writer, lecturer and professor of English literature when he came to the US on the Fulbright exchange program in 1959. Two years later he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Berkeley, California. At the University of California, Berkeley, he taught the first credit course on the theory and practice of mediation to be offered at a major university in the West.

Respected meditation guru and philosopher Shri Eknath Eswaran touched the hearts and souls of thousands of people of all races, nationalities and religions through his meditation retreats at Blue Mountain Center, books, tapes and lectures.

"He has left behind a legacy of highly nourishing spiritual literature that is like a garden so fragrant with flowers of many hues. I pay homage to this master of our times." ~Swami Chidananda

What we think about constantly, we become; that is the secret of meditation and prayer.
~The Constant Companion.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
~ I Corinthians 13:4-8a

"In the vicinity of transcending , hostile tendencies are eliminated"
~ the Yoga Sutras

What you want to do for the world, do first for yourself. If we want to make a peaceful world, we must first make ourselves infinitely peaceful. ~the Vedas

Angels of Peace :
www.youtube.com/watch

The child must know that he is a miracle, a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been and until the end of the world there will not be another child like him. He is a unique thing, a unique thing, from the beginning until the end of the world. Now, that child acquires a responsibility: “Yes, it is true, I am a miracle. I am a miracle like a tree is a miracle, like a flower is a miracle. Now, if I am a miracle, can I do a bad thing? I can't because I am a miracle, a miracle.”
- Pablo Casals

INTEGRITY

"Integrity is one of several paths. It distinguishes itself from the others because it is the right path and the only one upon which you will never get lost" - M.H. McKee

"There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity"
- Samuel Johnson

"I believe that a life of integrity is the most fundamental source of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way" -Stephen R. Covey


HONESTY

"Our lives improve only when we take chances -- and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."
-Walter Anderson

"In order to be profoundly dishonest, a person must have one of two qualities: either is unscrupulously ambitious, or unswervingly egocentric." -Maya Angelou


KARMA

-P.A.Payuto
"All beings are the owners of their karma, heirs to their karma, born of their karma, related to their karma, supported by their karma. Karma it is which divides beings into coarse and refined states."

"Whatever seed one plants, one reaps the fruit thereof. Who does good receives good, who does evil receives evil."

"Actions which lead not to distress, but to a heart bright and cheerful, are good karma. Knowing what karma is useful, one should quickly act thereon."

"For whosoever there is right action, that is a favorable time, an auspicious time, an auspicious morning, an auspicious dawning, an auspicious moment, an auspicious occasion; and in that action there is veneration of the holy. The bodily karma ... verbal karma ... mental karma of such a one are auspicious, and his wishes are auspicious. Having created auspicious karma, that person experiences only auspicious results."

"If you fear suffering, do not make bad karma, either in public or in private. If you make bad karma, even if you fly into the air, you will be unable to escape suffering."


FREEDOM

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt"
- John Philpot Curran

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence”
- F.D. Roosevelt

“None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free”
- Goethe

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings” - Hodding Carter

“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously”
- Hubert Humphrey

“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be” - James Baldwin

“As far as your self-control goes, as far goes your freedom”
– Marie Von Ebner - Eschenbach


WISDOM

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk”
- Doug Larson

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”
- Sócrates

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future”
- George Bernard Shaw

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom”
- Bertrand Russell

“It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf”
- Walter Lippmann

“Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it”
- David Star Jordan

“We can be knowledgeable with other men's knowledge, but we cannot be wise with other men's wisdom”
- Michel de Montaigne

“Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences” - Norman Cousins

“Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it” - Doug Larson



"With malice toward none,
With charity for all,
Wth firmness in the right,
As God gives us
To see the right,
Let us strive on
To finish the work we are in,
To...achieve and cherish
A just and lasting PEACE..."
- A. Lincoln

~Karma is like this. If we set causes in motion the effects come back to us.~

~ Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act nonvirtuously, suffering results. ~

~There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else." ~ Peyton Conway March

'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' - Gandhi

"The loss of conscience is probably not mourned by anyone who functions without it, but those who have lost the faculty to tell that it is wrong to harm others, or that deception is one form of harm, have been deprived of a humanizing feature and have suffered an impoverishment of their moral life." Evelin Sullivan

Asked what a man could gain by telling falsehoods, [Aristotle] reportedly replied, ‘Not to be credited when he speaks the truth.'"

***********
" And you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'"John 8:31-32

"You reap what you sow".-Gal 6.7

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The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

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"It is our earth, not yours or mine or his. We are meant to live on it, helping each other, not destroying each other". - J. Krishnamurti

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"Anyone who wants to know the human psyche will learn next to nothing from experimental psychology. He would be better advised to abandon exact science, put away his scholar's gown, bid farewell to his study, and wander with human heart throught the world. There in the horrors of prisons, lunatic asylums and hospitals, in drab suburban pubs, in brothels and gambling-hells, in the salons of the elegant, the Stock Exchanges, socialist meetings, churches, revivalist gatherings and ecstatic sects, through love and hate, through the experience of passion in every form in his own body, he would reap richer stories of knowledge than text-books a foot thick could give him, and he will know how to doctor the sick with a real knowledge of the human soul". -- Carl Jung

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" Nothing escapes the Law of Karma"

"Sow The Wind; Reap The Whirlwind"

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*" Love limits itself by desire."

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*" A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"

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The Golden Rule

*"What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others." — Confucius (ca. 551 - 479 B.C.)

*"Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." -Udana-Varga, 5:18

*"This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you." -Mahabharata 5:1517
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“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.”- Helen Keller

"It's not enough to speak, but to speak true".-Shakespeare

What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.-Chief Seattle

“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it”. - André Gide

"That which is not good for the bee-hive cannot be good for the bees."--Marcus Aurelius

"To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence." -Nietzsche

Albert Einstein

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor".

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Information is not knowledge".

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education ".

"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it".

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."

"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".

"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters".

"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods".

Strong things are quiet.
Waves may leap,
But the heart of the ocean
Is calm and deep.
Though change of seasons
Bring change of scene,
The hills and the mountains
Stand serene.
The heart that trusts
In The Power of Prayer
Is the heart that finds
GOD everywhere.
Though the waters rise
And the winds increase,
The heart that trusts
Is a heart at ease.

There is power in Silence and yes "SILENCE" is the perfect gift you can give to yourself and to all those whom you care. Read this poem twice but read the first four lines five times and you will figure out the perfect gift ...." John Harricharan and Vish Writer